Dubbo Goldmining Company Ltd Karangahake

Tunnel of Water Waitawheta and Dubbo Stream - photo CRB 2010

A network of tracks in the area - what is now known as the Dubbo, Crown, Mangakino, Waitawheta   tracks area - All in an area steeped in the history of Goldmining on the Ohinemuri Goldfields at Karangahake.

Back in 1885 The Dubbo Gold Mining Company Ltd  was formed with 30 shareholders. The same year as The Woodstock Gold and Silver Mining and Smelting Company (Limited) headed later by William Gorrie ( brother of Henry Thomson Gorrie ) as Chairman of Directors.

The Dubbo Gold Mining Company Limited

2. place of operations is at Karangahake, in Provincial District of Auckland, in colony of New Zealand.

3. Registered Office of Company will be situated at New Zealand Insurance Company , Auckland, in Provincial District of Auckland and Colony of New Zealand.

4. Nominal Capital of Company is twenty five thousand pounds sterling, In fifty thousand Shares of ten shillings each

5. Number of Shares subscribed for is fifty thousand, being entire number of shares in Company.

6. Number of Shares paid up is nil.

7. amount already paid up is nil.

8. name of Manager is Roderick McDonald Scott.

9. Names and addresses, and occupations of Shareholders, and number of Shares held by each at this date are as follows:-
 
 

Taken before me this seventh day of December, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-five. (Signed) D.B. McDonald, Justice of the Peace. Witness to  Signature W. Boon.

 

The shareholders were typical of those forming Gold Mining Companies in those early years 1875 to 1896 - amongst them -  James McCosh Clark, a merchant who had been involved with Waiorongomai, Thomas Morrin, also involved with the Waihi Gold Mining Company Ltd, Henry Thomson Gorrie who also had interest in gold mines and gold mining shares and later years the Chairman of Directors with James Russell of Talisman Gold Mining Company ( Limited ). There were several mining agents - amongst them one Richard Spratt - who died in 1895 and who was a prominent and active member of the Mining Exchange and advisor to the London shareholders of Waihi Gold Mining Company Ltd. There were other merchants - John Chambers - formerly connected with the  Tangyes Company and who now supplied pumping and winding machinery, stamp batteries, and electric transmission of power to the Mining Industry from his warehouse in Fort Street, Auckland.

Not much happened with the Dubbo up there near the Karangahake trig. Even when there was a " mining flurry " when Talisman Consolidated Ltd under Bewick Moreing & Company did some driving.

 

All lay idle until a slump in the late 1920's drove a renewed interest in this mine and The Talisman - Dubbo Gold Mining Company Limited was formed with seven owners.



Near Trig Karangahake - photo JM Stewart about 1979 -1980s

Reference Source:

• Downey, F. Gold Mines Of The Hauraki District, New Zealand. G.B. Loney, Government Printer . Wellington: G.B. Loney, Government Printer, 1935. Karangahake Area P199-21
•  New Zealand Gazette 18 Mar 1886
• Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1884 Session I, H-09 THE GOLD FIELDS OF NEW ZEALAND (REPORT ON). http://atojs.natlib.govt.nz accessed 17/08/2013
• Papers Past National Library NZ Page 1 Advertisements Column 4 New Zealand Herald, 8 December 1885, Page 1