A reporter in the Town and Country Journal which was printed in Sydney, from 1870 to 1919, stated in, an issue on August 17, 1970, that the beautiful valley of the Cudgegong River, with the main settlement at Mudgee, was most interesting to the miner and the geologist. It presented within a small area of ground samples of every mineral, metal and stone for which the colony is celebrated. He specifically mentions gold, silver, lead, antimony, iron, coal, shales, diamonds, sapphires, topaz and zircons. He neglected to record that on the outskirts of Mudgee disturbed areas could be seen where shearstone had been removed, in small quantities for the sharpening of hand shears, knives of local butchers and the like.
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In the 1870s the demand for local sharpening stone increased over imports. The most imported stone was one made in Turkey and was obviously called the Turkey stone and had been used for hundred of years . In 1881 Mrs J C Lawson of Eurunderee stated that her father had been supplying local shearstone to sheep owners since 1861. He had obtained winning medals and certificates for their display at the Sydney Exhibition. However, he was had not been successful in putting them on the Sydney and English markets. Her father’s quarry was taken over by a private company, and a trial bullock dray load was sent to Sydney on the rough. This enterprise resulted in a failure.
However, a local demand still remained, particularly with shearers. H P Tritton, a shearer and resident of Mudgee and Cullenbone for many years said in his 1964 book, “Time Means Tucker,” that to a shearer a shearstone is a prized possession and Mudgee sharpening stones were always admired and envied. Few shearers would allow anyone to use their “Mudgee.” These stones were generally sold in 14 lb. boxes. R.Kalesko, in his 1909, ”Austral Settler’s Complimentary Guide No. 24,” commented that he preferred the lily white Washita or the best Mudgee stone. Washita stones were quarried in Arkansaw (USA) and then processed .
The Sydney Evening News of 18 October, 1889, reported that a most valuable and large discovery of shearstone had been made in the vicinity of Mudgee from which it was likely Mudgee could command the entire stone sharpening markets of the world even against the best Turkish productions.
Three months later on 23 January, 1890, the Australian Star announced that a new, and what promises to be a very flourishing industry, has been inaugurated at Mudgee by the Mudgee Stone Sharpening Company. The local stone had been famed for sharpening purposes for years past, but it was not until recently that the company was formed to develop the article.
Suitable machinery has been erected some eight miles out of Mudgee, near a prolific quarry on the Havilah Estate. F j Bird, storekeeper of Coolah, and
afterwards grandfather of noted aviatrix Nancy Bird, was the principal in the concern. The proposal for quarry operation was conceived by Mr Standen who had mining experience at Hill End, Gulgong and Mudgee. He was appointed as Manager of the Company, and F J Bird, as Managing Director.
The quarry was situated adjoining the main road from Mudgee to Cassilis at Budgee Budgee, being a little over a mile back from the hillside. On the site a 60ft x60ft building was constructed by contractor Stoddard of Mudgee, and the making of the required plant for the process of sawing, shaping and finishing the stone for commercial purposes was entrusted to Blanks and Lefebure, of the Victor Engineering Works at the Glebe. A double cylinder Clayton and Shuttleworth engine supplied the motive power.
Regrettably my research does not show whether the processing works were successful, and the year the operations ceased at Havilah. Perhaps, some Mudgee historian many have this information.