Historical information

George Lansell was born in Kent, England, on August 24, 1823.

Inspired by his brother Wootton's reports of opportunities, George and his brother William arrived in Port Adelaide in 1853 and moved to Bendigo to seek fortune in gold mining. Lansell initially lost all his savings twice investing in gold mining. His fortunes changed in the early 1860s after successful investments in the Advance and Cinderella mines, laying the foundation for his wealth. He acquired the property Fortuna in 1871. He Married Bedelia Javis, an Irish immigrant, in 1872; she died eight years later at age 38.

Despite being the area's most successful mine owner, Lansell faced hostility from miners and left for Britain in 1880 after a threatening incident. He returned to Bendigo after a petition from thousands of residents, contributing significantly to the city's revival. He donated much of his fortune to charities, public buildings, and monuments, including the Rosalind Park Cascades. He died on March 20, 1906, at age 82.

His death marked the end of Bendigo's golden era; the goldfields' output declined sharply within a decade.

Physical description

Fortuna Restoration Article - "Quartz King's uneasy reign" - The Herald Sun Sunday Nov 02 1997- Author Adrian Tame

This item contains the following:

11217.8a Black and White Photo of George Lansell

11217.8b Part of page 15 - Quartz King's uneasy reign

Publication type

non-fiction