Monday 18 February 2013
The Gilles brothers and the Glen Osmond Mine dispute
Presented by Dr Ross Both
The Glen Osmond Mine was one of a group of silver-lead mines that were Australia’s first metaliferous mines. The mine was located on property belonging to Osmond Gilles, the first Colonial Treasurer of South Australia. Mining commenced in 1842 and Osmond Gilles’ brother Lewis came from Tasmania in 1844 to direct operations. Work on the mine was suspended in January 1849 when a writ was issued by the Supreme Court of South Australia on behalf of Osmond Gilles, seeking to have the Glen Osmond Union Mining Company ejected from the lease. This presentation will review the reasons behind, and the outcome of, the court case and the role of the personalities involved in the dispute, particularly the Gilles brothers.
Dr Ross Both is a retired geologist with an interest in mining history. He is a long-time member of the BHS and was a guide for the Wheal Watkins tours until 2005 when the mine was forced to close following a rock fall. In 2008 he co-authored a paper on the history of the Glen Osmond mines published in the Journal of Australasian Mining History. He is currently Vice-President of the Australian Mining History Association.
Record of Meeting
View the record of all past meetings which details all talks given at meetings by guest speakers since our foundation in 1980. Most meetings since 1985 have been recorded.
| No. | * | B | T | d | doc | Date | Topic, Speaker, Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 357 | B | T | 18/2/2013 | The Gilles brothers and the Glen Osmond Mine disputePresented by Dr Ross Both The Glen Osmond Mine was one of a group of silver-lead mines that were Australia’s first metaliferous mines. The mine… |
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