2 34 
SOME MINES AT WEDDERBURN. 
By O. A. L. Whitelaw. 
Lane's Reef. 
Lane’s reef is situated about three quarters of a mile north-east of the 
township of Wedderburn. It was one of the first reefs discovered in that 
district, the prospector being Mr. Zeb. Lane, late manager of the Lord 
Nelson mine at St. Arnaud. Golden stone was found lying on the surface, 
the first ton taken from the outcrop yielding 73 oz. 4 dwts. of gold. The 
mining claims at this period did not exceed 48 feet, many being smaller; 
from these many remarkable yields were obtained, the ground held by Mr. 
T. W. Cosh returning up to 90 ozs. per ton. After the exhaustion of the 
rich upper zone by the claimholders the ground was taken up by a Ballarat 
syndicate, who sank an engine shaft to a depth of 180 feet; a crushing 
taken out by this company from the 80-ft. level yielded only ij dwts. 
per ton, and the ground was abandoned without further prospecting. 
Since then the ground has been held continuously, but very little prospect¬ 
ing undertaken. 
Lane’s reef varies in width from 1 foot to 5 or 6 feet, but the gold is not 
evenly distributed through the stone, as a rule only 6 or 12 inches of the 
footwall being broken, although in cases, judging by the stopes, it has paid 
to break the reef from wall to wall. The length of the auriferous shoot 
varied from 100 to 150 feet, and has been worked on a pitch to the north 
at 1 in 1 for 300 feet. 
Above water level (no feet) the reef has been stoped right back to the 
surface, but below very little work or prospecting has been done. The 
workings being full of water, I was unable to examine them personally; 
but am informed that at the bottom level (180 feet) practically no work has 
been done, while at the only other level (144 feet) very little prospecting 
was done, and the greater portion of the work consisted of breaking out 
the hanging wall stone, which was left by the early miners as unpayable. 
At both of these levels a cross-cut put out east would intersect the reef 
at a point which is under the shoot of gold. It would be necessary in 
both cases to drive north to cut the gold worked above. 
On account of the rich returns, attention has always been concentrated 
upon Lane’s reef, to the exclusion of other lines of reef closely adjoining 
it. At least five well-defined reefs occur within a distance of 320 feet 
of the engine shaft. These are practically unprospected even at the 
surface, although of promising appearance, and auriferous at other points 
outside Lane’s ground. Two of these (Scotch Jack’s and Gardiner’s 
reefs) gave returns of over an ounce per ton. 
Baker’s Reef. 
Baker’s reef, which is 35 feet west of Lane’s reef, was only discovered 
a few years back by the present holders of the ground. Since then it has 
been worked from a shaft 50 feet deep for an average return of 1 ounce 
per ton. This reef varies from 6 to 15 inches in thickness, and dips 
west at 70 degrees; gold may be obtained in both faces of the 50 foot 
level. 
While working this reef a flat vein up to 6 inches thick was struck ; 
this vein crosses the country, and apparently connects Baker’s and Lane’s 
reefs, and dips to the north at 1 in 1. The junction of this flat reef with 
Lane’s reef closely corresponds with the base of the shoot of gold in Lane’s 
teef. Payable gold was obtained on this reef from the 50 foot level to the 
surface, and gold may still be seen in the stone as it dips underfoot. 
