NIL DESPERANDUM MINE and NEW NIL DESPERANDUM CO. Other Names Location Parcel No. P130635, mine site on both Crown - Gravel Reserve (mullock heap and filled shaft) and Freehold Land (machinery site), north side of Raywood-Elmore main road, east of road to Neilborough, Raywood Map Reference Raywood, 1:25,000 - BV501.527 Victorian Heritage Register National Estate Register Planning Scheme No Description Just inside the boundary fence of a private property is a large brick winding engine foundation, 25 feet by 10 feet and 4 feet high. Constructed of hand-made bricks set in a concrete mortar, this foundation has been modified or repaired with concrete at its northern end. The upper course of bricks has been removed, exposing long sections of 2-inch diameter mounting bolts. Small brick foundations lie either side of the large foundation, the western one capped with thick concrete. Two boiler depressions are visible to the west of the engine foundations. 5 metres east, at ground-level, is a concrete engine foundation with protruding 1¼ inch mounting bolts. Running east from this foundation is a line of timber battery stumps set in rough concrete footings. The stumps are grouped in four sets, representing the site of a 20-head battery. A remnant of a large mullock heap lies south of the engine foundations, on Crown land. The foundations have been modified and are partially hidden by trees. Access is also restricted by boundary fences. History Period of activity: 1865-1916 consisting of three companies Nil Desperandum (1865-1873), Nil (1882-1890+) and New Nil Desperandum (1906-1916) Line of reef: Welbourne Maximum recorded annual production: 3746zs obtained from 6158 tons in 1868 (Nil Desperandum) 2599ozs obtained from 7356 tons in 1908 (New Nil Desperandum) Total production: 16,367ozs obtained from 58,992 tons Dividends: £16,000 (Nil Desperandum), £3000 (New Nil Desperandum) Deepest working level: 780 feet Deepest shaft: unknown, but below water level http://images.heritage.vic.gov.au › attachment (City of Greater Bendigo: Marong Heritage Study Mining Sites) Plan of New Nil Desperandum Co. gold mine, Bendigo. Plan has longitudinal section of mine. Written on outside of plan in black pen" New Nil Desperandum Co'. Mine plan is part of the Margaret Roberts Collection. gold mining, gold, margaret roberts collection, mccoll rankin and stanistreet, commonweatlth bank chambers, nil desperandum co., marong

The New Chum Railway Reserve was situated near Breen Street, Golden Square: Latitude & Longitude (WGS84): 36° 46' 20'' South , 144° 15' 57'' East Latitude & Longitude (decimal): -36.77235,144.26581. The New Chum Railway Reserve Gold Mine (1878-1910) was situated beside the railway line at Golden Square. It ultimately had a depth of 4318 feet and approximately 114,681 ounces of gold were taken from it. It was the deepest mine in the world at one stage but the record depth was eventually claimed by the Victoria Quartz, ( 4593 feet) also on the New Chum reef line. (Gold Mines of Bendigo, Arthur Victor Palmer, book 2) See Melbourne University Archives for Cundy Collection of correspondence, diary reports, assay books: Cms.victoriancollections.net.au/login Plan of New Chum Railway Reserve Gold Mine. Written on top of plan: ' New Chum Railway Reserve, transverse section. Scale 30 ft to an inch'. Handwritten below name of mine: ' William H. Cundy, Mining Surveyor' . Handwritten in pencil on top left hand corner of plan: 'from J.G. Stanfield & Stewart, per A.J. Moore' Mine plan is part of the Margaret Roberts Collection. Wm. H. Cundy, Mining Surveyor. J.G.Stanfield & Stewart, per A.J. Moore.gold mining, gold, margaret roberts collection, mccoll rankin and stanistreet, commonweatlth bank chambers, new chum railway reserve gold mine