Historical information

Dr Michele Matthews has been a local and social historian for nearly three decades since she first used correspondence held by the then Bendigo City Council for her Honours thesis. She is an ardent advocate for the use of local history records to tell Victorian and Australian history from a grassroots perspective. Michele’s MA thesis, ‘A forgotten “Father” of Federation: Sir John Quick 1852‑1911’ (2003), and her PhD thesis, ‘Survivors, schemes, Samaritans and shareholders: the impact of the Great Depression on Bendigo and District 1925‑1935’ (2007), both drew heavily on Bendigo and district records.

This document from the Australian Mining History Association Annual Conference in Bendigo July 2005 provides a historical analysis of the exploration, development, and management of the Bendigo goldfield by major mining companies from the 1930s to the early 1990s, focusing on two main episodes:

1. Gold Mines of Australia (GMA) and Bendigo Mines Ltd (BML) in the 1930s. BML, a subsidiary of GMA, invested over $1 million (equivalent to $35 million today) to reopen and develop the Bendigo goldfield. Extensive infrastructure was built, including three major new shafts, a stamp battery, and associated plant. Despite significant scientific and engineering efforts, no major gold discoveries were made.

Only 7,347 ounces of gold were recovered from 47,000 tons of ore, yielding revenue far below investment. The company was liquidated in 1937, with shareholders receiving nothing. Excessive spending on production infrastructure before confirming ore reserves. Misapplied expertise (iron ore mining methods used for gold exploration).Insufficient focus on exploration and prospecting before large-scale development.

2. Western Mining Corporation (WMC) in the 1970s–1990s WMC reassessed the Bendigo field in the late 1970s, leveraging improved drilling technology and historical data.Comprehensive geological reviews and innovative drilling identified several promising areas. WMC invested over $20 million in exploration, shaft rehabilitation, and bulk sampling.

Environmental regulations, local opposition, and administrative hurdles complicated operations. Attempts to form a public company (Great Bendigo Goldfields Ltd) to share risk and involve local stakeholders failed due to regulatory delays and waning public interest. Falling gold prices, loss of tax incentives, and restrictive government policies led WMC to cease operations in 1989. The project was sold in 1992 for $1.6 million, a fraction of the investment.

3. Both major efforts ended in financial loss, encapsulated by the phrase "We did our dough, in Bendigo. "Key factors in failure included premature large-scale investment, external economic and regulatory pressures, and underestimation of exploration risk. The document notes that future efforts may benefit from the accumulated knowledge and changed technical, economic, and political conditions.

These episodes illustrate the risks of large-scale mining ventures without adequate exploration and the impact of external factors on mining project viability.

Physical description

Michele Matthews Collection: Presentation - "We Did Our Dough in Bendigo" July 2005 by Gilbert M Ralph, MBE, OAM

This item includes the following two documents:

8672.20a This eight typed paged document from the Australian Mining History Association Annual Conference in Bendigo July 2005 provides a historical analysis of the exploration, development, and management of the Bendigo goldfield by major mining companies from the 1930s to the early 1990s.

8672.20b Business card - Gilbert M Ralph, Consultant, Mt Waveley - Victoria - Contact BHS for details