The Sulieman Pasha is possibly named after the most important Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman One, or Suleiman the Magnificent, when the Ottoman Empire was at its peak. Or potentially a number of Ottoman governors, statesmen and military commanders with the same name after, however the spelling is slightly different to the mine name. No Turkish connection was found relating to the formation of the company, and remains unconfirmed. The mine operated from two shafts; No. 1 near the corner of Humffray and Mair streets, and also near where the Welcome Nugget (2217 ounces) was found years earlier; and the controversial No. 2 shaft several blocks south bordering the northern side of the main highway through Ballarat. The company produced 62 666 ounces of gold, the twelfth highest quartz reef gold production for any mine on the Ballarat goldfield. Some crushing figure examples are January-June 1881: 3674 tonnes 1085 ounces; January-June 1885: 2949 tonnes 1281 ounces; July-December 1885: 4459 tonnes 1119 ounces; January-June 1887: 1869 tonnes 730 ounces; July-December 1892: 1450 tonnes 771 ounces; July-December 1896: 4365 tonnes 1372 ounces. Like many mines in the area, gold grades were low. John Watson was noted as mine manager in the 1880s, and John Williams 1890s. The company was re-organised twice increasing the number of shares from 4000 to 24 000, and increasing the capital available. The Sulieman Pasha Company was formed in 1878. David Fitzpatrick was given the honour of turning the first sod of both the No.1 and later No. 2 shafts. The first dividend was given to shareholders in July 1881. The company obtained a prospecting vote (government grant) to start, and was very proud to be the first Victorian gold mining company to pay the funds back to the government. The event was marked by a lavish banquet laid out for ministers and government officials by the company. Leases were purchased to the south in 1885 to the Llanberris Mine boundary, after poor results began accumulating from the small No. 1 shaft. To take advantage of this new land the company planned to sink a second shaft. Initially this was to take place on government land, but the uproar from nearby residents caused the company to purchase land along the Main Road (now Western Highway), and the old Yarrowee Hotel which had occupied the site since the alluvial digger days of the 1850's was demolished. The area had since those days become heavily occupied with a number of shops, houses, a post office, church and two schools in the immediate area. The thought of an underground mine next door drew considerable opposition. The company (before the days of public relations departments) wrote 'most people would have thought that progress as vital as mining would be supported by tradesmen whose business rely on the mining industry. It seems when it comes to mining they are bereft of their senses, and considering the low ebb of mining in Ballarat East, the action of our opponents are unaccountable. (Sarcastically) There are certain engineering difficulties in moving the quartz reefs to a new location, but if we could to appease our opponents we would'. The company also wanted to take over 4 acres of the St Paul's school oval for machinery, but accused the St Paul's Church of wanting extortionate amounts of money upfront, and on a yearly basis for the privilege. It stated the church could not be opposed to mining when several years earlier it had formed its own company to mine the land, only for shareholders to lose their money. In 1886, the company approached the Minister for Mines, and attended heated public meetings on the matter. The local residents, shop owners, and church submitted a 60 person petition to the local council and government authorities. They stated the shaft contravened the mining statutes, which stating no mining could take place within 150 yards of a public building or church. A speech by a resident stated 'mining always comes with glorious pictures of the great benefits which would accrue all parties concerned if their request is granted, but if property is destroyed or depreciated in value, no-one then comes forward and compensates them'. The No. 2 shaft was approved including taking over part of the school oval. In 1888, workers at the company's No. 2 shaft went on strike to try and bring their wages in line with other mines in the district (the No. 1 shaft was operated by tributers). William Madden (26) was killed from a fall of earth underground the same year, while a year later his father John Madden (70) was similarly killed in the Madame Berry Mine elsewhere in the district. In 1897 as the amount of gold being found fell away, it came to light part of the deal to purchase the Yarrowee Hotel site was a 5% royalty on gold found. Shareholders could not understand why they were paying a royalty to the former owners of the property. The mine closed in 1898 due to a lack of gold. In 1902 a boy (age unknown) called Charles Lee was killed from a fractured skull while working to dismantle the Sulieman Pasha plant. The fuss over the No. 2 shaft had a sequel. On the company winding up, the land was purchased by J.S. Trethowan who built a house next to the shaft. In 1907, the shaft caved-in creating a sinkhole immediately at the back of the house. A Mr Chamberlain heard a deep rumbling sound at 5am, and looked out the window to see his fowl house and thirteen chickens disappear down an expanding hole. He then went back to bed, and called the police later in the day. The shaft was 1050 feet deep, and the hole at the surface that developed was 20 feet by 17 feet across, and 20 feet depth. In 1930 it is reported a syndicate had been formed to clean out the old shaft, and re-open the mine. It is assumed this was the No. 1 shaft but no more was found. (https://www.mindat.org/loc-304239.html, accessed 07/08/2019) A transverse section plan of the Sulieman Pasha Mine.sulieman pasha company, plan, mining, united black hill mine, victoria united mine, victoria street, britannia united mine, last chance mine, llanberris mine, ottoman empire, john watson, john williams, david fitzpatrick

a. . Handdrawn copy of Snob's Hill Mines by Caleb Thomas (Long Section) 1885. Top drawing show mines and the distance between them. Lower drawing shows leases at a scale of 8 chains to 1 inch. Dams and sand heaps are included. The second page shows x-sections of the poppet legs and their heights. Shaft numbers are included. Two of the pulley diameters are also shown. b. Document headed Caleb Thomas cross sections 10.10.1884. South Catherine, engine east of shaft legs 44 ft high Ellenborough engine east of shaft, legs 40 feet Belmont and Saxby, engine and wheel west of shaft, legs 27 feet York and Durham, engine and wheel west of shaft legs 27 feet Snobs Hill , Old Williams, engine east of shaft legs 53 feet, L. Brace 21ft. 1884 Acadia Catherine engine west. Legs 44 feet, L.brace 11 ft.map, bendigo, goldfields, snob's hill, plan of snob's hill mines, caleb thomas, c reef united, catherine reef shaft, william's main, acadia, william's old main, gt northern, york & durham, snob's hill, belmont & saxby, ellenborough, st mungo, golden pyke, united c'holders, compy, snowdon & co, sth catherine coy, princess alice, saunders, williams & coy, acadia co, wearon & co, snob's hill, nelson trib, kneebone tribute, la belle co, york & durham, north st mungo, saxby & devonshire trib, n? trib, belmont co, durham c'land, kitti trib, sadowa trib, ran?eu co, nth devonshire co, lady barkly, devonshire reef trib, central devonshire co, j c macartney, catherine united

The Bendigo Goldfield ...Introduction to Field. Compiled by A. Richardson. Mentioned are the Deborah Line of Reef, The Sheepshead Line, The Nell Gwynne Line and The Carshalton Line of Reef. Mines mentioned are: The Deborah, The North Deborah, Central Deborah, The New Red White and Blue Consolidated (Big Blue), North Red White and Blue, Central Red white and Blue, Little 180, South Ironbark, Ironbark, Hercules, Central Nell Gwynne and The New Chum Syncline. Lansell's Bendigo Battery is also mentioned. There is a short description of each mine, depth. location, machinery, Gold yield, Dividends and Calls. Closing date of some (some closed as a result of fire). Also mentioned is the postal service and the establishment of cemeteries at Bendigo, White Hills, Eaglehawk and Kangaroo Flat.Albert Richardsonbendigo, history, long gully history group, the long gully history group - the bendigo goldfield...introduction to field, a richardson, new chum railway mine, the dascombe nugget, the victoria nugget, r r haverfield, ballerstadt, rae, wittscheibe, lazarus, cave and amos, geo lansell, the old chum, victoria, specimen, hustlers, bendigo amalgamated goldfields, bendigo mines limited, nell gwynne, napoleon, carshalton, the deborah, roberts & sons, the north deborah, williams' united, central deborah, lansell's south red white & blue, the new red white and blue consolidated (big blue), union, h harkness & co, thompson & co, lansell's bendigo battery, showgrounds industrial hall, north red white and blue, central red white and blue, little 180, john brown knitwear factory, south ironbark, victoria consols east shaft, ironbark, manchester arms hotel, unity mine, wattle gully mine chewton, hercules, hercules and energetic, bendigo amalgamated goldfields coy, long gully post office, the old wheal owl, central nell gwynne, gold mines hotel, bendigo city council, mr jack barker, bendigo and district tourist association, the new chum syncline, courier of the mines newspaper, camp hill school, sandhurst east post office, bendigo cemetery, white hills cemetery, eaglehawk cemetery, kangaroo flat cemetery

Handwritten copy of Production Statistics for the Williams United. Notes mention Company Name, depth of shaft, years, Calls, Dividends and ounces of gold. Companies mentioned are: Acadia Trib, Acadia Amalgamated, Snob's Hill Coy, Acadia (Catherine) Co, North Acadia Catherine, Saunders & Co (same ground as North Acadia Catherine), Princess Alice Trib, Snowden & Co, Kneebones Trib, Kneebone & Jeffrey, Wearon & Co, Wearne & CO, Williams & Co Williams Trib, South Catherine Co, Trio Hauling Co, Williams United,Bendigo Amal G'Fields (Old Main North), Central Catherine Co, Princess Alice Co & Trib, Trio-Hauling Co including Central Catherine and South Catherine Co's.document, gold, williams united, williams united, production statistics for williams united, acadia trib, acadia amalgamated, snob's hill coy, acadia (catherine) co, north acadia catherine, saunders & co (same ground as north acadia catherine), princess alice trib, snowden & co, kneebones trib, kneebone & jeffrey, wearon & co, wearne & co, williams & co williams trib, south catherine co, trio hauling co, williams united, bendigo amal g'fields (old main north), central catherine co, princess alice co & trib, trio-hauling co including central catherine and south catherine co's

Handwritten copy of the Williams (Shaft 95 M. D.) Mine Manager's Report. 16/9/98 Still 35 men tributing in mine. 'Our water pipe was broke the other day by some-one driving a cart over it. And I had to get a short piece put in'. 30/9/1898 Have not yet finished filling in open cutting, as two quartz shoots had to be repaired. Old wood in those shoots almost perished. . . 'There is no gates to any of the plats in the mine to rest cage on, only loose bearers. Which is a contravention of the act.' . . 'and with your permission I would get the cost per gate. Mine Manager T. Carpenter.document, gold, williams united, williams united, williams united mine manager's report 16 & 30/9/1898, t carpenter