active reefers. At Boolong, the Mystery Gold Mining Company's property and the I O U claim were doing useful development work, while at the White Feather important prospecting was being done on the McAuliffe's, Golden Eagle, and Bissenberger's leases. The Hill End, Arrow, Benchmark, Ritanita, Monte Cristo, and Reison and Sons' claims were among the earliest to be opened up at Broad Arrow, and considerable gold was obtained by dollying. Chipper and party and Moncrieff and party at Dead Finish; the Premier, Premier Extended, Royal Sovereign, Westralia, True Blue, Lone Hand, and Sunbeam leases at the Twenty-five Mile; the Bendigo and Coolgardie Company, New Victoria, Westralia, and Mount Burges Company at Mount Burges; Christie's Reward and Cook's lease at Siberia; and Lynch and party, Caledonia, Gulls, W. Hicks, Moss and Lynch, Hawson's, Curt's Blow, Featherstonehaugh's, Birthday, Cashman's, and Otto and Boddington's at the Ninety Mile (Roaring Gimlet or Goongarrie), were the most prominent in their respective districts. Numerous companies had been formed in Western Australia and the Eastern colonies to work the claims, and syndicates of capitalists sent out men to purchase likely-looking properties. It was seen that the eastern goldfields were essentially rich in quartz, and that in the absence of water alluvial of moderate worth could not be made to pay. In 1894 the eastern goldfields (exclusive of Dundas) produced 136,828 ozs. 4 dwts. 4 grs. of gold, valued at £519,947 3s. 9d.
At Dundas, up to the beginning of 1894, gold discoveries had been made along the hills for a distance of over eight miles. The May Bell, May Bell North, May Bell South, Great Dundas, Nos. 1 and 2 Great South Dundas, Florence Ada, Scotia, and the No. 1 South Scotia were the first mines to be systematically prospected. Mr. Woodward, the Government Geologist, formed a high opinion of the field in 1893. The population of this district increased in 1894, and in July excitement was caused when it became known that Mr. L. Sinclair had discovered a reef showing free gold about eighteen miles from Dundas. The stone was reckoned to be worth 50 ozs. to the ton. The new district was named the Norseman. Ramsay Bros. and F. Hassell also found good reefs at this point. The gold production of Dundas in 1894 was 228 ozs. 7 dwts. 12 grs., valued at £867 16s. 6d.
In the history of the Murchison Goldfield in 1894 there was little of absorbing interest. No phenomenal finds were made as on the eastern fields, but considerable machinery was erected on the mines. A large hospital was being built at Cue, and a municipality was proclaimed on 30th May, 1894. A Council was elected in August (Mr. W.H. Gale, mayor), and was required to carry out very arduous duties. The public health on the Murchison was slightly better than that at Coolgardie, although the death-rate was high. A Warden's Court was opened at Yalgoo in August, and a court at Lake Austin was closed. The average of the stone crushed was very encouraging. Thus, from mines at Cue, the first stone crushed at the Lady Mary was 50 tons for 163 ozs. gold; Lady Mary South, 20 tons, 57 ozs.; Cue I. Proprietary, 339 tons, at 2 ozs. 10 dwts. of gold per ton; Rising Sun, 100 tons, 213 ozs.; Commonwealth, 40 tons, 250 ozs.; Golden Stream, 87 tons, at 1 oz. 12 dwts. per ton; Mount Murchison, 12 tons, at 1 oz. 5 dwts. per ton; Maori, 250 tons, at 2 ozs. 2 dwts. per ton; Anglo-Saxon, 50 tons, at 2 ozs. 15 dwts.; Lily, 63 tons, 214 ozs. 15 dwts.; Queen of May, 53 tons, at 1 oz. 16 dwts: per ton; Normanby, 45 tons, at 2 ozs. 10 dwts. per ton; North Cue, 30 tons, at 2 ozs. per ton. In the crushings at Day Dawn, on the Day Dawn Mine, 4,000 tons averaged 16 dwts. of gold per ton; on the Trenton, 50 tons averaged 5 oz. per ton; and on other mines, such as the Emperor, Cue Victory, New Caledonia, Kinsella, Nil Desperandum, Kinsella No. II., excellent stone was treated. The mines at Lake Austin (island and mainland) yielded heavy parcels, obtained by dollying. Up to 1894 the Nannine Mine, at Lake Annean, had crushed 2,200 tons of quartz for 2,263 ozs. of gold; the Royalist, 120 tons for 700 ozs.; and the Victory (from January, 1893, to July, 1894), 4,500 tons for 4,300 ozs. The Star of the East Mine, east of Nannine, was turning out well, and obtained 7,036 ozs. from 2,680 tons; the Garden Gully Company erected machinery on their mine in 1894. The Ophir, Black Iguana, Mount Wranizon, and Mount Wranizon South at Abbott's Find, and the New Chum, New Chum South, Morning Star, and Easter Mines at West Mount Magnet, were the most forward in their respective districts. The alluvial yielded some fair returns on the Murchison in 1894; the total output of gold on these goldfields was 52,946 ozs. 6 dwts. 11 grs., valued at £201,196.
Late in 1894 some very rich stone was obtained near Lake Darlot, east of the Murchison Goldfield. There was a considerable rush of men for this district, and one report says that gold valued at £10,000 was rapidly dollied from the reefs. Lawler's (named after discoverer) became the favourite centre of this new area, while McCaffrey's, a few miles to the north, supplied some rich alluvial.
A few large nuggets were discovered on the Pilbarra Goldfield in 1894. Reefing was pursued with more vigour than in 1893, and the district was so promising that the Government considered the advisability of constructing a railway to Marble Bar. A public meeting at Roebourne advocated such a line with vigour. Several mines in the Pilbarra district were sold to English companies. The return of gold at Pilbarra was 16,254 ozs. 10 dwts., valued at £61,767 2s. The Ashburton output was 285 ozs., valued at £1,084; and the Kimberley, 588 ozs., valued at £2,236. The latter district was even more depressed than in the previous year. The site of Hall's Creek was declared on 23rd November, 1894.
The influx of people to the colony during the year had been phenomenal, and all the principal towns participated in the uprising which took place. Almost every branch of Government administration was greatly expanded; the railway and telegraphic systems became profitable; and the finances grew comparatively larger every succeeding month. The flotation of mining companies in Western Australia and elsewhere, aggregating in capital many millions of pounds, provided a wonderful stimulant to progression. A "boom" had begun, and in the following year it took Australian and numerous English capitalists under its sway. Western Australia reaped the immediate contingent advantages.
The great growth of the goldfields led to changes in the administration. Hitherto the Department of Lands and Surveys, under the supervision of the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Mr. Marmion, had to administer the mining industry, but the work became so arduous and extensive that a Department of Mines was constituted. On 1st January, 1894, Mr. H.C. Prinsep became Secretary for Mines, with a staff distinct from that of the Lands Office, and he was set the task of establishing uniform system for the production of mining plans, for the carrying out of mining laws and regulations, and for the
