Margaret Malone

Margaret Malone, Barrier Miner, 05 August 1929.

History

Margaret Malone was born at Egerton. Her father was Patrick Malone.

Legacy

Margaret Malone was associated with a kaolin mine at the summit of Mount Egerton.

WOMAN WHO MANAGES A MINE

Works With A Vision

(By a Special Correspondent)

BALLARAT, August 22.—Like a Heroine in a Bret Harte story of the Soaring: Forties Miss Margaret Malone, the only woman mine manager in Australia, has lived most of her life in an atmosphere where hope springs eternal in the gold-seeking breast. Forty years ago her father gave up farming to seek the elusive mineral near Ballarat.

"One day my mother went for a walk along the Gordon-Egerton road and picked up a pebble with a few specks of gold in it," she told an interviewer yesterday, recounting the early history of the nine she now runs at Egerton. "Dad said, There must be more where that came from,' and hopefully sank a shaft. Our hopes were dashed, however, when he found only white clay. No one realised then the value of the disappointing looking white stuff which was all that Dad could find from every shaft he sank. At last be gave up the search, and the kaolin remained untouched."

Later an Englishman from a pottery town in the old country urged Mr. Malone to try and sell his clay, and he sent some to the Bendigo potteries, but nothing came of it, and it was left to Miss Malone, after her father's death, to start on her unusual career by finding purchasers in Sydney and Melbourne for her clay, and herself working the mine.

Strenuous Work

"Mine managing is strenuous work in more ways than one," she admitted. "I have, to go down my mine daily, ad sometimes have to descend perpendicular ladders for about 150 ft. to reach areas being worked. I have to be my own manager, she explained, "because it is necessary to teach the men I employ the methods of grading clays."

A New Cure

She is convinced that a number of uses for kaolin, apart from pottery, soap and drugs, are yet to be discovered. "One of my employees has already found a new use for it," she said, "although scarcely one to be generally recommended, perhaps. By chewing a small piece of the clay he firmly believes that he "cured himself of heart burn."

"All That Glistens"

There is more in Miss Malone's mining than meets the eye, however. The actual working of the field and the substantial profit she makes on it do not fill her days. Always before her - dangles the compelling vision that caused her father, in his day, to give up farming to seek for gold.

"All the time I am getting my clay dug," she confessed, "1 am watching for the colour of gold. One of these days I may strike it."

See also

Patrick Malone, Father

Mount Egerton

Notes

Victoria boasts of an energetic woman miner, by name Miss Margaret Malone, who has for 15 years been working a kaolin lease at Mount Egerton. Last week she applied to the district warden for a new lease in order to have more clay to work upon, as she could see a prospect of increased orders for her product.

WOMAN MINE MANAGER

Miss Margaret Malone, who is managing and working a kaolin (porcelain clay) mine at Egerton, near Ballarat. Miss Malone is at present fighting against a gold miner's application for the forfeiture of the two leases held by her.

WOMAN MINER WILL CARRY ON

Plea Seeking Cancellation Of Lease Withdrawn

BALLARAT. Thursday.— Miss Margaret Malone, the lone worker of the kaolin (pipe clay) lease at Egerton, will continue her work undisturbed. The application by Henry Rankin Shaw for one of the lenses held and worked by Miss Malone was withdrawn at a special sitting of the Warden's Court this afternoon. Mr. R. Ramsay, for the applicant, said that he could not now produce evidence of ability to finance operations. and, therefore, had to abandon the proceedings Miss Malone will now develop a n new mine in the lease. She has worked the lease for some years. She frequently uses pick and shovel herself.

A MINER IN PETTICOATS

PETTICOAT rule at a kaolin mine at Mount Egerton, near Ballarat, has an effective way of solving the labor problem. Miss Margaret Malone is the only woman mine owner and manager in Australia', and in the 25 years of working her mine she has never had a strike She employs a number of men, and all work together like a happy family. 'As I have worked with the men i know exactly what has to be done,' she said. 'As a matter of fact, we are all bosses. A certain output has to be achieved each week, but a smoke-o out of place does not worry me. Really, I don't like bossing people, and if. a man needs that sort of treatment I just get rid of him. In this easy manner Miss Malone disposes of her problems. An unsatisfactory miner in her little group is treated just as a bad cook in the domestic realm. That her method works is proved by the fact that she has kept her miners 12, 15, and 26 years.

The mine really owes its existence to Miss Malone's mother who, when out walking one day, picked up a little pebble with a few specks of gold in it. Her father, a farmer, whose thoughts had strayed to gold, pegged out a claim, and sank a shaft; but all he found was white clay. He sank another shaft, and again found clay. Disappointed, he abandoned his efforts, and the kaolin remained untouched. Knowledge of Clay Later, a visiting Englishman who knew something of pottery clays, persuaded Mr. Malone to send some to Bendigo potteries, but before much was done with the product of his mine, Mr Malone died. Then his enterprising daughter stepped in. She prospected the seam, and found that it was about 10 to 15 ft. wide, going down at 45 degrees, maintaining its thickness all the way. She got her miners together, and worked with them in the early days. 'I have used the pick, although I must confess I was worse at that than anything,' she said. 'I filled sugar bags with 100 lb. of clay, trucked 10 and 12 bags, and pushed them to the shaft, worked on the 'whip,' and sent the bags up in the sling. I used to think nothing of going up and down 160 ft. of perpendicular ladders, set sheer against the face of the shaft. In those days there were no stagings, or little boards, every 30 ft., where you could sit down. 'The 'whip' is a rope coming up from the shaft over an arrangement of pulleys, and the horse walking up and down does all the lifting I could install an engine, but the horse does me quite well. All the clay has to be got out with picks and shovels — an explosive is no use, as it would only go off with a dull thud, with out dislodging any day.' The whole place is closely timbered, just like a hall, and this woman miner ceases for a while to be practical to speak of the beauty underground. Pretty Underground 'It is very pretty, as everything is glistening white, and the candles all shining make a lovely sight. Occasionally we strike a patch of colored clay, but mostly it is pure white.' When she goes down the mine, Miss Malone wears a short one-piece frock, never riding breeches.

She is proud of the fact that she knows everyone of her customers personally, as she has had to find her own markets, as well as manage the mine. 'We all work together, and each takes an interest in the job,' added Miss Malone. 'Frequently the men advise me against expenditure, which is considered unnecessary, and their advice is always valuable. I have never found any sex prejudice in either the mine or the market, although I mast confess that I did a great deal of tramping before I could induce manufacturers to try my product.' Yet all the while she digs for her clay these grey Irish eyes are looking for the color of gold.

MINE, run by woman, has not lost a day

Since the death of her father, 40 years ago, Miss Margaret Malone has owned and managed a kaolin mine on the summit of Mt Egerton near Ballarat.

She is assisted by four elderly men but Miss Malone has no difficulty in climbing up and down ladders linking several drives in the 100ft shaft, and she super-vises all work underground and on the surface. About 50 years ago a rich deposit of Kaolin was discovered on the summit of Mount Egerton by Mr P. Malone. He sank a shaft and worked the mine profitably until his death. Since Miss Malone look Command the mine has not been idle a day. It has produced kaolin (both pure white and pink) used in the best classes of porcelain and crockery ware manufactured In Melbourne and Sydney. It is claimed that Egerton kaolin is equal to Cornish porcelain, from which best English crockery is made. "Miss Malone" is said to be the only woman mine owner, so engaged, in Australia. She was born at Egerton.

Gordon

Close upon fifty years ago the late Mr. Patrick Malone, a staunch Irishman, opened up gold mines at Gordon and Egerton, including a rich kaolin mine at Egerton. The latter mine was worked by him for several years, and after his death his daughter, Miss Margaret Malone, became the owner of the property. Still working the mine, Miss Malone, who supervises work both on the surface and also in the workings below, probably holds the unique position of being the only woman mine owner in Australia. Last week she made application to the Minister for Mines for another lease of Crown lands adjacent to her original claim, which has been worked since her father first opened the shaft.

WOMAN WORKS OWN MINE

"Nearly 50 years ago the late Mr. M. Malone, of Gordon, opened up a rich kaolin mine at Egerton, and after his death his daughter, Miss Margaret Malone, became owner of the property. Still working the mine, she supervises operations on the surface and below. She is probably the only woman working a mine in Australia. Miss Malone has applied to the Minister for Mines for a lease of land adjacent to her original claim, in which work has not ceased since her father opened the shaft.

External links

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--Clare K.Gervasoni 13:24, 3 June 2016 (AEST)