1882
By 1882, gold mining was becoming a highly decentralised operation across NSW with each operation having its own distinctive character and challenges to face in turning a profit.
For many miners at this time the ongoing drought that had plagued the western and southern goldfields since the mid 1870s maintained its vice like grip on operations.
Sadly the potential of the Temora fields was in question after the main alluvial lead was lost though the adjacent Barmedman operations were doing well.
Meanwhile the Albert Goldfield in the far west of the state at Tibooburra was redefining the word ‘challenging’ in relation to gold mining operations, while major investment in sluicing operations at Kiandra were promising a rival of this field’s fortunes.
Left: Mines Department Annual Report 1882. Images and content presented here from this report reproduced courtesy of NSW Trade & Resources, Minerals & Energy
OVERVIEW SUMARY OF GOLD MINING OPERATIONS 1882
“The number of miners engaged in gold-mining during the year, so far as can be gathered from the returns furnished (which, by the way, are not complete) is 9,215.
“Of these 7,843 are European, and 1,372 are Chinese. Taking the output of gold in 1882 to be 140,469 oz., as returned by the Mining Registrars, valued at £526,521, the earnings of each miner would appear to be 15 ozs. 4 dwts equal in value to £57 2s. per annum.”
OVERVIEW SUMARY OF GOLD MINING OPERATIONS 1882
It is true that in some few localities the absence of rain enabled the miners to work portions of river-beds which in ordinary seasons are under water, and are consequently inaccessible.
But the drought and scarcity of grass rendered prospecting most difficult, if not entirely impracticable, until the breaking up of the drought in the last quarter, hence few discoveries of importance were made during the year.
The yield of gold from Temora shows a large increase upon the previous year, but it is to be feared that yield will not be maintained unless the continuation of the deep lead be discovered.
Mr. Warden De Boos says :-The continuation of the deep lead lost a little below the Frenchman’s claim has not been sought for in a sustained systematic manner in the right direction-that is to say, to the left or west side of the lead.
The Inspector of Mines thinks that there is a large area of auriferous country which has not yet been prospected, and that if prospected new discoveries are likely to be made.
The output of gold in the Albert district, so far as can be ascertained from the escort returns, shows a decrease as compared with that of the preceding year, but there is reason to suppose that some of the gold from this district passes by private hands into South Australia, consequently the actual yield may be much larger than that recorded. MI’. Warden King, in his report, says that until November all the gold won was obtained by dry-blowing, a process which is not only tedious but is attended with great loss of gold.
Owing to the great heat and dryness of the climate the district must under favourable circumstances be a most difficult one to prospect; it is therefore not ‘surprising that little was done in the way of prospecting during the year.
Although much has been done in the construction of dams and reservoirs for the storing of water, the present number being fifty-eight, the Warden is of opinion the quantity impounded during the last months of the year will not last more than two or three weeks. The quftrtz reefs at Warratta Oreek are said to show good prospects, and if the three Oompanies who have machinery on the ground or on the road succeed in getting their batteries erected these reefs will probably be well tested.
In several shafts water has been struck at a depth of about 80 feet; this will doubtless prove a great boon when appliances for raising it shall have been supplied, if the supply prove permanent and sufficiently copious. There appears to be a danger of the supply of fuel being inadequate to the requirements of the locality if the reefs should be extensively worked, so that the development of this field is beset with difficulties.
Probably no gold-field has been discovered in the Oolony which is calculated to tax: the perseverance and ingenuity of the miner to a greater extent than the Albert Gold-field, and scarcely any event would lead to the settlement of a considerable popUlation in that remote district except, perhaps, the discovery of rich and extensive deposits of gold.
In the Bathurst district the Warden states-very little rain fell between January and November, the creeks never flowed, and the rivers were chains of water-holes; dams were empty and springs exhausted. More than half the gold won during the year in the Trunkey division was obtained since November.
It is to be regretted that the anticipations respecting the reefs at Mount M’Donald have not been realized, though there is still good reason to believe that they will yield payable though not such handsome returns as were expected. The Inspector of Mines entertains a very high opinion of the field. The extraordinary deposit at Browne’s Oreek, which is now 70 feet wide, is still being profitably worked, the output of gold being about 300 ounces pel’ month. The Flat Reef, on the Belabula (from 2 to 10 feet wide), is so favourably situated that it is believed 1 dwt. per ton will pay when in full swing, every arrangement for labour-saving having been made.
The crushing machinery is worked by water power. At Lucknow the Reform Oompany is working the pyritous lode, which averages 2 feet, has a footwall of diorite and a hanging wall of serpentine. The Oompany has been expending large sums of money in putting the mine into thorough working order with a view to turn out large quantities of ore.
Two parcels have been shipped to England for treatment, and from 150 tons of refuse 319 ozs. 12 dwts. 2 grs. of free gold has been extracted. From the very interesting report furnished (see Appendix to Geological Surveyor’s report herewith) by Mr. Brown upon the Forest Reef Gold-field, of which he made a geological survey during the year, there appears to be one or more main deep leads and numerous tributariell under the basalt. Mr. Brown says :-”
The ancient valley or deep ground, as indicated by the outcrops of slate and diorite through the basalt crosses, Browne’s Oreek, near the south-west corner of Graham’S, and passes in the direction of Forest Reefs, being joined by branch valleys from the north and south, and afterwards by Lumpy and the Blacksmith’s Leads.”
These two leads and Tigeroo have traced down and worked till they reached a depth of about 100 feet. Lumpy Lead has been traced for a mile and a half, at which point it reaches the main flow of basalt.
Tigeroo shaft is about 98 feet deep, the surface at this point being 100 feet below the general level of the tableland, towards ‘Yhich the other leads run. In the Great Extended claim, they have sunk through 200 feet of basalt, proving ground 100 feet deeper than any before worked, except Tigeroo. The longest drive extends some 35 feet from the shaft, has crossed a gutter containing cemented wash, from which 141 loads washed in October last gave 140 ozs. 13 dwts. of gold.
This, Mr. Brown regards as a branch of the main lead, the width of the basalt flow between the outcrops of bed rock being about 20 chains, leaves plenty of room for a main run of deep ground on either side of the shaft. On the other side, or southern watershed of the old dividing range, Mr. Brown says, “there is a large area of flat country, covered with alluvial soil which is a promising locality for alluvial leads. Up to the present only one gully, called Mullocky Gully, has been worked here.” The Warden at Orange says a reef now being worked at Belmore is 58 feet wide. 17 tons of quartz from a tributary yielded 21 dwts. per ton. The reef at Lucas’s Gully, 15 to 18 inches wide, promises well; picked pieces of stone yield an ounce to the lb. weight. Another claim in the locality is producing stone containing 62 ozs. silver and 2 ozs. 15 dwts. of gold per ton.
At Black Springs, near Ophir, a reef is being opened that promises well, and good looking stone is found between’ this locality and Golden Point. At Oadia a nugget weighing 70 ozs. was obtained from some surfacing.
In the Tambaroora and Turon district the Wardens say many s:nall claim’! ta.ken west of Hill End are being worked with success, paying from £2 to £7 per week per man, and the Hawkins Hill Consolidated Company has done a great deal of prospecting work by means of rock-drills and otherwise.
In the Ironbarks division powerful machinery has been brought on to the ground, with a view to sluice the extensive alluvial drifts which border the river Macquarie. Quartz-reefs showing stone of exceptional value have been discovered in the vicinity of the Bogan, and a township is now growing up at Tomingly.
To the south and west of Tomingly other discoveries have lately been reported, and it is not improbable that an extensive gold-field will be opened in the line of country which stretches southward towards Parkes and northward to the Bogan. At Tominglya large quantity of stone is at grass, awaiting suitable crushing plant. The machine first erected was found to be unsuitable, and had to be taken down and replaced by an ordinary battery. Gold shows freely in stone taken at random from the heaps. Remarkably rich veins have been discovered at Ten-mile Ridges, 17 miles south ofTomingly. Gold has been discovered ncar the Springs Railway Station, and fair prospects have been obtained. The locality is a basaltic hill, which forms a portion of the descent to the Bell River.
In the Lachlan district the Ward!’ns report :-At Forbes, the Bald Hills, and Queen’s Leads the prospects are improving. A battery has been erected, which will remove the obstacle to the development of the Pinnacle Reefs. At Cargo, Odgers and party are working a face of wash 70 feet wide and 18 inches thick, in the 40-foot level of their claim at Gum Flat.
The prospects at Young are brighter than they have been for a long time. Some 300 acres of land in the vicinity of the town, and close to the Burrangong Creek, have been applied for to lease.
The ground is known to be auriferous, and likely to pay well, but the miners have hitherto been prevented from working it by reason of the want of appliances to overcome the heavy influx of water. N ow that there is a prospect of the necessary capital being available to procure machinery, and open up the ground systematically, there is found to be a difficulty in consequence of so much of the land in that locality having been surveyed and sold. Minter and party haye erected machinery on their lease, and have sunk a shaft 70 feet.
About 100 miners are making fail’ wages at Murrumburrah. There is at present no battery at Barmedman, the stone having to be sent to Temora to be crushed. There is a large quantity of stone at grass, awaiting the completion of the crushing plant which is being erected. Hitherto very little work has been done on the reefs below the water levelabout 85 feet-but there is now a prospect of the reefs, both at Barmedman and Sebastopol, being thoroughly tested and systematically opened up, and it is believed they will prove to be highly remunerative.
A. new reef, containing a fair show of gold, was di~covered in December, by Conway Bros., 21 mnes N.W. of Temora. In the Mudgee district the drought was severely felt and did not break till October.
At Gulgong there are several claims that are paying moderately weU. The result of Mr. Scully’S prospecting operations on the Black Lead is looked forward to with some anxiety, as, in the event of his succeeding in opening up the continuation of that lead, a fresh start will be given to deep alluvial mining in that locality.
There has been great delay in carrying out these works, but the difficulties have no doubt been exceptional. Although the field is at present dun there are grounds for believing that it will revive, as it is scarcely possible that the gold deposits have been exhausted.
In the Tumut and Adelong district a new reef has been discovered at Muttama, from which a trial crushing of 10 tons gave 4 ozs. of gold per ton. A dam has been constructed and. a site for a battery has been selected. In the early part of the year an alluvial lead was found running at right angles ft’om the Doctor’s l~eef at Muttama; there are ten payable claims on Crown lands and four on private lands j depth of lead from 30 to 110 feet j width of lead from 15 to 100 feet; gold coarse and water-worn.
The deep ground at the lower end of the lead has not been tested in consequence of too much water. At Albury a new reef has been discovered in Portuguese Gully, and a fair amount of mining is being carried on.
At Corowa a reef has been tested to a depth of 60 feet; the yield of gold obtained was equal to about i- an ounce to the ton j other tests have been made in the locality, but it is thought the reefs have not had a fair trial in consequence of the want of facilities, the reefs being on private land.
A large amount of money has been invested in the construction of extensive works for hydraulic sluicing at Kiandra, and there is the strongest probability that large quantities of gold will be obtained as soon as sluicing operations have been fairly started.
At Adelong, according to the report of the Inspector of Mines, the principal alluvial mines are making satisfactory progress, and great improvements have been made in the mode of working some of the quartz-mines which are now owned by capitalists, who possess the necessary capital and enterprise to work them systematically, with the aid of improved appliances.
As the reefs in this locality have been worked to a greater depth than in any other part of the colony it is gratifying to know that they are likely to receive a satisfactory trial, and it is to be hoped they will proye remunerative at still greater pepths than have yet been reached.
In the Southern District the drought 11as been favourable to the working of the claims in tIle Araluen River, and at Nerriga it enabled the miners to reach paris of the bed of the Shoalhaven Rivel’, which cannot in ordinary seasons be worked; the returns of gold from this river clearly indicate that it lms not been worked out. In other parts of the diAtrict there has been a great decrease in the yield, partly due to the drought, which put a stop to ground sluicing, partly to the fact that much of the grouud in the Braidwood division has been worked out.
Two batteries have been erected at Captain’s Flat in the Queanbeyan division, where the reefs recently discovered are large, and from trials made are likely to prove payable. At Montreal the terraces containing auriferous deposits have been worked to the borders of Wallaga Lake; there the work llas been abandoned for want of the capital necessary to carryon the work into or under the bed of the lake; but it is understood that an effort will be m!1.de by some capitalists to undertake the exploration of the terraces beyond the margin of the lake, and from the information furnished respecting the yield of the alluvium in the locality there is a strong probability the efforts, if properly conducted, will prove profitable to adventurers, and possibly open up a considerable extent or payable ground.
On Mount Dromedary an 8-horse battery has been erected, which will doubtless help to develop the resources of that locality. At Whittaker’s Creek, near Wagonga Heads, some reefs have been discovered, which promise to be both permanent and payable; they are from 2 to to 4 feet wide, and arrangements have been made for the erection of a battery. The Donkey Reefs, near the Moruya Sil vel’ Mine, have been reopened, so have some or the old reefs at Mogo. In the Peel and U ra11a District, in the Barraba division, there are evidences of a revival; the Garryowen, Addison, Bonds, KeUy, and Woods’.reefs, have been taken up, and extensive machinery is being obtained rrom England to work them on a large scale. The reefs at Crow Mountain are also being worked again, and machinery is on the ground.
In the Bingera division the” All Nation’s Reef” has been taken up again, and machinery will be erected; several claims have been taken up on the flat at foot of Cemetery Gully, and it is thought that if the water can be overcome a deep lead will probably be opened up. This flat has long been regarded wit.h ravour, as likely to contain a rich alluvial lead ; but the difficulty of contending with the water has hitherto deterred miners from testing the deep ground. Some or the mines at New Ballarat continue to give good returns, the Ballarat Reef, which is patchy, containing some very rich stone. In the Clarence and Richmond District there are reasonable grounds for anticipating an improvement during the coming year on some of the fields.
The Tower Hill Co. at Dalmorton are putting in a tunnel which is expected shortly to strike the reef at a depth or 300 feet, and ir it prove payable at that depth the battery will at once start to work again. At N a1’ra Creek two mills have been actively employed upon the stone raised from the several reefs, and there is a probability or another battery being erected at the Hidden Treasure Reef, some 4 miles from N ana Creek. The prospectors at Mann River have a reef 3 feet wide with a £air show of gold at a depth of 42 reet.
The rough and mountainous character of the country has much retarded the development or this, the cost or carting the stone to the battery being twice or thrice the cost of crushing. Fifteen distinct gold-bearing reefs have been opened, but none have been worked to only a very moderate depth. The remarks or the Inspector of Mines upon the Copeland and surrounding fields are well worthy of perusal as showing that the reefs are rich and permanent, requiring only skill and capital to develop them, the rugged character of the country being the chief obstacle to be overcome. From the size of the reefs and the yields obtained this should be one of the most important quartz districts in the Colony.
Though the rush to the N owendoc diggings was a failure, there are strong grounds ror believing that payable deposits, both alluvial and quartz, only wait a thorough search by experienced prospectors. The mountains between Nowendoc and Hanging Rock-a distance of 50 miles-are said to be auriferous, but have not yet been prospected to any ext6nt.
The Inspector of Mines calls attention to some alluvial deposits in the Nundle Gold-fieM, which if an ample supply or water were brought to bear upon them would probably prove of immense value, as the wash, though not rich, is of unusual thickness. In one place from the surface to a depth of 25 feet has been tested and found to contain gold, and it is probable that the alluvium down to the granite-a depth of 100 feet-will pay. A careful review of the prospects or our gold-fields, as gathered from)he reports furnished by the Inspector of Mines, Wardens, and Mining Registrars, shows that the decrease in the output of gold ror the year is mainly if not wholly due to the drought, and there are evidences or an improvement in the character of the works on many of the older fields which may be due to the recognition or the fact that some or our auriferous deposits cannot be developed or profitably worked without the aid or proper appliances and the adoption of system in the conduct of the necessary operations, which if persevered will doubtless doubtless lead to an increased yield of gold a,nd the working of large tracts of country now lying idle
The number of miners engaged in gold-mining during the year, so far as can be gathered from the returns furnished (wbich, by the way, are not complete) is 9,215. Of these 7,843 are European, and 1,372 are Chinese. Taking the output of gold in 1882 to be 140,469 OZS., as returned by the Mining Registrars, valued at £526,521, the earnings of each miner would appear to be 15 ozs. 4 dwts. 20’88 grs., equal in value to £57 2s. 8’97d. per annum. It may, however, be taken for granted that the whole of the miners were not engaged in gold-mining during the whole year, because in many districts, as will be seen by reference to the reports of Wardens, &c., annexed, mining was suspended dl1l’ing se,eral months for want of water.
UPDATE ON THE GREAT HOPES OF THE TEMORA FIELD
“The history of the Temora Gold-field for the past year is but a repetition of that of every other alluvial gold-field that has ever been worked in this or any other country.
“At some time or other the alluvial deposits must be worked out, and the question of the time when this result is attained is the only one in which these histories differ.”
UPDATE ON THE GREAT HOPES OF THE TEMORA FIELD
I HAVE now the honor to make my report on the Temora Gold -field for the year 1882.
The history of the Temora Gold-field for the past year is but a repetition of that of every other alluvial gold-field that has ever been worked in this or any other country.
At some time or other the alluvial deposits must be worked out, and the question of the time when this result is attained is the only one in which these histories differ.
At Temora the period of decadence has set in sooner than usual, owing, first to the arid nature of the country, and next to the limited area within which work has been prescribed. Taking the first of these causes, the long period of drought completely-I had almost said disheartened- the miners; but such a word cannot fairly be used towards those who have displayed so much courage in working on in spite of every impediment, and hoping against hope, have persevered in the face of difficulties which in any other avocation would have driven men to despair.
However, they were so far prejudiced against the field that whenever a sufficiency of water was available the owners of the richer claims, who could afford to pay the high price for puddling then demanded at the water shafts, .7s. and 7s. 6d. pel’ load, got their dirt washed up, and having obtained the proceeds, cleared out from the field which offered them so few inducements to remain, instead of as in other places risking some of the gains in prospecting for further deposits.
These having quitted the field, there would then only be left behind those who with poorer dirt could not afford to puddle it until better times came, when water was more plentifnl and puddling cheaper.
Th~se men, who had to live hardly enough as it was during this period of expectancy, had not the means of undertaking anything like a systematic prospect of the conntry, still less to incur the expense of deep sinking, such as I shall hereafter refer to. Intermittent efforts were however made, but only limited in extent.
Discouragement succeeded discouragement, and as no outside aid came in to assist them-for almost aU outside capitalists who bought into claims were unfortunate, and burnt their fingers-no sustained efforts were made either to trace out the old lead or to discover a new one.
This cause has been in operation during 1882, and the mining population has gradually thinned down in consequence. But the first heavy blow and great discouragement that the field received and that has added materially to the ill effects of the course first mentioned was when the main lead was suddenly lost a little below the Frenchman’s claim.
Having run a distance of about 2 miles, along which the lead was tolerably well traceable-though intermittent in several places-it suddenly ran out nearly in a line with the” London Tavern.” And yet near this very spot were some of the richest nuggetty claims on the field, Buckley’s, Nugent and Adams, the Frenchman’s, &c. Attempts were made to pick it up along a course of fully a mile and a half, and at one time it was thought that it had been struck at the Grecian Bend, but without success, the Grecian Bend proving to be nothing more than a patch, and a very poor one at the same time.
There was thus no prospect of any extension of the field, and consequently every miner who was not interested in one of the claims then at work was left withont a prospect of employment, and if he had the mea.ns was not slow in leaving the place.
It may, however, be mentioned here that though efforts were made to trace the lead in the direction I have indicated, that is, down the surface water-way, or north-east, no sustained or systematic attempts at prospecting for it were made crossways, to the left or west of the lead, where a low ridge forms the boundary of the existing water-way. But this ridge or rise is a mere surface indication, and there is every reason to believe that it consists of nothing more than alluvial deposit, and not of rock, or that at all events there is an exit through it by which the lost lead may have pushed its way into what appears now by surface indications as another water-course.
Whether this be so or not, and the question is really worth trying, the mischief was done when the lead gave out, as the work was narrowed down to that portion of country that had been opened up to that time. It was lost on the northern end, whilst it could not be extended on the south-eastern end, as there the range was unmistakably rocky, having been so proved to be in every direction by quartz-claims.
The field thus limited, it can be easjly understood that the end was almost in sight, depending as it must upon the time when the heaps should be wao;hed up. Then came the copious supplies of water that filled the dams, tanks and reservoirs in every direction, in the latter part of the winter and the early spring of last year, enabling the miners to wash up their dirt at a reasonable figure, and to make available wash that under other circumstances must have been left on the ground. So much wa~ this the case that as the heaps of wash-dirt disappeared one after the other, water became of no value since there was no longer dirt to wash, and the puddlers in many cases undertook the work for mere wages, that is, for the . oo~ :.. their water, and in several instances they set in to wash the mullock heaps around the shafts in immediate proximity to their machines, with the hope probably of corning across some patches of wash that may have been cut through in sinking and unnoticed at the time.
Such things have occurred here, and in one notable instanc·e a rich layer of wash was left behind at (I forget the exact depth now), but at all events somewhere about half-way down to where the washdirt was expected to be found; and it was only by the accidental di~placement of a nugget of more than usually interesting size that the run of auriferous drift was made manifest. It may be considered as very probable that more than one good nugget still lies buried in the heaps of mullock that bank up the staging of the shaft’s mouth, for unlike other fields the run of wash at Temora has been exceedillgly irregular in depth, even 30 and 40 feet of difference having been found in several instances. In the early days of the field when water was unobtainable, payable patches of drift may have been cut through unobserved, as prospects could not be tested; but whether the mullock heaps will pay for washing or not is another question.
It may suit puddlers with full tanks and nothing else to do to set in on them, but I hardly expect that taking them all round wages will be made from them. Of the many claims on the lead which have been opened and worked there remain only some ten or a dozen upon which work is still carried on.
The chief one of these is the Golden Gate, which, to all appearance from the wonderful depth of wash-dirt found in it, will find work for its shareholders for the next twelve or eighteen months. The Chief Geological Surveyor, Mr. Wilkinson, has visited and reported on this claim, which, from the deep gulch in what is apparently the bed rock that has been found there, forms a geological problem, the solution of which would be of the greatest interest. Apart, however, from the lead already worked, aud which may be said to be virtually worked out, the indications of deep ground which have been given along the whole length, from Upper Temora right down to the worked end of the lead, are such as to suggest the Possibility, if not the probability, of the existence of a deep lead at some considerable depth below that recently worked. Some of the water shafts have been put down to a depth of about 400 feet through a purely alluvial deposit, and without touching the bed rock.
In Wearne’s water-shaft at Lower Temora a gravelly or rather sandy grit, with some few water-worn stones, was gone through without corning to anything that in any ,yay indicated a proximity to the bed rock. In the same way the indications given at other shafts, and more particularly at those on the Deep Lead, would almost lead to the inference that there must be a deep gutter somewhere. Whether it is auriferous or not is another matter; but, seeing that all the gold hitherto discovered is pure reef gold, lying almost in situ, for it is little, if at all water-worn, and seeing the immense amount of alluvial action that must have occurred to cause the deposit of these deep beds of alluvium, it is not by any means improbable that the older water-courses underlying those hitherto worked may contain deposits lodged there in ages antecedent to those which placed the Temora nuggets in the spots whence they have been so recently unearthed. Were such a field as Temora found to exist in Victoria any number of speculators would be found willing to risk a few thousands in endeavouring to find this deep gubter, quite content with the possibility of finding it, and nE:xt with the possibility that when found it would richly repay the enterprise of the investors.
Whilst alluding to the alluvial working it may be remarked as a singular thing that no alluvial deposits, either surface or deep sinking, have yet been found at Barmedman, although the reefs there are unquestionably rich, and although prospecting shafts have been sunk in every direction and in every position that would seem to indicate a probability of success.
It would almost seem that even in the midst of the great pluvial force which must have been employed to deposit the immense mass of alluvium that has rendered this part of the country almost a level, filling up the gullies until they are barely to be distinguished from the hill~, it would seem that with all this force there had been no abrasion of tIle reefs, but that these had been quietly silted up by the deposits brought down from a region, whose softer strata had yielded to the aqueous action. The reefs here are very numerous, and are nearly all buried under an alluvial deposit.
In the majority of ca~es no surface indications of their existence are offered, and this would to some extent bear out the theory just indicated. With regard to the reefs at Temora proper, I have no great expectation of their turning out anything wonderful.
The appearance of the stone is not very promising, though it may possibly improve at a depth sufficiently to become payable; but only then by a proper system of working being adopted, and by means being secured for crushing at the claim, so as to sare the ruinous cost of carting. The rich veins opened up by Lucas and party were nothing more than a few limited patches, for they ran out within a very short distance. Similar veins will in all probability be struck from time to time in some of the claims, but more especially in the vicinity of the diorite dyke which runs along the eastern range from Upper to Lower Temora. It is, however, really a question whether these veins thus placed do not in reality rob the main reef instead of feeding it, for as yet no good body of reef-stone has been found in proximity with the veins, and. the evidence hitherto has gone to show that the reef-stone has been all the poorer for the riches of the vein.
It wonld almost seem from the position in situ, and the unworn character of the alluvia.! gold at Temora, that there had been a net-work of these veins at some former period; that from their softer and disjointed character, owing to the large amount of gold they held, they had been broken do·wn and formed the deposits now working; and that the harder, less yielding, and poorer quartz of the reefs had resisted abrasion and atmospheric action through the very qualities that now render it valueless.
Up to the present the yield from crushings has been anything but satisfactory; but as no systematic work has yet been done to test the stone at different levels these crushings hardly form a criterion for what may be done. It will not be until the reefs fall into good hands, that will give them a fair test at various depths, that anything like a correct estimate of their value can be formed. Under any circumstances a totany different system to that now followed will have to be pursued before the Temora stone can be made payable. Barmedman is a very promising reefing country, so much so that it appears strange that it should have been allowed to remain neglected for so long a time.
The reefs were originally taken up some ten or twelve years ago, but after going through various vicissitudes they ultimately dwindled down and languished until the only parties who were plucky enough to stand by them were the Brothers Quail.
These gentlemen, with an amount of perEeverance that does them infinite credit, through good report and evil report, through hard times, and_times good only by compariwn, hung on to the claims on the Ada reef for for seven or eight years, and, I am happy to say, at last got their reward. Part of their ground was jumped, a law-suit ensued, public attention was drawn to the spot, the law-suit was arranged, the claims were floated for a good round sum, and they now Iorm what is known as the Barmedman United Gold-mining Company.
Some idea of the character of the stone may be gathered from the circumstance that during the time the Messrs. Qnail held and worked the ground something like 1,600 tons of stone were crushed. The battery at which the crnshing took place was only a very pOOl’ one, the tables were even worse than the battery, and water waEl so 8carce that only a very moderate quantity indeed was allowed to the boxes. Yet, with all these drawbacks, the average yield of gold on the 1,500 tons was 13 dwts. to the ton. The main reef is from 5 to 7 feet thick, enclosed in well-defined lodes, and making as it goes down. In close approximation to the Barmedman United are the Italians’, Jackson’s, Fanny Park, a11(1 another claim recently floated in Melbourne.
All these, together with “Wright’s, and one 01’ two ot11ers near by, are in active work; and by the iime this report appears in print there will be the ‘.lnmistakeable test of crushing in a good and reliable battery applied to the reefs.
A very large body of underground water is found generally all over the Barmedman field, at an average level of about 60 feet below the surface. It is very strongly mineralised, but as there is reason to believe that it is llothing more than surface soakage it is expected that it will become purer as it is used, until it, at all events, becomes fit for generating steam.
That pumped from the Barmedman United shaft is now being stored in the Oompany’s reservoir, to be employed for the tables, and if necessity should compel in the boilers. If, as it is surmised, this water is merely a surface supply from soakage, it cannot be regarded as permanent; and should two or three of the companies start crushing plants at the same time the supply must necessarily become exhausted, and water from some other source will have to be introduced. Some of the old residents of the pInce say that this will not be difficult, but the question of water supply is cet’tainly the most serious, and should be the first for any Barmedman Company to settle. The reefs have been traced along a distance of some 4 miles in a S.E. direction, passing by the Hard to Find to the Phrenix, in the direction of Temora. Good payable stone has been raised at both the abovenamed localities, and if straightforward honest mining be carried on without the market riggiug that too often accompanies the action of companies, there is a good future before Barmedman. The people themselves seem to entertain the same idea. A nice little township 11as been established here, with streets of the regulation width. 11”1’. Surveyor Metcalfe was sent up by his department, luckily in the very nick of time, and in conjunction with myself selected the site of the township, and aligned the main street. This having been donf:’, I have to thank the energy and public sph’it of Mr. James Fraser, for keeping the tents, &c., in line, and preventing miners and others from encroaching on the street during my absence.
The main street presents a very respectable appearance, and there are two really first-class hotels erected, besides others of a secondary character. Sebastopol, which some years back occupied a considel’able amount of attention, but which, in common with other mining localities, fell into neglect at the time of the great mining collapse of ten years ago, and for no other reason than that e,ery one had been f’0 bitter as to be disgusted with the very name of reefing, has once more commenced to raise its head. It has been brought into notice under good and reliable auspices, and parties of character and position ha,e taken up the reefs, which were so heedlessly deserted.
Some very excellent retUl’lIS were obtained from here when the reefs were formerly ,,·orked, and it seems hard to conceive howe’er thf:’y could have been sufferf:’d to fall into neglect unless upon the Bupposition above given. Trial crushings have recently given sufficient returns to give confidence, and as there is a large body of stone in the several lines of rt!ef it is not at all unlikely that Sebastopol will once again be established as a reefing district.
It is strange that here, as at Barmedman, no alluvial has been found, despite a large amount of prospecting that has been done in search of it. It is the more strange, as here the country is more undulating than is the level countl’y to the north-west, whilst the very pronounced character of the hilly slopes wouM naturally, in conjullction ~”ith the numel’OUS reefs, lead to the expectation that alluvial deposits would be found in the valleys. Nothing of the kind, however, has yet been found.
A large battery has been erected at Possum Power, but owing to mismanagement no good has been done with it. 1’wo or three prospecting parties were at work at “the bf:’ginning of the year testing the country about Buddegower and Wyalong, but nothing favourable has been reported, though there seems to be an opinion amongst old residents that a lead of gold exists in that direction. ‘1’he geological formation of the country favours that impression, consisting as it does of numerous slate ridges seamed with quartz-veins.
INSIGHTS INTO THE PROMISE OF THE BARMEDMAN FILED JUST NORTH OF TEMORA
Unlike Temora to the south which was an alluvial deep lead mining operation, Barmedman was a reefing area. Unfortunately for its initial development it suffered greatly from the lack of good quality crushing equipment to process the ore.
The returns from some hand picked stone sent to Sydney for processing though were spectacular.
INSIGHTS INTO THE PROMISE OF THE BARMEDMAN FILED JUST NORTH OF TEMORA
(William Forbes, Mining Registrar.)
I HAVE the honor to forward the returns as to gold-mining in quartz-reefs at Barmedman. In doing so I may explain that I have purposely delayed sending my report till the success of the Pulveriser a newly-invented quartz crushing machine, was established or otherwise.
I may mention that the probable wear of the machine was known to the purchasers shortly after its arrival, and it was only expected to work properly with certain improvements which were ordered from the machinists.
The articles not arriving in time the manager commenced to work the pulveriser in order to test the actual capabilities of the cast-iron bearers and spindles. The result was rather in excess of the anticipation, for the wear by friction was excessively great.
There was no attempt made to test the suggested improvemerits, but shareholders insisted that stampers should instantly be procured, and the progress of mining should not be delayed.
This machine is placed on the ground owned by the Ada Gold-mining Company, which comprises Nos. 3 and 4 ofthe north line of the Ada Reef, formerly owned by Quail Brothers. J acbon’s Reef also intersects this reef, the ground being within a few yards of Jackson’s main shaft, from where a great crushing has been recently obtained.
No paddock-stone has 1)een yet crushed by the Ada Gold-mining Company, but the reef was cut yesterday in the main shaft at 120-ft. level, at a distance of 50 feet from the shaft.
Jackson’s Reef Gold-mining Company occupy ground contiguous to No.2 North Ada and to the previously named company. Jackson’s Reef ‘was discovered some fifteen or sixteen months back, and was eventually sold to Messrs. Hunter and Solomon>’, and has since been formed into a company.
Three cwt. from this reef, crushed in Sydney, gave at the rate of 130 ozs. per ton. A week ago a second trial of 25 cwt. crushed at an ordinary battery gave the return of 100 ozs. 9 dwts. of gold per ton. The stone in the paddock promises at least 2 or 3 ozs. per ton, and this I consider the lowest possible estimate. No. 2 North Ada has lately proved itself to be the best claim at Barmedman, so far as the width of reef is concerned.
Although the P. Claim is equal in width it has not yet been worked in the same systematic style as the No.2. The P. Claim I may mention is termed by miners as a pick and shovel claim, its undoubted prestige being announced by giving the following returns from about 1,500 tons of stone crushed at an inferior battery (condemned by the Barmedman United Gold-mining Company at Barmedman), the reef being crushed throughout at an average width of from 10 to 20 feet.
The P. Claim and No. 2 have both been treated by the local machine, erected by Messrs. Minter and Maher, and such crushings have yielded an average of 13 dwts. per ton, there having been crushed about 1,500 tons. Quail’s Prospecting Claim, now known as the Barmedman United Gold-mining Company’s, has been worked for the past nine years. About 750 tons of quartz have been crushed from this reef, giving a return of from 12 dwts. to 13 dwts.; in many cases the return has been greater, but 12i dwts. may be considered the correct return, as verified by bank slips.
The Fanny Park has always been considered by me as one and the same reef as the Ada. Although apparently separate it still has the appearance of being a shot-over, or, as we term it in mining, the cap of a reef being turned over. The Fanny Park is considered very rich. ,Vhen the Quail Brothers were working the Prospecting claim, t~e richest gold “Was obtained from the same quartz as now being raised by the Fanny Park.
The Fiery Cross is, beyond doubt, a continuation of the Fanny Park, the surface stone being of a soft, crumbly nature, and very easily crushed. This reef varies in width considerably, but at water level, where it seems to be better defined, it averages from 4 to 5 feet.
To the I’louth of the Fiery Cross two claims are occupied, in which many shafts have been sunk; howev:er ther~ has not been any payable returns, the only gold discovered being some months back, by a party of foreIgners, who procured some a few feet from the surface. Wright and party’s reef is in a southerly direction from the Barmedman United Gold-mining Company’s ground, and, being an exception to most of our reefs, lies in an easterly and westerly direction.
This reef carries exceptionally fine gold, and from various tests (owing to the want of machinery) to which it bas undergone, it is fully supposed to yield at least 1 i oz. or 2 ozs. per ton. There are already 300 tons of stone at grass, awaiting treatment. Lett Lett and party’s is a parallel reef to Wright’s, and, presumably, a continuation of the Ada line. Mr. Slee’s and my own opinion both coincide that the Ada, Fanny Park, and Fiery Cross is one and the same reef, and that Lett’s and Wright’s are merely diverging branches. The Hard to :Find, the principal claim being the lease owned by Roderick and party, which has been worked a considerable number of years, it is situate about 2 miles from Barmedman. Although this reef has been so long worked there has only been about 300 tons of stone crushed, which yielded from 20~ dwts. to 28~ dwts. This reef, although comparatively small, beiug in some places not over 8 inches, is extremely rich. Wright and party occupy some ground situated between the lease and Morellis’, No.1 North Hard to Find, in which they have recently obtained a very promising reef j but, being like most other reefs obtained in close proximity to the water, prevents individual capital from fully developing same. At Morellis and partys, the reef apparently narrows at the southern end, but continues its width, viz., 2 feet, in the northerly end of the workings. The best specimens were obtained at water level.
A cwt. taken out before attaining that depth was forwarded to the Mint, and yielded atthe rate of 160 ozs. 13 dwts. per ton. The No.2 North is owned by Barnett and party, and contains a very large reef, varying in width from 4 to 5 feet.
This is an almost new discovery, and has, owing to the want of machinery, been very little worked. However, it is unanimously asserted that, with the exception of Jackson’s, it will yield the most handsome returns on the field. Attwell and party are sinking for Barnett’s Reef, but owing to the great dip which most reefs in this district take considerable difficulty is experienced before cutting same. The Moonlight is a line of reef situate east of the Hard to Find, and has been opened some few months back.
The vein has been traced through the prospectors’, viz., eight men’s ground, and shows very good gold. The width of the reef is from 6 to 12 inches, but it is supposed that other large bodies of stone intersect this ground.
The walls are well defined and are of slate and sandstone formation. There are three claims under occupation at the Phamix, a distance of 3 miles from :J3armedman; the deepest shaft is the No.1, owned by Fraser and party, their main shaft being 106 feet, at which depth they have cut a very well-defined reef, carrying very good gold.
The prospecting claim on this line, the proprietors have most unfavourably been engaged in seemingly an interminable law dispute, which has considerably retarded the progress of their claim, also prevented capital being expended, as speCUlators are very dubious about investing in any claim which is likely to result in a law-suit, that luxury being considered rather expensive.
The total amount of quartz to grass is about 5,000 tons. There not being any crushing plant little energy is displayed in raising of same. There is an abundance of water, and although being of a brackish nature can be utilized by the machines j it is obtained at about the 70-feet level, and appears to be a general thing, as at the Hard to Find, as well as at the B.N.G.M. Co.’s claim, a subterranean channel appears to exist.
I may further add that on yesterday the Ada Gold-mining Company cut the reef after driving some 20 or 30 feet from main shaft, and have continued with the drive a distance of 8 feet without meeting with any walls, and as this reef is 20 feet wide in some places in the adjoining claim it may be a considerable time before its width can be accurately ascertained The value of the machinery may be estimated at about £10,000, the B.N.G.1f. Compl1ny’s plant consisting of half of this amount.
The number of miners’ rights issued for the past year were ten, and business licenses eight j but the population coming from another mining centre, in which most were provided with miners’ rights, accounts for the small demand. There has not been any alluvial gold discovered yet, and but very little prospecting for same, the nature of the country being very fiat, and any indications are quite discernible and surface water very Scarce.
THE MINES INSPECTORS SUMMARY – A GOOD CONCISE OVERVIEW OF THE MAIN FIELDS
The nice thing about the Mines Inspector’s account of proceedings is that it doesn’t usually immerse itself in the same detail that the mining wardens’ accounts do and hence it provides a better overall picture of where things are at in the various fields.
THE MINES INSPECTORS SUMMARY – A GOOD CONCISE OVERVIEW OF THE MAIN FIELDS
IN submitting my Annual Report for the year 1882, I have the honor to inform you that during the year 1882 1 inspected the Albert mining district in the north-east;
the Adelong, Temora, Barmedman, Sebastopol, Murrumburrah, Young and Grenfell mining districts in the south;
the Forbes, Parkes, Mount MacDonald, Carcoal’, and Blayney districts in the west;
and Copeland, Nowendoc, Hanging Rock, Nundle, Dungowan, Bingara, InvereIl, Tingha, Vegetable Creek, Dalmorton, and Nana Creek (Clarence) mining districts in the north.
The abovenamed mining districts are in a fairly prosperous condition, more especially so our tin fields in the Inverell, Tingha, and Vegetable Creek districts.
The Albert Gold-field, Mount Poole.-
This gold-field, which is situated in the remote north-east corner of the Colony of New South Wales, on a track of country formerly known as Sturt’s stony deserts (Central Australia) has suffered severely from the drought by which it has been visited during the last two years.
Several thousand ounces of gold of very high quality has been obtained on and near the surface, mostly by a system of dry blowing; it is therefore but reasonable to suppose that if once beavy rains fall and fill the numerous dams, reservoirs, and water-holes, that the Albert gold-field will support a large mining population.
The development of the quartz-veins, to which I alluded in my Annual Report for 1881, have also been greatly retarded through want of quartz-crushing machinery and water, but as the former is now on the ground, perhaps, during the year 1883 will be heard for the first time in Central Australia the welcome sound of the stampers, by which the problem as to the probable nature of these quartz-veins win be solved.
The quartz-veins occur in a very fayourable gold-bearing formation (silurian), but.the cost of labour, fuel, and everything connected with the workings of said quartz-veins is very high; but ~y tbe aid of economy, practical mining management and perseverance, they may be brought to successful development.
ADELONG Gold-field.-In alluvial mining Mr. A. D. Shepard’s royalty lease on the Adelong Creek still lwlds first place in the alluvial mines of this district. About 100 persons have been constantly employed. The sinking averages about 40 feet in depth, 35 feet of which consist of a loose water-soaked drift, the remaining 5 feet being a heavy auriferous quartz-wash.
This being the case the worlrings ha,e to be closely timbered, which, however skilfully performed, is very expensive. The lease is about 2t miles in length and contains 154 acres, but up to the time of my last inspection the mine had only been worked on the eastern side of the Adelong Creek, leaving the western side intact.
A 11 along this side of the workings a face of apparently payable wash-dirt 1;150 feet ln length by 4 feet. in thickness is standing; but how much westerly this wash-dirt is likely to pay could be ascertained by borings. ..
Before a~tual workings could be commenced on the western side, the plant;, &c., would have to be l’emoverl to the western side, and the creek itself turned to the eastern side, over the present workings.
In connection with this mine, which is under the able management of Mr. J olm Ryan, who has b1’en able to pay his employer hrge devidends, are water-rights, races, water-pipes, machinery, and all other requisites for the systematic working of said mine. Immediately below Shepard’s is MI’. Travers Jones’ alluvial mine, which consists of 56 acres, and embraces all the available Crown LfLnds on the Lower Adelong Creek.
At the time of my inspection, in June last, the mine had been at work for about t\’elve months, but owing t9 the progressive works being very extensive, the mine had up to June not paid any dividends, althou,gh¥.r. ~0~1es had during the preceding eight months obtained about 8UO ounces of gold, “alued at £3 198 pel’. ounce. About fifty pOl’son·s were employed at the mine.
The formation and workings are similar to those of Mr. Shepard’s mine, with the exception that stearn instead of water is the motive power. The prospects of this mine are good, and IV hen once extensively opened out, the results are likely to equal those of Mr. Shepard’s mine. Below Jones’ mine the embankment, or rather the whole Adelong Creek, has been free-selected and lies idle.
If this land could be made available for mining purposes (it being a well-known fact that said lanrl is highly auriferous) fully 1,000 persons would be profitably employed thereon. There are several other alluvial mines in 1he Adelong district, but little progress has of late been made owing to drought. Quartz-?·eefs. On the old line of reef the ChfLllenger Gold-mining Company obtained some payable quartz; they have three shafts in full work, 668 feet, 300 feet, and 250 feet respectively; these shafts are about 500 feet apart from each other, but are connected at the 250 feet level.
There are several levels at different depths opened out, from which, at the time of my inspection, payable quartz was being brought to grass .. The company has a 16-hor8e power and 8-horse-power winding engines. ‘fhe three shafts are worked by cages; tIle machinery and everthing in connection with the mine is substantial, with a view of working this mine for years to come. ‘I.’he company holds about 25 acres under lease.
On the Perseverance G.M.C. the sinking of the Prowse and Woodward sl1aft, which is 870 feet in depth has been discontinued; but from the 500 feet level downwards the country is very broken, with no well-defined channel; probably if cross-cutting were proceeded with, especially to the east, parallel and payable veins may be discovered. The air-com presser, winding, crushing, aud other machinery of the Perseverance Gold-mining Company has been fully described by me in my anl1uall’eport of 1880.
On the Victoria line of reef the Great Victoria Gold-mining Company has a perpendicular shaft 770 feet in depth, from the lowest level of which they put in a cross-cut to the east 28 feet in length, where a new channel was discovered.
In June last a winze 53 feet in depth had been sunk, making a total of 823 feet from surface, the vein averaging 1 foot in thickness, and 175 tons of quartz crushed during June yielded 146 ozs. 4 dwts of retorted gold. Annett’s Company still obtained payable quartz below the depth of 800 feet; but owing to the company having only horse, instead of st .. .-.”m, power, very little progress could be made.
The Flagstaff, ‘Villiams, and North ‘Villiams are now one mine, the property of Amos Bros., who were erecting a new 16-horse power winding engine, diamond-drill, and air-comprrs$er. These costly improvements go far to prove the great faith capitalists h1we in the payable nature and permanency of the Adelong mines.
At the Curragong Reef CWo Williams’ mine) a new discovery had been made easterly, but close to the old ehan’nel, which contained the pyritous lode. This new discovery consists of small yeins of honeycombed quartz, coated with oxidised iron and intermixed with granite. During my stlV in June last a crushing of 35 tons, taken from the width of 9 feet, yielded 27 oZS. 18 dwts. of retorted gold j and as each man employed could raise at least 2 tons per day the discovery was worth noting j but as I stated in my last report on the Adelong mine it was premature to form a correct estimate of the extent and value of Williams’ discovery. The well-known quartz-crusher~, Messrs.
Wilson and Ritchie, bought the late ‘Williams Goldmining Company’s crushing plant and wat?r-rights, This they have utilised by extending the water-race, by which they secure an additional fall of 2H feet, making a total of 58 feet ayailable fall.
They have hereby secured a motive power equal to 60-horse power, which enables them with their two water-wheels to use the water twice over, so that during the driest seasons there will be sufficient power to drive their whole machinery. The present number of stamps being only fifteen they made provision for an additional five stamps. From their high level race, which is about 190 yards in length, exclusive of an additional 150 yards of fluming, constructed at a cost of £500, the water is obtained by gravitation, thus dispensing with the pumps and insuring a constant flow of water to all the different gold-saving appliances.
This quartzcrushing and gold-saving machinery is a credit to New South Wales, and ranks foremost of any in Australia. The details of Wilson and Ritchie’s machinery have been fully described by me in my annnal report for the year 1876.
The Temora Gold-fleld.
No fresh diseoveries have been made of late, and mining matters at Temora generally are dull ; still there is a large area of auriferous country which has not been thoroughly prospected, both in alluvial and qnartz, and therefore new discoveries may be made at any time. In July last, at the time of my inspection, there were about 20 alluvial claims at work, some of which had washdirt from 3 to 20 feet in depth, varying from 5 dwts, to several ounces per load. The gold is coarse and of high quality.
With regard to the Temora quartz-veins I beg to reiterate my opinion expressed in my annual report for 1880, namely, that the quartz-veins at the head of the Temora Valley only contain a narrow streak of gold, although the veins themselves are often several feet in thickness j this accounts for the poor crushings obtained out of veins, out of which rich specimens were exhibited.
The only chance to prove whethel’ these quartz-veins will really be payable is to sink and test them at a very greater depth than that at present obtained, I look forward with almost a certainty to the time when narrow, but rich, patchy veins, will be discovered in the conglomorates neal’ the alluvial workings in different parts of the Temora Valley.
Sebastopol Gold-fleU. Is situated about 14 miles south of Temora, and is essentially a reefing district, The reefs were worked some years ago with various success, but, whether through want of energy and perseverance of mine-owners or other causes, the two crushing plants which were formerly in full employment at Sebastopol have been removed to other gold-fields, in consequence of which the whole of the quartz-mines in the diRtrict were abandoned.
Lately the Maid of Judea, the Morning Star, Evening Star, Homeward Bound, Cambrian, Hibernia, and others have recommenced work. Whatever might have been the cause of the removal of the quartzcrushing machinery from Sebastopol, the fact remains that the Morning Star crushed several thousand tons of payable quartz, and the same might be said of some of the other mines.
N one of these mines, however, have been tested below the depth of 150 feet.
The geological formation of Sebastopol presents to the eye all the characteristic features of a rich gold-field, both for quartz and alluvial, and if systematically prospected may support a large mining population. Barmedman Gold-fleld. So far is only a quartz-reefing district.
Very little prospecting for alluvial workings has been carried on. These quartz-reefs are situated in the Bland district, about 28 miles north of Temora. They occur in slates, conglomerates, and diorite formations, and vary from a few inches to several feet in thickness. The first gold-bearing reef was discovered about nine years ago, by Treasure and party, who took a trial crushing from the Ada Reef to Slee’s crushing-machine, Grenfell, a distance of 70 mile”, which yielded 16! dwts. per ton. Either for want of sufficient funds or influence to obtain quartzcrushing machinery, Treasure and party abandoned their prospecting claim, which was afterwards known as Quail Brothers and party’s mine. This party has been more successful than their predecessors.
A small crushing plant was erected near the claim, which enabled the various claimholders to crush their auriferous stuff. The claims, however, dragged along a snail-like progress, owing to the want of water for quartz-crushing purposes, the primitive mode of working, their slow method of raising, and their poor appliances for crushing their quartz. Lately companies have been formed who have taken over the Ada Prospecting Claim, the Fanny Park, and the Jackson’s reefs, since which event a township has sprung up with a main street half a mile in length, on each side of which substantial buildings are being erected.
The population on the whole field at the time of my inspection numbered between 300 and 400. The United Barmedman G.M.C. (Ada Prospecting Claim and Fanny Park) is only 90 feet in its greatest depth, and has gold-bearing quartz-veins varying in thickness from a few inches to several feet, which even at a low yield ought to give payable returns. The company had about 500 tons of quartz at grass. They are erecting extensive and improved pumping, winding, crushing, and gold-saving appliances, the whole of which is under the able management of Mr. :F. W. Clarke. No.1 and No.2 North Ada Reef has from 900 to 1,0;)0 tons of quartz at grass.
In one part of the claim the lode has been Bunk on to the water level, a depth of 70 feet from surface. Generally the mine has been worked in an unskilful manner. The Fannv Park, Fiery Cross, and Letts, south of the Barmedman Company’s property, will be found to be part and parcel of the Ada Reef.
Wright’s Wright’s Reef is an east and west vein, about 200 yards south of the Barmedman Company’s mine; average thickness of vein, 12 inches; greatest depth, 70 feet, which is near the water level. The quartz in this mine is very honeycombed, and of pink colour, partly coated with oxidised iron, and containing galena, arsenical, and iron pyrites.
The quartz, of which there were 100 tons at grass, showed gold freely. Several paeties were prospecting on this line, but up to date of my inspection without favourable I’esults. Jackson’s G.M.C. mine is situated on the north-east boundary of the Barmedman G.M.C.’s property. ‘l.’he vein is very irregular, varying in thickness from a few inches to 2 feet; greatest depth, 70 feet.
There were about 100 tons of quartz at grass, showing gold. The Hard to Find Reef is one mile and a half south of Barmedman. There are several claims on gold, of which the principal are MOI’reIl’s, Bltrnett’s, and I-hssett’s ; in the lattel’ mine the vein is very :fiat, several feet in width, and showing gold through the stone. The Phrenix Reef, about 2~ miles southerly of Barmedmltn, is a well-defined little vein of a bluish tint. Four claims on this reef are on gold-bearing stone.
The country about Barmedman has a highly auriferous Itppearanee. A network of quartz-veins, nearly all of which were covered o’er by alluvium, have already been discovered, and when once quartzcrushing machinery is erected to allow private parties to crush, fresh discoveries might be made. Hitherto, very little, if any, prospecting for auriferous alluvial deposits has been carried on, although indications point to the probability of the existence of deep leads. The difficulties in the way are the scrubby and level nature of the country, the probable great depth, and the water which is generally met with in sinking below the depth of 90 feet from surface.
The Burrangong Goldfield.
This once famous field, better known as Lambing Flat, which for years past has almost been deserted, or rather left in the band of a few sluicing parties, wbo during wet seasons have always been able to make excellent wages, has during the year 1882 received an impetus by the taking np for the purpose of gold-mining large aretLS of land on the Burrangong Creek, about 3 miles from Young, below the junction of sel’eral tributaries, including Opossum Flat.
As early as the years 1862 and 1863 a few shafts were bottomed with payable, or even rich prospects of gold; but owing to the heavy water, soaked drifts, the small shafts, and the poor appliances used by the individual miner of those days, the water could not be overcome, hence the shafts fell in and the claims were abandoned.
About five years ago Tonking Brothers adapted a plan by which they thought to overcome the water difficulty by bringing up a drainage race over 1 mile in lengtb; but, unfortunately, the fall obtained was insufficient, being 20 feet shallower at its termination than the bed rock; their drainage race or tunnel became almost useless.
Tonking Brothers then formed a stronger company, they sank a shaft and bottomed on 5 feet of wash, which yielded 15 dwts. per set of timber. A second shaft was sunk which, when bottomed, gave prospects of i dwts. of gold from a shovelful of wash, or Ii ozs. of gold per set of timber with 6 feet of wash. Unfortunately, in lowering the pump into position, the rope by which it was suspended broke, and before the pump could be recovered the workings became flooded, and fell in from the surface.
Tonking Brothers are confident of success, and have once more started to work to cope with their difficulties. Minter’s Gold-mining Company is about 1 milo lower down the flat; but before they started to sink they wisely made use of one of the Government boring machines, for the purpose of ascertaining not only the deepest part of the channel, but also whether payable auriferous deposits existed in their property.
The eompany put down several bore-holes, the deepest being 80 feet, and obtaining payable prospects in nearly all; they aha aecertained that the water-soaked drifts were not so heavy, and therefore not so difficult to overcome as the drifts in Tonking Brothers (Burrangong Gold-mining Company’s) mine. Minter’s Gold-mining Company have their marhinpry on the ground; they are sinKing a shaft which is down over 50 feet, and expect SOOll to be able to give payable returns. Leases have already been applied f01’ fully a mile above and below this company’s operatiolls, and the time is probably not far distant when the Lambillg Flat lead will be extended for several miles.
Shaliow tributaries or feeders to the main lead or channel have been worked years ago, such as the Three-mile and Heffernan’s, but the main channel has never been thoroughly tested, due, as stated above, to the heavy water-soaked drifts and the primitive appliances used by the individual miner in the early days of onr gold-fields.
Grenfell (Emu Creek Gold;fteld).
With the exception of the Enterprise Rep-f, wlJich has yielded payable returns from its first discovery in 1867, Mitchell and party at the Homeward-bound, and a few parties fossicking, there is very little mining carried on in the whole district’; but, nevertheless, there are several reefs such as the Lucknow, Homeward-bound, and O’Brien’s, well worthy the consideration of capitalists.
Forbes. Since the South-Lead Gold-mining Companj suspended their operations, mining matters are almost nil. Pm’kes. Alluvial mining is at a very low ebb, but the Bonnie Dundee, Medlyn and party’s mine, is still yielding large retmns.
I have on severa] occasions reported on the Parkes mines, and now beg to reiterate my former opinion that Parkes is destined to become a flourishing quartz. reefing district.
Mount MacDonald Golcl;ftelcl. ~:·:·~~,.This gold-field is situated in the Abercrombie ranges, about 30 miles from Carcoar.
So far the workings are confined to quartz-mining; the country being rugged and mountainous is unfavourable to extensive alluvial auriferous deposits; bnt quite a net-work of quartz-veins are met with in all directions.
The principal veins, such as the Balmoral West, Queeu of the Mount, Grant’s Amalgamated, and others, strike almost due north and south, with an easterly underlay; but there are also east and west veins, several inches in thickness, some of which yielded over 2 ozs. of gold pel’ ton by actual crushings. The whole of these quartz-veins occur in altered upper silurian schists, the quartz being of a very close grain with a bluish tint, and in parts heavily charged with iron and arsenical pyrites.
The gold, which is generally fine, is evenly distributed through the quartz, there being almost a total absence of what miners term cleavage or face gold. This accounts for the crushings yielding higher returns than outside appearances of the quartz would indicate. The principal mines at work are the Balmoral, Balmoral West, the Selection, Queen of the Mount, and Grant’s Amalgamated Prospecting operations are carried on in different directions, but the country being generally very hard, only slow progress can be made.
The Australian Investment Association have secured 100 acres freehold (Oliver’S selection) in the very centre of the gold-bearing veins. The company has erected a 20-head battery at a reservoir inside the selection, on an excellent site near their gold-bearing veins. Their gold-saving appliances (which had not been erected at the time of my visit) will be on the most improved and modern principles.
Their manager, Mr. John Allen, has had many years of experience in quartz-crushing, and in the treatment by amalgamation of very fine gold; this, combined with the scientific knowledge of Mr. Nicholas, 1’.G.S., who is superintending the Association’s property, must tend to enhance its value.
The company has brought about £50,000 cash into New South Wales from Victoria, and as their actiollt! are bonafide they deserve every justifiable encouragement. The Queen of the Mount Company has crushed several hundred tons, averaging about 2 ozs. of gold per ton. At the time of my inspection the vein averaged about 20 inches, greatest depth 90 feet, and there were about 350 tons of quartz at grass. The Grant Amalgamated had several gold-bearing veins which they intended to work by tunnelling. They had about 350 tons of quartz at grass at the time of my visit. The Balmoral is a distinct line of reef from the Queen of the Mount. Several hundred tons of quartz were crushed from this reef, averaging fully 2 ozs. per ton.
There are several other mines working with fair prospects of success. The following is the quartz-crushing power on the field :-The Balmoral Gold-mining Company, 10-head; Colbert’s, 8-head; Pascoe’s, 12-head; Creighton’s, 25-head; .and the Mining Investment Association’s, 20-head, batteries; making a total of 75 head and 100-horse power.
This expenditure of capital in quartz-crushing machinery proves that capitalists have faith in the permanency of the Mount M’Donald Gold-field, and when taking into consideration the geological formation, the nature of the quartz, and the depth some of these mines have already obtained, no other conclusion can be arrived at than that the Mount M’Donald Gold-field will rank amongst the permanent reefiing districts of New South Wales,
There is also a large tract of cupriferous country within a few miles of Mount M’Donald, which if once developed will add to the settlement of a permanent mining population. Blayney ama Oarooar. In these districts several mines, both gold and copper, have very excellent prospects, and the alluvial mines at Browne’s Creek, of which I have formerly reported, have for years past, and are now, paying large dividends.