Off Chance Gold Mine, Mulline Goldfield, Menzies Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Off Chance Gold Mine	Mine
Mulline Goldfield	Ore Field
Menzies Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

This location was the first discovery of gold east of Southern Cross. It was found by James Speakman and Ryan. It was reported to the warden at Southern Cross on October 8 1891, a year before Bayley and Ford found the famous Coolgardie deposit, setting off one of the largest gold rushes the world has seen.

Speakman and Ryan were running short of supplies, so obliterated any trace of their diggings, and returned to Southern Cross. The prospectors were later attracted to the glitter at Coolgardie. It was two years before Speakman returned to the wilds of Ularring to resume mining. He was disappointed when he arrived to find another prospecting party headed by J. Lamb had discovered the location, and were actively sinking a shaft.

Later the lease was floated in London as the Ularring Proprietary. The company did some development work then abandoned the lease in 1897. Shortly after a group of working miners re-pegged the lease, including J. Wallace and McKenzie.

The reef was 3 feet wide, but the lower levels contained poor gold values. By 1905, the reef had cut out, and despite 800 pounds cash the previous year spent, only 60 ounces of gold had been found. The lease was given to tributers, who relocated the reef and obtained 429 ounces of gold in six months. The owners took back over the lease. They were a syndicate of Kalgoorlie men, including M.H. Walsh.

In 1913, the lease was re-pegged by Ryan and Stegie. The old workings were exhaustively examined and a trial crushing put through, but no more was found.

The workings are a north-south line of historic shafts hidden in the scrub, 500 metres west of the Redleap open pit.

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