Federation Gold Mine, Mount Ida Goldfield, Menzies Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Federation Gold Mine	Mine
Mount Ida Goldfield	Ore Field
Menzies Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

The Federation Gold Mine is a north-south trending line of shafts bordering the west side of the Riverina-Mount Ida Road, near its junction with the Timoni mining camp.

The mine was developed by Bernard Gaffney, Francis Ridd and Bremner. One Sunday afternoon in late September 1903, the three were drinking at the Mount Ida Hotel. Gaffney and Ridd got into an argument, and outside the hotel, Ridd threw a punch. Gaffney fell backwards hitting his head on a rock. Appearing none the worse, they went back inside, and Gaffney had another drink with his mining partners, before retiring to a room upstairs.

The next morning he was found unconscious. A doctor was called from Menzies, but he never regained consciousness and died on the Thursday afternoon. Francis Ridd (40) was charged with manslaughter. Gaffney had fallen from a buggy days before, and this was enough for the jury to acquit Ridd. They did not even bother listening to the entire defence argument, announcing half-way through the trial they were ready to make a decision.

Bremner needed new partners. Gaffney (39) was dead, and Ridd left. Mathieson and Sharman (surnames) joined him. Initially there were rich crushings. As one example in 1904, 50 tonnes of ore was crushed for 284 ounces. However development work was not keeping pace with stoping and the rich ore soon ran out. The mine limped along until 1913. Amazingly, Ridd is found as part owner of the neighbouring and rich Unexpected mine in 1907.

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