Samuel Levy Bensusan died at his London residence, 8, Lansdowne Road, Holland Park, W., on October 29th, 1917, at the age of 89 years.
He was well known in mining circles in New South Wales, where he resided for nearly fifty years. In the sixties and early seventies he took an active part in copper mining in various parts of New South Wales and South Australia, forming several companies and acting as manager to the majority of them. When the great fall in copper occurred, Mr. Bensusan turned his attention to silver, and it was due to his efforts and energy that the silver mining and smelting industry was started in Australia. He discovered and opened the Sunny Corner silver mine – the first silver mine worked in Australia – about 1877, and for ten years acted as managing director to the company.
During his long and varied connection with mining, Mr. Bensusan collected a great variety of ore and mineral specimens, which his knowledge of mineralogy, acquired by many years of careful study, enabled him to arrange and classify with much success. For his mineral collections, which were shown at exhibitions in Paris, Sydney, Melbourne and Calcutta, he received several medals, silver and gold, with diplomas.
Two of his sons followed in the footsteps of their father as mining engineers: the late Mr. E.V. Bensusan, and Mr. Arthur J. Bensusan, the superintendent of the Ouro Preto Gold Mines of Brazil, Ltd.
Mr. Bensusan was elected a Member of the Institution in 1897.
Vol. 27. Trans I.M.M. 1917-18, p. 387
