Fortuna Villa was owned from 1855 to 1871 by Christopher and Theodore Ballerstedt, Australia’s first mining magnates. In 1871 it was purchased by George Lansell (The Quartz King) being one of Australia’s most successful and adventurous nineteenth century gold mine owners and speculators. Lansell made numerous alterations and extensions to the building and it remained in the Lansell family until 1935. Plan for construction of Fortuna Villa, Sandhurst Title: Garden Front, Fortuna Villa, Sandhurst for G. Lansell Esq. Dated: 3rd July 1871 Coloured plan and elevation Condition: water damage and paper tearsfortuna villa, george lansell, c & t ballerstedt, building plans

Handwritten notes and carbon copy titled Question 5. Notes refer to Victoria Hill being opened up by Theodore Ballerstedt and his son early in 1854. Theodore Ballerstedt left for Germany having sold his home, crushing battery and mine to Mr. Geo Lansell. He called the mine the '180'. Next mine north to the '180' was the Victoria Quartz. Also contains notes on machinery, geological formations and earning from the mines.document, gold, victoria hill, victoria hill, question 5 on victoria hill, theodore ballerstedt, mr geo lansell, fortuna villa, commonwealth survey regiment, the 180, ballerstedt's original open cut, bendigo south rotary club, john wybrandt, north old chum coy, victoria quartz, victoria reef quartz company, mr william rae, a roberts & sons united ironworks, australian mining standard special edition 1899, bendigo advertiser 10/2/1897, a harkness & coy, bendigo advertiser 30/6/1910 page 5, rae's open cut, e j dunn, bendigo saddle reefs, wittscheibe's 'jeweller's shop', roberts & frost, ashley noy & coy, grant & co, woodward & son, couth allen and co, taylor gould and co, crawshaw & co, roberts & co

BHS CollectionHandwritten notes from the Secy for Mines Report for 1899 General. Page 7. Report by J. Travis, Act'g Sec. Mines & Water Supply. Notes include quantity of ore treated in Victoria, gold yield and average yield. Value of gold for Victoria, N. S. W., New Zealand, Tasmania and South Australia. Yield for 1898, 1899 and dividends for 1899. Also charges for Inspecting and Testing Boilers. Also Ore treated, yield, dwts per Ton, Dividends, Capital Paid Up and Divs Per Cent for the Garden Gully United, Gt. Southern Garden Gully, New Moon, Nw Chum Railway, Koch's Pioneer, Fortuna Hustlers, Johnson's Reef, McDuff Amalgamated, South New Moon, Lansell's South R. W. & Blue, Clarence United, Great Northern, Victoria Reef Quartz, Carlisle and Ironbark for 1899.document, gold, mining reports, mines report 1899 general, j travis, mines & water supply, garden gully united, gt. southern garden gully, new moon, nw chum railway, koch's pioneer, fortuna hustlers, johnson's reef, mcduff amalgamated, south new moon, lansell's south r. w. & blue, clarence united, great northern, victoria reef quartz, carlisle, ironbark

BHS CollectionHandwritten notes on recommendations for cleaning up and signposting Victoria Hill. Also contains list of photos from the Bendigonian of 1899. List of photos: Shamrock Mine, Undershot Water Wheel at Diamond Hill for Phillips Crushing Battery. Mr. Ballerstedt's Crushing Battery at Victoria Hill, Thompson's Foundry at Castlemaine, Machinery made for Bendigo Mines, Air Compressor at Shenandoah Mine, Winding Engine at Koch's Pioneer Mine, Poppet Legs at Koch's Pioneer Mine, Air Compressor at New Chum Railway Mine, Fortune Hustlers G M Co Bendigo View of Mine, Winding Plant and Afternoon Shift and Underground Work in the New Chum Railway. Also mentioned are notes on Machinery made by Thompsons. Also, a carbon copy of Annual Report to Bendigo Branch Royal Historical Society, Victoria 1/7/71. Mentioned in the Report are: Historical Ball, The Central Deborah, Victoria Hill, Tours and Society Business. Albert Richardson document?document, victoria hill, recommendations for victoria hill, north old chum, ballerstedt's rich 24 yard claim, floyds battery lansell's big 180, the bendigonian 26/1/1899, 2/2/1899, 20/4/1899, 11/5/1899, 10/8/1899, 14/9/1899, shamrock mine, undershot waterwheel at diamond hill, phillips crushing battery, mr ballerstedt's crushing battery, thompson's foundry, shenandoah mine, koch's pioneer mine, new chum railway mine, fortuna hustlers g m co bendigo, new chum railway, st mungo lady barkly, catherine reef, new moon, rae's open cut, old court house eaglehawk, police barracks, vic wodetzki, joss house, central deborah, central nell gwynne, mr harold curnow, bendigo branch royal historical society victoria, mrs kingerlee, felicity kingerlee, mr h biggs, city council, rotary club of bendigo south, white hills cemetry, chinese joss house, bendigo pottery, mr derham, reservoir high, princess theatre, a n a hall, mr hattam, col. sprenger, survey corps, a richardson