Hi All Whilst searching the Australian Electoral Rolls, I came across these entries: Australian Electoral Rolls - 1925 OWENS - Robert Thomas - Wolfram - labourer Then the Australian Electoral Rolls - 1919 OWENS - David Humphry - Wolfram - barber Where is/was WOLFRAM, please? I thought the Rolls were in areas/districts and I was looking at my relatives: Owens - Charles Patrick Walsh St, Mareeba sawyer Owens - Katherine Frances Walsh St, Mareeba home duties Owens - Cecil Moore - Byrne St, Mareeba - Labourer Owens - James - Mt Mulligan - Labourer Owens - Charles Patrick - Mt Molloy - grocer The two at Wolfram are not related directly to the other OWENS but I was hoping they may be related if they were in the same area. Still looking. TIA Lorrae Glenore Grove Qld 4342 http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=helmrich __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4439 (20090918) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com

Short answer - Far North Queensland Long answer - from http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/chims/placeDetail.html?siteId=21573 The former La Societe Francaise des Metaux Rares treatment plant operated between 1911 and 1913. The plant used an unusual dry blowing treatment process for the rare mineral, wolfram. Wolfram was discovered in 1894 in the headwaters of the Hodgkinson River scattered over the surface as bunches in quartzose boulders or in drifts interdispersed with coarse gravel. In 1899 when wolfram was at its highest price, 240 tons were sent away for £38 per ton. The township, Wolfram, named after the mineral, formed on the banks of the Bulluburrah Creek in two parts, Upper Wolfram or Top Camp, and Lower Wolfram or Bottom Camp. In 1900, 91 pounds of molybdenite was discovered at Wolfram. This was said to contain some of the finest specimens of molybdenite discovered in Australia. There were 100 men working at Wolfram by late 1900, on wolfram, molybdenite and bismuth. The Irvinebank Mining Company invested at Wolfram in 1900, appointing Alexander Gillan as manager. Demand for high grade wolfram, after the development of tungsten as a lamp filament in 1904, and for molybdenite for use in patent alloys, led to an earlty interest in rare minerals by British firms, the most prominent being George G. Blackwell and Sons of Liverpool. Prices in 1904 for both metals were high- up to £200 a ton for molybdenite and £140 a ton for wolfram - and attracted many goldminers. Of the 1,136 people on the Hodgkinson by 1904, 700 were miners working at Wolfram. By 1909 wolfram was returning £41,820 compared to the value of gold at £7,089. But the rare metals industry was unstable - there was insecurity in the unknown overseas markets where demand fluctuated erratically and local miners were never sure of their returns. So a Wolfram Co-operative Association was formed to arrange advances and shipments through intermediaries such as the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency and WJ Lempriere and Co, but generally the local industry was poorly organised (Kirkman 1982: 189-190). The workings extended without a break from over 3 kms along the contact of the intrusive granite with older porphyries and slates from high rugged slopes down to the valley of Bulluburrah Creek (QGMJ 15 Jan 1913: 4). Initially settlement was concentrated on the higher slopes at Top Camp. From 1904, 2,500 tons of wolfram valued at £250,000 were produced at Wolfram Camp, half of which went through Moffatt's Irvinebank Co. Mill. The Irvinebank Mining Company set up a battery on Bullaburrah Creek in the lower valley. This battery was a stabilising influence on Wolfram Camp, although it was closed for long periods throughout 1909 because of strikes over the 44 hour week. It operated again from 1910 to 1912 and was closed in the rationalisation of Irvinebank Mining Company's assets at the end of that year. The area around the mill in the lower valley became the main settlement after 1907. The township, clustered on a ridge north of the battery, was at its peak during WWI. The wolfram mining industry passed through a depression for several years from 1910 chiefly because of the exhaustion of the residual surface accumulations of ore, thus ending the days of the gouger. La Societe Francaise des Metaux Rares was registered in Queensland in 1911. That same year Frenchman, Mr Poulet, took over a number of mine dumps and tailing heaps on behalf of French syndicate. The objective was to extract wolfram, molybdenite and bismuth from the lowest grade mixed-metal ore using a specially designed treatment plant. The crushing plant was delivered in August 1911 and the Queensland Government Mining Journal (15 Jan 1913: 4) reports that earthworks were underway in July 1912 for installation of the plant above Bulluburrah Creek in Upper Wolfram. The power plant imported by the company included an early 240 horsepower MAN diesel engine, type A4V49, weighing nearly 35,000kg that was coupled axially to a DC generator. An extensive system of overhead wire ropeways to collect ore from mullock heaps and a dam in Bulluburrah Creek were some of the proposed constructions. The cost of installation was expected to be considerably over £50,000 and required constant employment of 50 people, mostly skilled mechanics. After a few short and unsuccessful trial runs, the process plant was liquidated in 1913 because of the health hazards associated with the dry blowing process. The diesel engine was sold to Cooktown syndicate, and transported to the Louisa mine on the Palmer Goldfield. It now resides at the Great Extended Mine, Totley. Many of the mines were closed during WWI. The Thermo-Electric Ore Reduction Corporation plant built near the site of the Irvinebank Company Mill at Lower Wolfram, sustained the district through the war years with the government paying fixed prices. After slumps in metal prices after the return of free market forces in March 1920 the Thermo Co. failed to survive. Wolfram Camp was almost deserted within weeks of its shutdown. In 1926 Queensland Rare Metal Company erected a new battery on the site of the Irvinebank Mining Company's 10 head battery. As the prices of wolfram and molybdenite were declining there was little hope of success and the plant worked intermittently, with no crushing in 1934. Increased wolfram prices in 1935 attracted miners back to Wolfram and in 1937 the Pepper mine was dewatered and 200 men working in the area. During WWII 3 tributers worked mines at Wolfram: Larkin, Lansky and Forget-me-Not. In 1946 the contract price for wolfram between the British and Australian governments expired, no further prices were quoted and operations ceased. There were small scale workings at some of the mines in 1947. There was a brief rush after the outbreak of the Korean war in 1951. However, as the price of wolfram fell many mining activities ceased. The Mount Arthur Molybdenite Company NL worked several mines in the Wolfram Camp area in the 1970s until they sold their equipment by tender in 1989. In 2006 there is renewed interest in mining wolfram, molybdenite and bismuth at Wolfram, and an open cut mining operation approximately 1km south of the site of the former La Societe Francaise des Metaux Rares plant, is proposed.

I think it was originally a mining camp as on some documents I have from a reli states "Wolfram Camp" and he was a miner... when he fell down a mining shaft they took him to Mareeba Hospital..where he died.. so some where near Mareeba I would say Jan

Thanks everyone for your Replies. Irvinebank - interesting history too Thanks Lorrae Glenore Grove Qld 4342 http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=helmrich -----Original Message----- From: Lorrae [mailto:lorrae@uqconnect.net] Sent: Saturday, 19 September 2009 8:38 PM To: aus-qld@rootsweb.com Subject: [AUS-QLD] Wolfram , N Qld Hi All Whilst searching the Australian Electoral Rolls, I came across these entries: Australian Electoral Rolls - 1925 OWENS - Robert Thomas - Wolfram - labourer Then the Australian Electoral Rolls - 1919 OWENS - David Humphry - Wolfram - barber Where is/was WOLFRAM, please? __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4441 (20090919) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com

Hi Lorrae, Wolfram or Wolfram Camp is closer to Dimbulah than Irvinebank. You drive west from Cairns through Mareeba to Dimbulah, then turn north to Wolfram. There is little there now only the signs of mining. Two books have been written on the town - Riches of Wolfram Camp and Images of Wolfram Camp You may be able to get them via an interlibrary loan. Regards Lorraine FNQ On 19/09/2009 8:38 PM, "Lorrae" <lorrae@uqconnect.net> wrote: > Hi All > > Whilst searching the Australian Electoral Rolls, I came across these > entries: > > Australian Electoral Rolls - 1925 > OWENS - Robert Thomas - Wolfram - labourer > > Then the Australian Electoral Rolls - 1919 > OWENS - David Humphry - Wolfram - barber > > > Where is/was WOLFRAM, please? > > > I thought the Rolls were in areas/districts and I was looking at my > relatives: > > Owens - Charles Patrick Walsh St, Mareeba sawyer > Owens - Katherine Frances Walsh St, Mareeba home duties > Owens - Cecil Moore - Byrne St, Mareeba - Labourer > Owens - James - Mt Mulligan - Labourer > Owens - Charles Patrick - Mt Molloy - grocer > > The two at Wolfram are not related directly to the other OWENS but I was > hoping they may be related if they were in the same area. Still looking. > > TIA > > > > Lorrae > Glenore Grove Qld 4342 > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=helmrich > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature > database 4439 (20090918) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > > All mail must be typed in plain text, any sent in HTML will bounce and be a > wasted effort > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > AUS-QLD-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in > the subject and the body of the message

Lorrae Wolfram was an old tin mine up around Mt Molloy on the Atherton Tablelands, some years ago I worked for an Association who represented companies mining for tin etc in those areas, the company changed it names over several years and was operated by a company called RB Mining which eventually became Roche Mining (which was a privately owned company). Barbara BNE ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lorrae" <lorrae@uqconnect.net> To: <aus-qld@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, September 19, 2009 8:38 PM Subject: [AUS-QLD] Wolfram , N Qld > Hi All > > Whilst searching the Australian Electoral Rolls, I came across these > entries: > > Australian Electoral Rolls - 1925 > OWENS - Robert Thomas - Wolfram - labourer > > Then the Australian Electoral Rolls - 1919 > OWENS - David Humphry - Wolfram - barber > > > Where is/was WOLFRAM, please? > > > I thought the Rolls were in areas/districts and I was looking at my > relatives: > > Owens - Charles Patrick Walsh St, Mareeba sawyer > Owens - Katherine Frances Walsh St, Mareeba home duties > Owens - Cecil Moore - Byrne St, Mareeba - Labourer > Owens - James - Mt Mulligan - Labourer > Owens - Charles Patrick - Mt Molloy - grocer > > The two at Wolfram are not related directly to the other OWENS but I was > hoping they may be related if they were in the same area. Still looking. > > TIA > > > > Lorrae > Glenore Grove Qld 4342 > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=helmrich > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus > signature > database 4439 (20090918) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > > All mail must be typed in plain text, any sent in HTML will bounce and be > a wasted effort > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > AUS-QLD-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.409 / Virus Database: 270.13.104/2379 - Release Date: 09/17/09 15:55:00

Thanks Barbara Very much appreciated. My GrandUncle was at Mt Molloy at the same time. I wonder if this is the missing family connection or another wild goose chase. Thanks Lorrae Glenore Grove Qld 4342 http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=helmrich -----Original Message----- From: Barbara Robinson [mailto:bro51909@bigpond.net.au] Sent: Monday, 21 September 2009 4:04 PM To: aus-qld@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [AUS-QLD] Wolfram , N Qld Lorrae Wolfram was an old tin mine up around Mt Molloy on the Atherton Tablelands, some years ago I worked for an Association who represented companies mining for tin etc in those areas, the company changed it names over several years and was operated by a company called RB Mining which eventually became Roche Mining (which was a privately owned company). Barbara BNE ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lorrae" <lorrae@uqconnect.net> To: <aus-qld@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, September 19, 2009 8:38 PM Subject: [AUS-QLD] Wolfram , N Qld > Hi All > > Whilst searching the Australian Electoral Rolls, I came across these > entries: > > Australian Electoral Rolls - 1925 > OWENS - Robert Thomas - Wolfram - labourer > > Then the Australian Electoral Rolls - 1919 > OWENS - David Humphry - Wolfram - barber > > > Where is/was WOLFRAM, please? > > > I thought the Rolls were in areas/districts and I was looking at my > relatives: > > Owens - Charles Patrick Walsh St, Mareeba sawyer > Owens - Katherine Frances Walsh St, Mareeba home duties > Owens - Cecil Moore - Byrne St, Mareeba - Labourer > Owens - James - Mt Mulligan - Labourer > Owens - Charles Patrick - Mt Molloy - grocer > > The two at Wolfram are not related directly to the other OWENS but I was > hoping they may be related if they were in the same area. Still looking. > > TIA > > > > Lorrae > Glenore Grove Qld 4342 > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=helmrich __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4453 (20090924) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com