Blakeley, Fred. Dream Millions. 4.

On the 22nd of May 1930. Ernest Bailey, the newly appointed Secretary of the Central Australian Gold Exploration Syndicate, wrote to Arthur Blakeley the Minister for Home Affairs, applying for a £1 for £1 subsidy, "to assist the syndicate to re-discover the reef". Bailey also mentioned Hebblewhite's  donation of the Thornycroft truck for six months and estimated expenses for an expedition were about £2500. To add legitimacy to the claim for a subsidy, Bailey mentioned that the syndicate had already raised a thousand pounds and "The names of those forming the syndicate, and the amounts contributed are attached for your information".

From the tenor of Ern Bailey's letter it is clear that Arthur Blakeley has prior knowledge of the formation of a syndicate to search for Lasseter's Reef. Lasseter is not mentioned in the body of the letter and the only reference (apart from the shareholders list) is the inference in the line, "to assist the syndicate to re-discover the reef". Blakeley is meant to assume Lasseter's Reef and it is located in Central Australia hence the approach for funds to the Federal Government. The Minister for Home Affairs is already well acquainted with Lasseter through the Gepp Report and his good mate, the Minister for Defence, Texas Green, who received Lasseter's letter 'out of the blue' last October. And both men and their cronies in the Central Branch of the Australian Workers Union could hardly fail to note that Lasseter and his reef have drifted from 300 miles north east of Laverton in Western Australia to somewhere 200 to 400 miles west to north west of Alice Springs.

As time went the syndicate became a Company and acquired another £7053 in one pound shares but there is no record of additional shareholders, with the exception of Leslie G. Bridge who seems to have become a major shareholder in July 1931 when he contributed £2000, perhaps more, to the Company's funds. It is said that Bridge largely financed the second C.A.G.E. Expedition, the one lead by Bob Buck in October 1931. 

Note yet another variation in the spelling of Lasseter's name.

LASSETERIA

© R.Ross. 1999-2006

Blakeley, Fred. Dream Millions. 4,5.  Coote, E. H. Hell's Airport. 34-46. National Archives Australia, Series A431,Control Symbol 1948/1143.

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