Robert Silvers Black was mine manager of Kalgurli Mines.
History
Black was a son of William Black, of Milburn, in Otago, New Zealand, and born in nearby Milton. He was educated at several public and private schools, and joined the National Bank, where for a year in 1880/1881 he was involved in the assay and smelting office, then returned to regular banking for seventeen years, serving in various managerial positions. He left for Tasmania around 1890, to take up a position as general director of a company on the newly developed Zeehan silver fields. In 1895 he left Tasmania for Western Australia, to take up a position as manager of the Londonderry mine near Coolgardie, and held that position until 1898, when he resigned to manage the group of mines owned by the English Octagon Explorers syndicate, which included the Crusoe, Friday, Menzies Consolidated, Block 45 and Kalgurli United mines at Kalgoorlie. When in 1901 Octagon Explorers surrendered their lease 879E, the four sections were picked up by Black. In April 1900 he succeeded Charles S. Stafford as managing director of Kalgurli and Hainault mines and held that position until 1903, when ill-health forced him to resign. From 1903 to 1907 he lived in Melbourne and in New Zealand, then accepted a call by the Kalgurli company to return to Kalgoorlie, where he would manage the Kalgurli and Archie Hay the Hainault, following the retirement of general manager Frank A. Moss. By 1917 the Kalgurli mine was barely profitable and by 1920 was practically worked out, and most of the ore processed was for tributers working other mines. In November 1921 he retired to Perth, farewelled by a few friends. He had developed an interest in the pastoral life, and with his son Robin took over Atley Station near Sandstone, raising sheep. He also had Roy Hill station, which he relinquished around 1925. By 1940 Atley Station was in the hands of Phil Broadhurst. He died in a Perth private hospital in 1934 after a short illness, aged 73 years.
Other interests
While in Tasmania Black was one of the first members of Zeehan's Hospital Board, serving as chairman and was one of those behind erection of the new hospital building. He was the first chairman of the School of Mines and chairman of the Cemetery Trust. He was an active investor in mining ventures and a Justice of the Peace.
Black married Ellinor Archer on 13 January 1898. On 11 June 1903 he married again, to Emily Louisa Browne, fourth daughter of T. A. Browne, better known as "Rolf Boldrewood", author of Robbery Under Arms. Children from those unions include:
Robert Montague "Robin" Black married Ellen Mary "Nell" Manford, eldest daughter of Frank Manford, on 6 February 1935. In partnership with his father, he owned Atley Station, where, after the death of his father, his mother and sister Judith would spend the winter.
Hubert Silvers Black married Margaret Moira Bryans on 11 October 1933. He married again, to war widow Orme Augusta Marsh Macdonald, née Bell, of Boonah, Queensland on 21 January 1947. He was a solicitor in the firm of Blake and Riggall, Melbourne.
Marjory Lilian Black perhaps married Thomas George Arbuthnot of Bonnie Doon, Victoria
His sister Edith Helen Black married Robert Gordon Hyndman at Melton, New Zealand on 29 December 1891. Thomas Glasgow Black, WilliamHugh Black, and Robert Black, butchers of Kalgoorlie, were his brothers.
