Devon Gold Mine, Linden Goldfield, Leonora Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Devon Gold Mine	Mine
Linden Goldfield	Ore Field
Leonora Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

To put it bluntly the Devon Gold Mine sucked its long suffering shareholders dry, for very little return.

Between 1915 to 1927 there was no less than 71 calls made on shareholders for money. This is essentially sticking a gun to shareholder's heads. Either pay up, and hope the mine returns a profit sometime in the near future, or don't provide any further capital and let the company fold, losing what money you have invested.

During the same period the company reconstructed nine times. At best this involves issuing more shares,and devaluing the existing ones. At worse, the old shares become worthless and new capital is sort.

The mine also went through nine mine managers during the same period. At times shareholders and directors appear to have suffered amnesia over the type of ore body at Devons. It is gold tied to dense sulphides, and the plants of the day found it extremely difficult to treat. Directors would state at annual general meetings how they could not understand how gold assays were so high, yet so little gold was being extracted, knowing full well the nature of the ore. The mine manager was blamed, leading to another resignation.

Constant capital raising led to constant equipment replacement. The mine always had the most up to date mill and treatment plant on the Eastern Goldfields, usually at an unnecessary expense. Meanwhile development work underground was almost non existent, and the main shaft was to a depth of only 50 feet.

There were two leases of 24 and 14 acres each. It was held by an English Company called the Westralia United Goldfields Ltd
for five years from 1907. The mine was equipped with a winding winch, boiler, 5 stamp mill, cyanide vats etc in 1909, worth a small fortune, while the shaft had only reached a depth of 46 feet.

Not surprisingly, financial problems arose, and then its main creditor, Scottish Mr John Wilkie died. With no further capital forthcoming and his estate demanding the sale of the mine to repay debts, the company and mine folded.

The mine was sold to Reidel (surname), Frank Norton and Alick Norton of Kanowna. Prior to the sale the ore left at grass was processed at 1995 tonnes yielding a profit of 6170 pounds. The new owners added more plant to the already extensive machinery at the site.

The Melbourne syndicate whose actions are described above took over the mine late 1915 for 4000 pounds. Even better, the purchase price was to be paid out of gold won, being a 25% cut. In effect they were given a free gold mine. Except, of the 22 500 pounds raised from investors, almost 20 000 pounds of this went to the promoter and owners. The following year the Devon Consols Company was asking for more money and this was a continual occurrence.

Of the nine mine managers, the most important was A.J. Hill, who as a metallurgist realised the nature of the ore at Devon. Between 1915 to the end of 1924 the mine had raised 4879 tonnes of ore worth $12 770, but the last three years of this period no ore was crushed at the mill, due to its refractory nature. Mining continued until 1927.

The Roma Blocks Oil Company NL takes out an option over the mine in 1934, but no more is heard.

In 1947 a five man team extracted 90 tonnes of ore from the mine until an inflow of water forced them out. F. Zanotti the following year owns both the Devon and Democrat mines, but concentrates on developing the latter.

In May/June 2015, GME Resources dug a trial trench across the deposit, and are planning to develop an open pit. The mine is two kilometres north of the old Linden town site, and on the shore of the Lake Carey salt-pan.

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