Thomas George Croft papers regarding the Dalmorton Quartz Mining Company

MLMSS 12060

fonds

August-September 1872

9676120

0.01 metres of textual material (1 folder) - manuscript in ink

James Irvine (active 1870-1873) was granted a publican's license for the Lunatic Hotel in November 1870. The hotel was situated in the Casino District, Lunatic Reef, near Drake and was recorded in July 1871 as being the first of two stores to open at the Little River Goldfield. This goldfield was defined by three reefs named Lunatic, Golden Crown and Perseverance at what became the town of Dalmorton. James Irvine continued to operate the Lunatic Hotel while also being involved in other business interests at the goldfield.

In November 1871 Irvine was part of a group of twelve gentlemen representing thirty-five shareholders who agreed to take steps to form a local quartz crushing company in Drake. In June 1872, Irvine had registered the Kangaroo Creek Quartz Crushing Company (Limited), with Irvine as the Gazetted Manager of the Company. By August 1872 mining companies working the Golden Crown Reef were sending their quartz to the Kangaroo Creek Quartz Mining Company’s machine for trial crushing. In that month James Irvine had agreed to act an agent for the Dalmorton Quartz Mining Company, managing mining operations that were to commence on the Number 2 South claim, Golden Crown Reef. The Dalmorton Company’s claim appears to have yielded little gold as by January 1873 work was unable to proceed on the mine in consequence of non-payment of calls. A meeting of the shareholders of the company was called on 9 January to determine whether to abandon the project.

By May 1873 the whole of the machinery and plant of the Kangaroo Creek Quartz Crushing Company was knocked down to James Irvine at auction for £280. On 9 September 1873 it was reported in the New South Wales Government Gazette that James Irvine’s publican's license to operate the Lunatic Hotel had been reissued by The Treasury for the period 1 July 1873 to 30 June 1874.

References:

1. “Advertising.” The Sydney Morning Herald, 7 January 1873, 1. Accessed 30 November 2023.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13310064

2. “Government Gazette Notices.” New South Wales Police Gazette and Weekly Record of Crime, 28 December 1870, 344. Accessed 29 November 2023.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/252049847

3. “Government Gazette Notices.” New South Wales Police Gazette and Weekly Record of Crime, 9 September 1873, 2461.Accessed 1 December 2023.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/251603253/27921440

4. "Lunatic Reef." Clarence and Richmond Examiner and New England Advertiser, 27 August 1872, 2. Accessed 29 November 2023.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/61879640

5. "Mines and Mining." Australian Town and Country Journal, 15 July 1871, 15. Accessed 29 November 2023.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70467934

6. “Mining Intelligence.” Empire, Sydney, 23 November 1871, 4. Accessed 1 December 2023.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60878418

7. New South Wales Government Gazette, 18 June 1872, 1576. Accessed 29 November 2023.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/225842356

8. "Tenterfield." The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser, 31 May 1873, 5. Accessed 1 December 2023.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189987336

9. Library correspondence file
Thomas George Hart Croft (approximately 1842-1934) was a Sydney stock and share broker and company director. Between 1872-1873 Thomas G. Croft made application to register multiple gold mining companies under the provisions of the Mining Partnerships Limited Liability Act of 1861, managing these companies on behalf of shareholders from the registered company office at 323 George Street, Sydney.

Thomas Croft was elected as one of two Directors of the Illawarra and South Coast Steam Navigation Company Limited in 1905 or 1906, and was regularly re-elected to this position in the years following. He was celebrated as the Chairman of Directors in 1929 at the age of 87 and remained a Director of the company until the year of his death.

In May 1921 Thomas Croft was called by the City Coroner's Court to give evidence at the inquest into the suicide death of his former gardener. Thomas was married to Alice Croft (1844-1924) and had a daughter, Alice Beatrice Gibsone (1884-1972). Thomas Croft passed away at his home 'Notrella', Point Piper in August 1934.

References:

1. "Can't Eat Tripe." The Bathurst Times, 28 May 1921, 4. Accessed 30 November 2023.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/111542755

2. “Deaths.” The Sydney Morning Herald, 21 August 1934, 8. Accessed 29 November 2023
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17094854

3. “Prospectus of the Great Exhibition Gold Mining Company, Hawkins Hill.” The Sydney Morning Herald, 14 May 1872, 8. Accessed 29 November 2023.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13257472

4. “Shipping News.” The Richmond River Herald and Northern Districts Advertiser, 7 May 1929, 2. Accessed 30 November 2023.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/126812622

5. “The Illawarra and South Coast Steam Navigation Co., Limited.” Daily Commercial News and Shipping List, 11 May 1934, 3. Accessed 30 November 2023.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/161061264

6. “The Illawarra and South Coast Steam Navigation Company, Limited.” The Sydney Morning Herald, 7 April 1906, 20. Accessed 30 November 2023.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14763709

7. “Thomas George Hart Croft.” Find a Grave. Memorials. Accessed 30 November 2023.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/218832925/thomas-george_hart-croft

8. Library correspondence file

This collection consists of papers relating to the management of the Dalmorton Quartz Mining Company and the company's claim at the Golden Crown Reef, Dalmorton.

1. James Irvine, Lunatic Reef, letter to Thomas G. Croft, 8 August 1872

2. James Irvine, Lunatic Reef, letter to Thomas G. Croft, 29 August 1872

3. Receipt from the Dalmorton Quartz Mining Co., 323 George Street, for payment to Thomas G. Croft of 15 weeks' salary at £1 per week plus £1.15.1 petty cash, 11 September 1872

Out of copyright:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales