Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Newspaper - LONG GULLY HISTORY GROUP COLLECTION: KOCK'S MINE WORKERS
... Havilah Company's Claim... Pioneer Mine Henry Koch Havilah Company's Claim Garden Gully Line ...
The initial partnership in a quartz crushing plant between Henry Koch, Simon Albert and Charles Wallin was dissolved in 1860 with Koch becoming the sole owner. In 1866 the crushing plant consisted of a 50 hp engine and 48 stamping heads capable of crushing 600 tons of quartz per week. By 1902 there were 72 stamps and this was by far the largest crushing plant in the area, serving many quartz mines.
Henry Koch (1800-1889) was a German sailor who signed off when his ship reached Melbourne in 1851. Having heard of the gold discovery he proceeded to Bendigo where he was initially employed in puddling in the Myers Flat area. He was soon employed and then made partner in a quartz crushing plant that he became sole owner of in 1860. He was also landlord at the British and American Hotel and the Silver Mines Hotel. HE also started the Perseverance United gold claim. He married Anna Maria Theresia Heinz in 1857. In 1872 he sold the crushing plant for 75,000 pounds and took his family back to Germany. He resumed his trade as a ship builder although he maintained many Bendigo mining interests.Photocopy of an article from the Bendigo Advertiser, dated 5/5/1982 titled Fortunes carried in mine. Written above the photo is: Men from Kock's Mine Long Gully. One man is wearing a suit and the rest are in work clothes. The mine was worked, with some breaks, between 1857 and 1871 when the Pioneer Company took over, and was later known as Koch's Pioneer and Perseverance and worked continuously until 1924, a period of 53 years of uninterrupted mining.bendigo, history, long gully history group, the long gully history group - kock's mine workers, bendigo advertiser 5/5/1982, kochs pioneer mine, henry koch, havilah company's claim, garden gully line of reef, paddy's gully line, koch's pioneer and perseverance