AGNEW

Once a mining town with a population of 500. All that remains today is one hotel and a handful of hardy residents.

Located in the Goldfields 22km south west of Leinster the town site was gazetted in 1936 and named after John Agnew who ran a local mining company. (Bewick, Moreing & Co.)

A mystery hangs over the town relating to a cave-in down one of the mines. A roof collapse on new years day 1977 claimed the lives of five people but some sources say up to 13 people were killed. (Source Australian Newspaper.)

(C) Max Jefferies

The mine is currently (2009) still in operation producing 204,000 ounces of gold in 2008 and 192,000 in 2009. This was obtained from processing 1.32 million tons of ore and 1.07 million tons respectively. Despite the drop in ore production revenue increased from $188 million in 2008 to $230 million in 2009. This was due to the increasing price of gold on world markets. During the same period operating costs dropped from $115 million to $104 million. Profits from the mine in 2009 totalled $125 million.

Open pit and underground mining are carried on at the sites being mined.

Tall tales and true: Publican's problem.

Billy Cock once owned the Agnew Hotel but he was too fond of sampling his own wares and soon found himself deep in debt. Eventually in despair, he went to the edge of a mine shaft, shot himself and fell in. His body was finally located and he had to be fished out with a grapnel. His wake was held at the hotel where Billy was laid out on a corrugated iron sheet while the last of his grog was finished up. Funeral goers even shook his hand to congratulate him on such a good wake but Billy was by now well past caring.

Billy's brother, Tommy, took over the pub but seems to have done little better financially than the late Billy.

(Please help us get more information on this town).

(C) Don Copley