"Lane Zebina (1829-1906) and Bartholomew Zebina (1856-1912), mining engineers, were father and son. Zebina senior was born on 5 November 1829 at St Stephens, New Brunswick, Canada, son of Mathew Lane, farmer, and his wife Dorcas, nee Lumbard. The family moved to Maine, United States of America, during his infancy. Leaving school at 15 he became an engineer. Then in February 1850 he left New York in a group, sponsored by Cornelius Vanderbilt, which blazed a short direct route through Nicaragua to the Californian goldfields and, surviving Indian attacks and fever, arrived there in May.

After little success at the diggings, Lane and other Canadians joined the Victorian gold rush in 1853 at Bendigo. At Eaglehawk, then Canadian Gully, their luck improved. In 1856 Lane discovered the rich Lane's reef at Wedderburn, then turned to blacksmithing at Sandhurst (Bendigo). He soon returned to mining for many years in the Huntly, Lauriston and Malmsbury districts. At St Arnaud in 1887, initially opposed by miners and owners, he proved the efficacy of his methods by reviving the run-down Lord Nelson mine which remained profitable through the 1890s. On 18 April 1855 in Melbourne with Anglican rites he had married Mary Kearney, from Galway, Ireland. At St Arnaud Lane he became increasingly involved in community and civic affairs; rifle-shooting and brass bands were major interests. After suffering a stroke in 1904 he retired to Caulfield, Melbourne, where he died on 12 April 1906."

References:
http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090664b.htm

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