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The Argus,
Tuesday 20 November 1917 There died at Maryborough on Sunday Mr. William
Nicholas, one of the oldest mine managers in the Commonwealth. Mr.
Nicholas, who celebrated his 91st birthday on Thursday, leaves a family
of four sons and two daughters. He was born in Cornwall in 1826, and
arriving in Victoria in 1852 proceeded to Fryer’s Creek. After four
months’ successful work there he went to the famous Bendigo diggings,
and worked for six months at Long Gully. In September, 1853, he went to
Ballarat. In the early part of 1861 he was appointed manager of the
Poverty Point Quartz Mining Company. On the finding of gold in New
Zealand he proceeded there, and on his return he was engaged in the
management of some of the most extensive and rich alluvial mines in the
Ballarat district, such as the St. George, on the Sebastopol Plateau,
the Western Freehold, Park, Hand and Band, and Winter’s Freehold. In
1876 he removed to Maryborough to manage the Duke and Timor Company, and
also managed the New Kong Meng Company at Majorea during the difficult
period of opening up the lead. He then took charge of the New Australian
Company at Creswick. On this mine being worked out he again went to
Maryborough, and successfully managed the Chalk’s Freehold Company, and
Chalk’s No. 3 Consolidated Company. He was general manager of the
Maryborough Leviathan Gold Mines Limited, a property which he placed on
the London market. Mr. Nicholas during his career unearthed about 12
tons of gold, and paid away over £300,000 in dividends. Contributed by Bob Bolitho |