The Seizure that shook Quicksilver Mine
1893 Jamieson River, Victoria, Australia.
Who would have thought a simple seizure could change a mine’s fortunes?
Certainly not Richard O’Brien.
In 1893, the Victorian farmer found deposits of mercury (also known as quicksilver) and cinnabar on a little site perched 100 metres above Jamieson River.
Full of excitement, he soon set up the Jamieson Quicksilver Mining Company, sunk a shaft, and started mining.
However, the site was so hard to get to, and so unsafe, that from the beginning it was slow going, and the common consensus was that the company was never going to succeed.
Eight years passed, and it looked as though common wisdom was right.
However, the company kept doggedly pursuing its dream of profit, and in 1901, a London syndicate, rumoured to be full of rich Rothschilds, took note of the Jamieson Company.
In response to the company’s pitch, the Londoners were willing to buy the mine for ￡100,000 (nearly 12 million pounds in today’s money).
Things were looking very, very good for Richard and his fellow owners, who at this stage also included Paddy Perkins, a Queensland politician and former brewer.
But fate had other ideas: while Paddy was on his way to a crucial meeting related to the deal, he had a seizure and died.
Perhaps Paddy’s death insulted the Brits’ sense of good taste. Perhaps they took it as an omen. Or perhaps a prominent politician’s name was the only thing keeping the Londoners on the hook.
Whatever the reason, the English syndicate pulled out, and riches were no longer within Richard’s grasp.
Most people would probably agree, however, that Paddy came off the worst.
Quicksilver Mine was nearly sold several times, but over the years it never managed to change hands. It never made its owners any money, either.
Today, the site lies peacefully abandoned, simply a piece of Australian mining history.
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This story was sourced by "Stephanie Russo, who is a freelance journalist and a Kalgoorlie native now based in Perth, Western Australia. Among many other things, she is fascinated by larger-than-life people and the weirdness of the mining industry. She can be found at stephanierusso.com.au."
