New Arrow Proprietary Mine, Paddington (Gudarra), Broad Arrow Goldfield, Kalgoorlie-Boulder Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
New Arrow Proprietary Mine	Mine
Paddington (Gudarra)	- not defined -
Broad Arrow Goldfield	Ore Field
Kalgoorlie-Boulder Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

The Arrow Proprietary is a historic lease, one of several now occupied by the Paddington Mine Pit.

Arrow Proprietary Gold Mines Limited was registered in August 1895 in London, floated by George Brookman. Its aim was to purchase from G.P. Doolette the Gaul and Masterpiece leases totalling 48 acres. The price was 115 000 pounds, being 13 000 in cash and the balance shares. Authorised capital was $135 000. Most of shares went to the vendors.

William Hambley (M.E.) was appointed mine manager. A more experienced person for the job, you would be hard pressed to find. Born is Redruth Cornwall, he spent many years at copper, tin and lead mines in Britain. He had toured the United States, South America, and India studying mines. The South African government appointed him official Inspector of Mines on the Kimberley diamond field from 1885 to 1890. He was one of the first claim holders at Johannesburg, and toured mines throughout South Africa. He had also written several books on mining subjects and lectured on mining techniques. It was not the first time a Western Australian gold mine would ruin a carefully built reputation.

Before the lode was confirmed, operations swung into action erecting a 10 head battery, machinery and buildings. A small army of men also sank shafts. Five shafts were on the property, four found with names being Main, Burrows, Brookman, and Foulcher.

Hambley produced glowing reports about the lode, taken as gospel. Meanwhile his services were in demand to produce reports on various mines in the region, which earned him 500 pounds a mine. He was assisted by his son Willie, who charged his personal expenses against mine development costs in the company books. There were also people marked down employed at the mine who did not exist, and where those pay cheques went to is still a mystery.

The first crushings were poor, and while kept quiet, the news soon leaked out. The company ran out of money despite the substantial for the time $135 000 invested. The company was reconstructed. An independent mining expert employed condemned the mine, however the directors stated they preferred their own investigations when they travelled from England to visit the mine, which of course were glowing. They ran out of money again. The ore was large but low grade.

Most of the leases were abandoned by the company in November 1900, except 6 acres containing the battery. Tributers were let on the lease, and the battery also leased for public crushing. This continued to at least 1909.

The battery was robbed in 1903, but a more serious event occurred in 1907.

Johnson and Friedman who were well known in the Ora Banda and Siberia areas had the battery on lease. Trickett and Murray were in charge of operating the battery, and had a camp close by. The robbers had crawled under the vats where they remained hidden until all was quiet. To lift the lid of the extraction box, they had to remove several dozen empty kerosene tins which had been placed there. The clanging involved in this drew the attention of Trickett and Murray.

Trickett drew his revolver and arrested the two men. On searching them back at camp the two men made a dash for freedom. Trickett fired the gun but the bullet jammed. Giving chase and now with a cleared gun, Trickett and the robbers exchanged fire, but the robbers managed to reach their waiting horse and buggy, and tore off at speed towards Kalgoorlie. The robbers along the way had fallen into a slimes drain and the slimes dam in the darkness, and would have looked a right mess.

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