Captain John Mason came from Stirling in Scotland, arriving at Port Fairy in 1844. One year after James Atkinson obtained his Special Survey of the area. Thus his life covers all the history of Port Fairy when it was known as Belfast. He married Jane Murray in Portland in 1846 and they had 5 children, Jane died in 1855 and ten years later he married Ann Brown widow of Abijah Brown. They had no children and she died in 1887. In due course he became known as Captain Mason, he was not a sea captain, but captain of the Belfast Volunteers, a Rifle Corps formed in 1859 as a consequence of the Crimean War, and later reconstituted as the Belfast Volunteer Corps. For 40 years he displayed a remarkable versatility in his various occupations. Starting as an Innkeeper - he took over the Stag Inn from Captain Saunders in 1852, for 3 years. He then became a carpenter, stonemason, architect, estate agent honorary technical advisor to the Borough and treasurer to the Shire, and Savings Bank Secretary. They thought so well of John mason in Belfast that they elected him to the first Roads Board in 1853 and to the first Municipal Council in 1856. He was Chairman four times and with Councillors David Talbot and Joseph Whitehead designed the Council's Common Seal and the Motto "Commune Bonum".He was the first Mayor of the Borough in 1863 for a period of 7 weeks. He was responsible for the design, supervision or construction of many of the buildings in the town; most still standing today. He built the Rosebrook Bridge in 1855 and the first official Post Office ( a timber structure in Bank Street) in 1857, replacing it with a stone office in 1865. he built the Court house in 1859 and completed the breakwater between Rabbit Island and Griffith Island started by James Atkinson and John Griffith in 1849, also the first bridge over the Moyne river which connected with Battery Lane and the Bay. Among the many buildings associated with John Mason are Gobles Mill, Tynemouth Villa, 10-12 Princes Street, the Mechanics Institute, the Commercial Hotel, Yambuk and Mickey Bourke's Pub in Koroit. However, he did not build "Riverdale" in Gipps Street as is thought. He had a store and workshop on this site but sold the property in 1872 before the house was built. After an almost uninterrupted term as Councillor starting with the Municipality in 1856, John resigned from the Council in 1873. He well deserved the illuminated address they gave to him and the toast that they drank in the Bank Hotel champagne. Within the year he was working for the Borough as its engineer., surveyor, general supervisor and advisor of public works, simply as the man to whom all difficult problems were referred and at very little expense. John Mason was a great worker for his town and devoted himself unsparingly to the community. That his work was appreciated was shown by the way in which people rallied to his aid when, in the end, he found himself in financial difficulties and his reputation was challenge; arrested for embezzling from the Savings Bank of which he was the actuary in 1882. The money was repaid and the charges found not proven at his trial. He was an early member of the Loyal Prince Albert Lodge, and a founding member of the smaller Loyal Belfast Lodge in 1863. He was also a member of the Horticultural Society. Captain John Mason Died on the 14th of October 1891 (see also 62-04-046 photo)Sepia photograph on heavy cardStevenson & McNicoll photo. 108 Elizabeth Street Melbourne copies can be obtained at anytimedefence, captain, mason, carpenter, councillor, mayor

Handwritten extracts from the North Johnsons Mine Managers, F. Agnew, G. Roberts and J. Veale's Reports dated from 8th July 1898 to 27th Feb 1908. Report mentions cage being hung up and rope being caught and stuck, cutting down of shaft, repair of winding rope, cutting down and timbering of shaft, miner burnt when candle flared, which was believed to be caused by gas, sinking of shaft and water heavy and recommend to stop sinking shaft and start to cut a plat. (b) Report dated 29-11-1906 mentions a typhoon destroying the east side of the engine-house. This was repaired and also cleaned flues and boilers and ventilation at 3273 and 3471 feet.gold, mining reports, north johnson's mine managers' reports, f agnew, p schadendorff, the 'rose' plant, g roberts, j veale, inspector williamson

One handwritten and one typed copy of an article in the Bendigo Advertiser dated Wednesday February 3, 1897. The article referred to an overwinding incident at the Victoria Quartz Mine. It was a new winding plant. A lever would not move and with the motion of the engine, which he could not check, the cage was rapidly taken to the popper heads. It was held there by the safety catches and the cable detached.and damaged portion of the rails at the top of the legs and some iron and timber on both the old and new engine houses. It appearedd the valve refused to work because the lubrication was found to be empty.document, gold, victoria quartz, victoria quartz, victoria quartz mine mishap, bendigo advertiser 3/2/1897, big 180, little 180, roberts & son, mr john ennor, mr masters, mr albert richardson