b"June 2022 Trackwatch.qxp_Trackwatch Layout 119/06/20226:41 pmPage 11 HistoryMt Murphy Wolfram (Tungsten) Mine, Davies Plain VGO tripWolfram was discovered on the Wayne at Mt. Murphy minenorth-west slope of Mt Murphy, 50kmfrom Benambra, in about 1890.Access was limited to horseback, andthe resource was not much exploiteduntil early in the 20th century whenWolfram was in demand for alloyingsteel. Renewed prospecting revealedseveral parallel lodes and in a flurry ofspeculation several leases were takenup. According to the Omeo Standard,assays showed the Mt MurphyWolfram ore to be the most valuablein the world. Wolfram concentratescould fetch close to 200 per ton, butin 1906 its market value was under50, which did not justify the heavyexpense of transport to and from themines. In 1907, the price rose to 175per ton and the Benambra WolframSyndicate erected a crushing plant onits Buonbar leasesteam-driven rock- 1922 and sold, but the high cost ofbreaker, rollers, and jigs (Wolfram is cartage meant that some items wereeasily separated from quartz, so that left on site at Mt Murphy. Amongcoarse crushing was sufficient). The the plant left behind were the sixWolfram price kept rising, but by 1911 small boilers, ore dressing andthe company had spent 5,500 with- concentrating plant (including Wilfleyout reaping a dividend. It was tables), about 2,000 ft of 2-inchrefloated as the Mt Murphy Wolfram wrought iron piping, galvanised ironMining Co. in 1913, with extra capital buildings, a rock-drilling machine,of 4,000. A second adit was driven tram rails, and mine trucks. During30m below the first, an 800-ft tramway World War Two, the Mt Murphy minewas built between adit and crushing was re-opened by the Controller ofplant, and a large storage dam was Mineral Production, owing to theconstructed. In 1916, the capital was wartime demand for tungsten. Plantexhausted and, in view of the was erected and prospecting carriedbooming wartime Wolfram market, the on, but with disappointing results: justcompany was again re-floated, this one ton of concentrates wastime raising 30,000 in capital. The produced. At 1943, after only a year'scrushing plant was remodeled; it was was 1 ton 2 cwt. of concentrates, operation, the mine closed and thedriven by a single-cylinder steam worth just 193). In 1920, an air new plant was removed and sold.engine, with steam supplied by six compressing plant and rock drills An amount of exploration work hasminiature portable under-fired boilers were installed, but the Wolfram price taken place subsequently, but theconnected together. Up to 1919, the fell dramatically post-war and the mine has not been further developed.company had spent 15,000 for company stopped work. Much of the Wayne Heveynegligible returns (its yield for 1918 plant was removed to Benambra inTRACKWATCH JUNE 20229"