Great Central Mines

The company's takeover however led to lengthy court proceedings, initiated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, which only finalised in February 2003.

[3] Great Central Mines was led by the ordained Rabbi Joseph Gutnick, who was, after almost having been ruined by the 1987 stock market crash, advised by the Rebbe Menachem Schneerson to go back to the Australian desert and search for "gold and diamonds".

[4][5] In 1988, Gutnick's company discovered the deposit which was to become the Plutonic Gold Mine in Western Australia, which he sold for A$50 million.

The court found that their behaviour in jointly bidding $450 million earlier that year for Great Central Mines was unlawful and deceptive.

[12] Justice Ron Merkel of the Federal Court found that Yandal Gold, jointly owned by Gutnick's family company Edensor Nominees, and Normandy, acted illegally during the takeover.

[14] GCM became Normandy Yandal Operations Limited on 30 June 2000, changing its Australian Securities Exchange code to NYY.