CHRONOLOGY - 1855: Gold Trails

EXTRACT OF GOLD SUMMARY FROM THE REPORT

GOLD.

The gold won in this State to the end of 1910 is estimated at 13,652,359 oz. fine, valued at £57,991,493. The yield for the ‘year 1910 is equivalent to 188,857 15,852 oz. fine and £67,335 in value than in the previous year. below the average. oz. fine, valued at £802,211, being less by The yield is thus a small one, and is much

The mines in the Cobar District have furnished 32 per cent. of the total output, the yield amounting to 68,626 oz., valued at £260,506. The Mount Boppy Mine records an increased output, and gives no indication of receding from the position held for years past as the chief gold-mine of the State. The Great Cobar Limited, has supplied an augmented yield of gold, and there is every prospect of a further material advance resulting from the operations of this company during 1911.

The reports from the other centres, however, are not so encouraging. The outputs from the more, important fields are valued as follows:-Araluen, £iO, 921; Adelong, £39,909 ; Wellington, £36,602; Hillgrove £35,529; Wyalong, £31,355; Peak Hill, £24,756; and Murrumburrah, £21,437.

With the exception of Hillgrove, these yields are considerably lower than those of the previous year. The dredges still continue to supply a good contribution to the total yield, and during the year under review they recovered 28,660 oz. fin@, valued at £121,741, as compared with 32,635 oz. fine, valued at £138,626 in 1909.

During the past eleven years the dredges have won 306,340 oz. fine of gold, valued at £1,301,253. From a review of the operations of the year, it is apparent that gold-mining has not been pursued with anything like the same activity as in past years.

The conditions which were referred to in last year’s Report as unfavourably influencing gold-mining still obtain. The pastoral and agricultural inuustries have absorbed many men from the ranks of the gold-miners; whilst the large railway and other constructional works in progress have also afforded steady and remnnerative employment to those skilled as miners, and in the other branches of the mining industry there has been a demand for miners on wages which, at times, could not be met.

As might be expected in those circulllstances, thcre has been a grcat falling olf in the number of . claims and small gold-mines worked, :md which Ilitherto have in the aggregate contributed a large output. The same causes are responsible for comparatively little prospecting being done. It would seem, therefore, that while the existing conditions remain there is little prospect of any improvement being shown in the gold~ mining industry.

LACHLAN MINING DISTRICT.

Cargo Division.

Practically no mining was done in this Division during the year, the predictions as to additional capital being obtained for the further prospecting of the old workings not having been fulfilled. A few ounces of gold were secured by one or two easual prospectors.

Parkes Division.

The work of treating the ore from the London lode by direct cyanidation was continued during the year. Tile bullion recovered by the plant owned by C. T. ‘Voodward, but worked for part of the year by tr1butel’s, was G10 oz .. valued at £l,G!lO. C. Staples, at Tichborne, cyanided 480 tons of slimes, and recovered 45 oz. of gold, valued at £180. H. Hocking, the hold r of Gold Lease 185, parish of Parkes, sank the main shaft a further 50 feet, making the total depth lGO feet, drives being put in 88 feet north and 40 feet .south along the reef. Some 217 tons of ore were raised, of an average value of 8 dwt. of gold per ton. The owner estimates that ie h~s 1,000 tons of payable ore in sight. Forbcs Divis’ion. The ehief contribution to the gold yield of this Division was furnished by the l!’orbes GolU Recovery Company, which was engaged treating the tailings left by the Lachlan Gold l!’ielrls, Limited. During the year ti.TUG tons of tailings were put through for a yiekl of (j(j2 oz. of bullion, valued at £2,3~4. ‘1’11ere were some 15,000 tons still to be dealt with. Whitby and ‘Yard, at Ironbarks, treated 180 tons for 52 oz. of gold, valued at £18G; in addition, 530 tons of slimes were cyanided for a yield of 107 oz. of gold, valued at £307. Boyle and Rymer, on a site about 2 miles north of Forbes, recovered gold to the value of £356. The work undertaken during the year was mostly in thCl nature of development. Hitherto the gold has been somewhat irregular in occurrence, but now that the sulphide zone is being reached appearances point to its more even distribution. The shaft is down 170 feet. The yield from all sources in this Division is estimated at 901 oz., valued at £3,223.

Filiclcl Division.

W. Beauchamp, at Lightning Paddock, Bun’a Bun’a, has opened up a quartz claim of some promise. It is reported that the No. 1 shaft was sunk to a depth of 70 feet, the lode averaging 2 feet in width, and carrying gold the whole way. The No.2 shaft, GO feet south of No. 1 shaft, was sunk 43 feet on the line of reef, with fair prospects. Costeens at intervals along the I$urface, for a distance of 150 feet north of No.1 shaft, also gave enconraging prospects. The ore treated amoullted to 118 tons, which yielded HG oz. of gold, valued at £584. J. Hall and party, at the Comet Reef, Carlisle, carried out some 50 feet of sinking’ and 20 feet of drIVing with Hfmistance from tllc Pl’OSllceting Tote. ‘1’he l’eef an~ragetl 10 inelles in widtll, and guye good prospe::ts, lmt work had to be tpmporarily suspended owing to tile presence of foul air. In connection with the search for platinum at Platina, the minel’s obtained 42 oz. of gold, valued at £164.

AJectown Division.

Gold-mining is practically at a standstill in this Division. At date there were no claims working. The gold won during the year amounted to a few ounces only, and was obtained by fossickers from the old workings.

Condobolin Division.

The gold procured during the year in this centre amounted to 193 oz., valued at £750. Of this quantity 182 oz., valued at £712, were won by C. Scott from lease No. 212, at Mowabla, the swne treated totalling 280 tons. This yield shows a considerable falling-off when compared with that for 1909. Beyond a limited amount of prospecting on one or two sites, no other mining of importance was carried on.

Grenfell Division.

At the Broula King Mine, Bumbaldry, but little work was done during the year, the holders having been gr2.11ted suspension of the labour covenants with the object of securing further capital to develop the mine. Some 150 tons of stone were crushed for a yield of 32 oz., valued at £100. The tailings were not treated, and are estimated to contain 12 dwt, of gold pel’ ton. E. Pounsberry, at Bnmbaldry, opened up a large reef, and sank to a depth of some 10 feet thereon. A trial parcel of 10 tons of orc was tested at the Customs’ Smelting ‘Yorks, at Port Kembla; but the yield was only 4~ dwt. of gold to the ton. Operations were accordingly snspended; but the prospector is of the opinion that further work on this reef would be fully justified.

Gwndaaai Division.

The yield of gold in this Division was 936 oz., valned at £3,234, being a slight increase on that of the previons year. rfhe principal producer was the Long Tunnel Mine, held by Rice and party. The work done by this party was chiefly in the nature of development, cleaning out the old drives, tunnels, and shafts, &e.; The gold recovered amounted to 443 oz., valued at £1,551, and was obtained from 298 tons of stone. At Reno, the old Prince of IV ales Mine was in operation; but the yield was small, amounting to about 30 oz. At the Mount Potter Mine a 2.5 horse-power boiler and engine, with pump and winding gear, were installed, it being the intention of the proprietors to immediately recommence underground operations. At Mingay, a llumber of persons was prospecting for a.lluvial gold nnder Authority to Enter, but nothing payable was diseovered. At Bongongolong, a few old-age pensioners were fossicking; their earnings were, however, but scanty. 1-’rom the T.ady Milbnrn Mine the yipld for the year was Gl11y 89 oz.,’ as against 522 oz. in 190D. A few miners were prospect~ng on Crown lands; but almost the whole of the gold l’ecovered was from private lands. ,

Cootamundra Division.

The gold yield of this Division for the year was 157 oz., valued at £573, obtained from 539 tons of are. To this might be added 76-ir oz., valued at £305, being tho estimated gold contents of the silver-lead are raised from the Kootra Mine. At Cullinga, the only locality where gold-mining is being carried on, the Cootamundra Democrat Gold Mining Company started work on the 1st June. The battery was given a trial run for fourteen days, treating 53 tOllS out of about 800 tons then at grass, for a return of 27 oz. of gold, valued at £71. ‘rhe boiler was then found to be of insufficient capacity. A new boiler was purchased and installed, and was ready for work at date. ‘1’he lode formation is reported as being 26 feet wide. It has been driven on for a distance of 60 feet, and is estimated to carry from 10 to 12 dwt. of gold per Wn. The Christmas Gift Gold Mining Company, althongh nuder su~pension of the labour covenants for some time, did a considerable quantity of development work during the year. An option has been secured over Baulderstone’s I1.ine adjoining, and which the company is now working. Should developments warrant it, the two mines will be worked as one property. J:!””’ronl 13aaldenr[one’s r~liIlC’, IGO tons of ore, out Df 300 tons raised, wen) treated, returning; 80 oz. of gold, valned at £3L!2; and 5 tons 5 cv:t. of concentr:1tes ,yere also treated, fer a rctnrn of £37 .. Tho Cullinga Gold :Mining ComprlllY, N.L., earried out chiefly development work during the year, and the mine is ,veIl opened up, ready for stoping. This company raised 335 tOllS of ere, of whieh 208 were treated for a yield of 42 oz. ef gold, valued a:’ £138.

Temora Division.

In this D1”vision gold production was practically at a standstill during the year, hut a considerable amount of prospecting was carried on. At the Mother Shipton Mine, Robertson and party cleaned out the shaft to 200 feet, and extended the drives to the north and south. They also sank a new shaft to a depth of 130 feet, and did 170 feet of driving and some crosscutting. The old alluvial ground to the north of the town was further prospected by Peters, and by Deutscher, without success. At Springdale, the operations of Hensler and party and Gambell and party, the latter at tho Pirate King, were likewise fruitless. On the Morning Star Mine, at Sebastopol, held by John Fitzpatrick, £600 were expended in development work. The main shaft is down 300 feet, and a gocd deal of driving and crosscutting has been done. Another shaft was sunk no feet to pick up a supposed chute of gold, but did not disclose anything of value. Six tons of ore raised from the mine, a}ld sent to COQkle Creek, produced 5 oz. 13 dwt. of gold, valued at £22. The adjoining lease, held by ]”btthews, was not being worked at date.

BaTmedman Division.

The gold yield from this Division amounted to 109 oz., valued at £424, and was obtained from no tons of ore. Of this the Reefton Gold Mining Syndicate, carrying on operations at Reef ton, contributed 102 oz., the stone crushed amounting to 104 tons. This syndicate did a considerable ·amount of prospecting; but the outlook at date was not promising. R. Sands applied for a lease of the Old White Cross Mine, at Barmedman. It is to be hoped that the reopening of this mine will do something towards reviving interest in mining in this locality. It may be mentioned that Ecarcely any prospecting is being done in this district.

Wyalong and West Wyalona Divsions.

The total yield from these Divisions, it is estimated, amounted to 9,091 oz., valued at £31,355. The depression referred to in last year’s report still prevails. The number of men employed at mining has decreased from 350 to 150, and of these 85 were employed at the True Blue and Junction Mines, now amalgamated and controlled by Mr. James Channon. Development work was carried on in the deeper levels of the J nnction Mine. Towards the close of the ye(tr the 900-feet level from the True Blue shaft was driven some distance into the Junction Jl..fine and a make of payable auriferous stone about 130 feet in length was opened up. The chute varies from a few inche” up to 3 feet in .width, and battery returns show a yield of about 2 oz. of gold to the ton. Several tribute parties have been very successful, and operations were continued uninterruptedly. The yield for the year was 5,971 oz. of gold. At Neeld’s Mine twenty-two men were employed, but work was on a much restricted scale. The prospecting of the lower levels has been vigorously carried on now for some years past at a large expenditure of money, but the results have been unsatisfactory. A party of tributers located a bunch of stone from a block of Solid ground left north of the shaft, above the 500-feet level. The ore was studded with free gold and was equa.l, if not superior, to any stone previously won from this mine. At the old Golden Fleece Mine, now known as the Ke~p-It-Dark, the year proved a trying one. ExpectatlOns were not realised. and the prospects at date were not encouraging. The main shaft is down 50 feet below the 650-feet level, and some hundreds of feet of driving have been done. The gold won amounted to 343 oz., valn·ed at £1,370. The Weloome Stra.nger is on~ of the small mines on the field, and is worked b:v a party of six men. This party had a ver:v successful year. W’ork was carried on at the 240-feet level, which has been driven 160 feet north from the shaft. and 20l tons of stone were treated for 568 oz., valued at £2,352. The shaft at the mine of the New Barrier Syndicate has been sunk to a depth of 500 feet, and 250 feet of driving have been done. This level is on sulphide ore, apparently of good quality. The value of the gold recovered was £338. NclsOil and party, at the Ranta Claus Mine, have worked full time with payable results. Thev have stopI’d out rich are from the 240-feet level, but the mining plant is very primitive, and the auriferous lode material is patchy. At the Shamrock Mine the main shaft was sunk to a depth of 6iiO feet and drives put in at this level 80 feet north and 190 feet south. Assistance from the Prospecting Vote was granted to carry out this work, but to data it had llot led to the location of anything of moment. The year’s operations go to show that as the depth from the surface increases the ore chutes become more irregular. and more difficult to follow, while the increasing hardness of the country makes mining much more costly.

Yal(Joarin Division.

This Division yielded 1,016 oz. of gold, valued at £3,353, an increase of over 23 per cent. on the production of the previous year. . ~he mine of Troy and party, on Harrington’s condltlOnl11 purchase, gave 547 oz. 16 dwt., valued at £1,775, from 517 tons of stone, while 309 tons of sands and slimes were d~~posed of for £236. Theworkings here are down only a lIttle over 100 feet and as this mine has yielded 1,10l oz. from 895 tons df stone since July 1907, the immediate neighbourhood seems well worth the attention of prospecturs. The ore is carted to Yalgogrin, a distance of 8 miles, for crushing, and at the close of the year 80 tons of seconds were awaiting treatment. At the Scoop Holes t!le country rock is becoming harder as depth IS attall1ed. In Smart and party’s mine, operatinns were being conducted at a depth of 300 feet on the underlay; the vein however is small and the gold w·orth only n,bout £:3 ‘per oz.’ , .At the local cyanide works 690 tons of sands and slImes were treated for a return of 171 oz. of bullion. Although ver:v little attention was given to prospecting throughol1.t the Division during the year, there were at date, SIgns of returning activity in this direction. ‘

Murrumburrah Division.

‘The gold yield for this Division falls considerably below that of former years, totalling only 5,432 oz., worth £21,436, as against 11,390 oz., valued at £41,663, for 190-9. Of this the Harden Gold Mine, Ltd., is almost the sole contributor. The operations conducted during the year were as follow :–The development work undertaken comprised 938 feet of driving and crosscutting and 936 feet of rises and winzes, but the results were not enoouraging. No. 5 level was driven east 429 feet without disclosing ore of any value. Three connections were made with the level above, which proved the payable ore to extend to an average depth of 70 feet below No. 4 level, where an intermediate drive ‘was put in following the boundary of the payable ore. The No. 4 level west was extended 50 feet, and No.4 level east 130 feet, without disclosing any ore of value. A connection was made with No. 3 level at a point 650 feet east, cutting a heavy flow of water, but no ore. A crosscut was put in a distance of 17 feet across the channel 100 feet above No.4 level, but “’ithout result. No.3 level was extended east 97 feet, also without result. This company has acquired the Rarden Central Gold Mining Company’s leases, and driving in a westerly direction will be carried on at variOlls levels in the hope of opening up the large ore bodies assumed t.o exist. An elect.rically-driven pumping plant is being installed to lessen the cost of drainage, and to admit of No.6 level, which is 750 f.eet from t.he surface, being extended. The ore treated by the Harden Gold Mine, Ltd., during the year amounted to 9,853 tons, which yielded 5,388 oz. of gold, valued at £21,278. ‘1’he sum of £11,392 was paid in salaries and wages, of which £3,579 was for development. No dividends Were paid during the year. No work was dono on the property formerly held by the Harden Central Gold Mining Company. As mentioned, it has been purchased by the Harden Gold Mine, TAd., and the iyork outlined will be entered upon so soon as the mine can be unwatered. The Harden Future Gold Mining Company extended its main shaft to a depth of 275 feet; it is. being sunk 100 feet north of the ore chanllel. which underlies to the north, with the hope of cuttinO’ the rich are ):!odies dipping east in the Harden Gold Mine. It is estimated that this oro channel shonld be intersected at it depth of between 400 and ,500 feet. The Harden East Gold Mining Company sank its main shaft to a dept.h of 158 f.eet and put in a crosscut 42 feet t.o the channel, and two drives 57 feet to the Gast and 47 feet to the west, resppctively, without l),ny return. The expense of prospecting this mine is very heavy on account of a large flow of water. There was very little prospecting being carried on iIi this Division. Young Division. The gold won in this Division during the year amounts to 142 oz., valned at £560, and was principally obt.ained by fossickers from the old alluvial gr(nmd. Judge .and party. at Qnartz Reef Hill, sank their shaft to a depth of 114 fed, and drove 96 feet east aud 14 feet west along a ’(‘in abont 4 incht’s wide; 13 tons of ore were treated for a return of 7 oz., valued at £27. Prospecting was being carried on nnder Authority to Enter for tin and gold in the parish of Tyagong, and for gold and silver in the parish of Burramunda. , . Dredging leases of old alluvial ground near Young were’ secured by Messrs. Davies and Kershaw, of Adalong, but operations had not been commenced up to date.

Junee Division.

Mining operations in this Division appear to have been totally abandoned, t.he demand for agricult.ural labourers, &c.;, having absorbed all those who hitherto gave their attention to the search for gold.

N uTTul’dera Division.

In the month of November, C. F. McLean reported the discovery of a gold-bearing reef on a site at Murrill Creek, about 16 or 18 miles north of Grong Grong railway station. , No work of any importance had, however, been Clone on the site t.o date. Numerous applications were made for adjoining areas, and the holders were awaiting developments in t.he prospector’s claim . The Riverina Gold Mines (No-Liability), at Cowabbie, erected a battery, but owing to the low yield secnrBd, operations were suspended and the mine was closed down for the greater part of the year. A little prospecting was done on private lands at North Berembed, but nothing payable was discovered.

TUMUT AND ADELONG MINING DISTRICT.

Albury Division.

At sevel’fll centres in this Division, notably at Waterview and Hawksview, a limited amount of prospecting was carried out. To date the are had not been treated in bulk, but the indications are said to be of some promise. A parcel of 13 tons of ore from the claim of A. ‘V. Smeeton, near Albury, gave a return of 12 oz. 10 dwt. of gold.

Germanton Div’ision.

Several parcels of ore were won from the reefs at Little Billabong, but, apart from the work done at this centre, no other attempts appear to have been made to test the reefs at Hillside, Woomargama, &c.; E. Tunbridge and party had a crushing of 73 tons from their site within portion lOG, parish of Little Billabong, which realised 2G oz. of gold, valued at £79. The shaft was snnk to a depth of 5G feet, with assistance from the Prospecting Vote, but operations were subsequently abandoned. ‘V. A. ]’orsythe and party sank a shaft following down on tile reef, on a site within portions 93 and 67, parish of Little Billabong, attaining a depth of 46 feet, and at the close of the year a vertical shaft was heing put down to cut the reef at a greater depth. Some 23 tons of ore we’re treate(1 from this claim for a yield of IG oz. of gold, valued at £50.

Adelong Division.

The gold yielc1 in this Division amounted to 10,404 OZ .. yalued at £39.r,09, as against 10,510 oz., valued at £G2,734, obtained in 1909; of this amount, the dredges in the Division contributed &0 per cent. The large decrease in the yield is mainly accounted for by the low production from the Gibraltar Consolidated Gold ]fine, which this year furnished only 7G4 oz., valued at £2,982, as against 8,525 oz., valued at £30,298, in 1909. The mill was closed down in .January, and since then development work has been continued, 1,!l20 feet of sinking amI driving being completed. This includes the sinking of O’Brien’s shaft, and the opening up of the 700-feet level. Some good ore chutes hayc been ’Iisclosed, and crushing was expected to commence again shortly. At the Lady Clare Mine, Donkey Hill, the shaft was snnk to 400 feet; the reef was intersected at a depth of 300 feet and carried clown to the bottom, being 6 inches wide, and assaying about 2~ oz. of gold to the ton. Drives were pnt in at 400 feet for 20 feet north and 30 f,~et south, and stoping was proceeding from both drives at the close of the year. At Bangadang, seventeen Authorities to Enter were granted during the last quarter of the year, and vigorous prospecting was being carried on. The original prospector, W. O’Dwyer, has a shaft down 25 feet, from which 15~ tons ot stone were treated at Cockle Creek, returning 100 oz. of gold, valued at £403. He also crnshed 4~ tons at his own battery for a return of 8 oz. 9 c1wt. ‘I.’he ore-channel is about 2 ft. 6 in. wide, with well’-llefmed walls, and has every appearance of permanency. Stephen I~eary had 8 tons crushed from the area held under Authority to Enter in the same locality for a 1’d1.11’n of 10~ oz. The prospects of this new find are decidedly encouraging. At Ritchie’s crushing plant 150~ tons of st-one from various localities were treated, returning 131 oz. gold,. valued at £490. In a:lluviul mmmg, A. Wicht and party treated 21,000 loads by sluicing for a small return. In several other localities in the Division prospectors were busily engaged, and the outlook from a mining pOint of view’ for the year 1911 is considered to be good.

Tumut Division.

The gold yield for the year from this centre amounted to S3 oz., valued at £315, and was obtained entirely by sluiCing and fossicking. Heather and party acquired a sluicing property on Adjungbilly Creek, and bad eight men employed in preparatory work, constructing a dam, race, &c.; To date no gold had been won. The operations at Argalong, carried on by E. Laffan, were unproductive, and were only in the nature of prospecting. BatloUJ Division. The gold-mining industry in this Division is in a languishing condition, which is accounted for largely by the fact that agricultural pursuits are being engaged in with gratifying results. The gold won was obtained chiefly by aged fossickers and by casual labourers during the wet months of the winter season.

Tumbarumba Division.

The gold won in this Division shows a falling off, compared with the yield for the previous year, of some £3,500 in value. There were several small hydrauliC sluicing plants in operation in this Division, and the results secured ha ve been particularised under the notes on the Dredging industry. At Laurel Hill the returns obtained by G. Rutherford do not come up to those of 11l01l. Much time during the period under review was devoted to extending the drive through the wash, no blocking out being done. The wash thus opened up is estimated to yield 5 dwt. of gold to the load. The total quantity of gold obtained was 150 oz., valued at £GDS. Among other parties working the alluvial drifts, mention may be made of the following :-B. Murphy, Laurel Hill, 60 oz .. valued at £233; A. J. and B. C. Bell, Laurel Hill, 07 oz .. valnell at £200; J. Broadbent and party, Lagoon Gully, 65 oz., valued at £252; H. O’Brien, Tnmbarumba Creek, 45 oz., valued at £ISO. Oooma Dirision. The lodes on the Cowra Creek field have once again come in for attention, and Bennett and party were reopening the Victoria Mine at date of this report. A quantity of tailings on this field was also successfully treated by cyaniding, and yielded bullion valued at £539. The quartz reefs at Bushy Hill remained unworked, but it is represented that a determined effort was being made to secure capital to reopen and develop them.

Kiandra Division.

The gold-mining iIidustry in this Division is in a very depressed condition; nearly all the miners have left the field, and the general outlook is anything but promising. The alluvial gold recovered amounted to 133 oz., valued at £497. The matter of. testing the deep lea’d on Township Hill received some further attention, and A. R. Winckler has entered upon the work of putting in a tunnel on the western side of the hill. Nothing was don’!:! in the way of further prospecting the quartz reefs.

Gundaroo Division.

Practically no mining for gold was carried on in this Division during the year. A few ounces were obtained by fossickers from the alluvial deposits, and 33 oz. of bullion, valued at £117, were recovered by cyaniding the heaps of tailings at Dairy Creek. Bungendore Division. Very little work was done in this Division. Some seven men were employed in the locality of Bywong Reefs, but not constantly, and there is apparently not much prospect of any increased activity during 1911. A small cyanide plant was erected at Bywong Reefs, and 100 tons of tailings were put through for a yield of SO oz. of gold, yalned at £2S0.

Yass Division.

The Bool,ham Gold Mining Company commenced operations in the parish of Bookham in the month of September, and from then up to the close of the year prospecting was actively carried on. At Murrumbateman, J. R. Watson has heen operating on a large formation, assaying from 4 to 6 dwt. of gold pel’ ton. The ore is dry-crushed, and treated by direct cyanidation. To the end of the year, SO tons were put through for a yield of 21 oz., valued at £76. At Kirkdale, on the Nanima gold-field, D. Roberts was prospecting in the hope of locating a continuation of the rich chute worked in lS97, but he was unsu(;cessful in his efforts.

Queanbeyan Dirision.

A considerable sum was expended in the laying of a line of pipes to bring water with the object of enabling a large area of land at Brindabella to be treated by sluicing. ‘Vork was, however, snspended at the close of the 3-ear, and litigation ,vas pending between the parties interested. In connection with the quartz reefs, a little prospecting was done without meeting with mueh success. Almost the whole of this Division is within the Federal Capital Territory, and consequently the furnishing of future records will rest with the Commonwealth Government.

Wagga Wagga Division.

Prospecting for gold was carried on during the year in the parishes of iHangoplah, Tarcutta, Yabtree, and at Livingstone, apparently with unimportant results, as no yields have been reported.

BATHURST MINING DISTRICT.

Batlmrst Divisior),.

The Mount Conqueror Gold and Arsenic Recovery CompailY, Limited, after obtaining suspension of the labour covenants for several months during the year, subsequently wcnt into liquidation, and a n·ew company is reported to have acquired this property with the intention of further developing it. During the three months the mine was in operation, 275 tons of ore were raised and treated for 112 oz. of gold, valued at £375. Sinclair and ‘WilsOll, at Clear Creek, treated 40 tons for 52 oz. of gold, valued at £190. The mine was only worked during the first five months of the year. At the Napoleon Reefs, Glanmire, considerable prospecting was done without much success. A few tons of ore were raised but not treated. A good deal of prospecting was carried on at other sites during the year, but without any promising results being recorded. The returns are .certainly disippoillting for the period under review, as they show that only 415 tons of ore were raised in this Division, yielding 164 oz. of gold, valued at £566.

Wattle Flat Division.

In this Division the gold won during the year from quartz and alluvial mining totalled 741 oz., valued at £2,763, as eompared with 1,204 oz., valued at £4,005, in 1909, showing a deer ease of 463 oz. and £1,242 in vahHl. From the Big Oakey Creek Mine, held by J. Moyle and party, 240 tons of stone were crushed for a yield of 263 oz. of gold, valued at £94S. S. Crawford and party rais’ed and treated 60 tons for 30 oz. of gold, yalned at £lOS. The vertic.al shaft was sunk a further 60 feet during the year, making the total de.pth 160 feet. The reef has an average width of 4 feet. , At I,ittle Oakey, Reilly and party during the year erected a pumping plant to cope with the water. The reef at the bottom of the winze level is 3 feet wide, and in the stopes, between the 150 and 180 feet levels, it is 2 ft. 6 in., whilst on the south end it is IS inches. During the year only 30 tons of ore were raised and treated, the yield being 15 oz. of gold, valued at £54. An augmented output is expected during 1911. Other leaseholders carried on prospecting operations during the year, but with ‘little success. A good number of fossickers has been engaged in alluvia~ mining, but only at times when more lucrative ‘ivork was not available. ‘l.’aken altogether, it may be said that improved r€sults from this field a·re probable during the current year. Sunny Corner Dirision. From. their mine at Big Hill, Murray and party treated 389 tons for 242 oz. of gold, valued at £7S7, ,,,hich is an improvement on the retnrns for last year. A tt.1’ell and )lnrty, fro111 their lease on the same hill. raised n.lld treated GOG tOilS of stOllO for a yield of 216 cz. of gold, worth £G99. reated 160 tons of quartz, which was mostly won by the miners from old workings, for a yield of 93 oz” valued at £300, At Dark Corner, 83 tons of stone were crushed at Poyitt’s battery, for a yield of 30 oz. of gold, valued at £96. TIlis stone was also raised from old workings. Some 25 oz. of gold, valueu at £90, were obtaineu by fossickers. Outside of these operations for gold, little or no other mining was carried on in this Division. The value of the gold yield from this Division is estimated at £1,983, and shows but a slight decrease on the previous year’s results.

Orange Division.

In the gold-mining industry of this Division, a further decline has to be recorded, the output amounting to 1,327 oz” valued at £3,645, compared with 1,751 oz., value(l at £6,040. for the year 1900, thus showing a decrerrse of £2,395 in value. A little more work was done at Lucknow by tributel’s, who won gold to the value of £208. Assistance from the Prospecting Vote waS allotted to several parties, who are searching for an extension of the rich veins worked in previous years, but to elate of this report no good results had been obtained. Abont 2,2(JO tons of tailings were also treated nt Lucknow for a yield of 708 oz., valued at £1,960. At the Golden Contact Mine operations, with the exception of prospecting for lost veins, and other dead work, were very limited. Efforts were being made in London to re~orll1 the company, and provide capital for the opening up of the southern end of the field. At Forest Reefs, the only alluvial mine working is that held by Harris and party; the wash is 18 inches in thickness, and is being treated with remunerative results. A. F. Smith, at Forest Reefs, treated 2,400 tons of tailings from the old Austral mine; the gold won was 440 oz., valued at £1,02!). The main shaft of the Great Luclmow COllsols is down 53G feet. During the year, however, only a little prospecting in the upper levels was done. A parcel of 25 tons of ore was treated for a yield of 20 o:Ii. of gold, valued at £95. Notwithstanding the falling off in the golll yield, prospecting operations havf heen decidedly active ill this Division, particularly at Ophir, where the auriferous lead beneath the basalt is being opened up; but the stage reached at dat.e does not admit of :my definite forecast being made. Blayney Di’l;ision. The gold yield from this Division amounted to 1,156 oz., valued at £4,059, showing 3,n increase of £1,067 in value over the returns for 100D. At the Brown’s Creek Mine, battery york was relhlquished, and during the period under review 2,3nO tons of tailings were cyanided for a return of £895. Prospecting operations. it is strrted, have revealed the existence of a large boc1y of ore carrying fair values in gold, but not amellable to treatment by the present plant. Exhaustive e;,vc’rimental tests were made with a view to determilling the type of appliances required. Negotiations were in progress for the acquiSition of the requisite machillery. , .. hich the management was hopeful of seeing installed in the near future. It is stated that 1l1uc:h mor2 york wOllll have been done if suitable labonr had been available, High rates of wages are said to lune been offered, but .other industries absorbed nll 10(‘al labonr. At King’s Plflil1s, the I,:1st l’ballC’c Mine was worked on tribute, with pl’oliffl !)le results. Some 3,lGG tons of ore were raised, vhich yieldec1 800 oz. of gold, valued at £3,174. This company intimates that it intends to resume work and to prospect the south end of the lease, where it is expected the continuation of the rich chute of gold which pre,’iously gave f’uch excellent results, from the surface down to the 200-feet level will again he picked up. It is also proposed to deepen the main shaft another 200 feet, as the lode is going away under foot in the bottom le’el at 430 feet. E. B. Davis, nt King’s Plains, cyanided 4.250 tons of tailings for 430 oz. of bullion, vfllued at n.l65. Little prospecting is being done outside of the mines mentioned. Trun7cey Dit’ision. The amount of gold won in this Division IS vaiuea at £616, as eomparf’d with £1,31)3 for the vear 1DO!) or a decrease of £777. On the whole, mil;ing matters during +,he year under review were uneventful. The local hattery at the Alma Dam. on the outskirts of the village of ‘L’runkey, was idle for the greater part of the year, and although many small chutes or gold are known to exist in the immediate neighbourhood, the sione has not been forthcoming to keep it employed. At the Pille Ridge Mine, held by J. H. Bottrell, the ore is of low grade, and will require .an extensive plant for its suc:cessful trerrtment. Considerable worl;: has been done in the way of putting in a main tunnel, crosscutting, &c.; The lode opened up is reported as being 40 feet wide, and negotiations were in progress to float the mine into a large company. In the Basalt Hanges, so nth-east of Trunkey, considf’rable attention has been devoted to the prospecting of the auriferous drifts.

Tuena Division.

Until the closing months of the year muung was very dull in this Division, but a revival of interest was t.hen occasioned by the location of some surface deposits carrying gold, silver, and copper. This find is on private lands about 11 miles in a south-westerly direction from Tuena, and a cOllsiderablearea has been applied for under Authorities to Enter. During the year 202 oz. of gold were won by various prcspectors, of a value of £805. Oompared with the previons year, a decrease of £855 in value is shown, At Junction Point, Reid and pal·ty put through a mushing of 48 tons for a yield of 107 oz. of gold, valned at £442. The shaft’ is down about 250 feet on the underlay. The last crushing taken out yielded 2} oz. of g;oid to the ton, the stone in the face assaying of equal value. This mille was taken over at the cnd of tho year by a syndicate on an option of purchase. During the year mining for alluvial ~old was carried on bv severrtl prospectors and resulted In a few ounces only’ being won.

Rockley Division.

‘rite gold yield for the period under review from this centre amo’nnted to 2,074 oz., valued at £7,067, a decn’ase of £2,524 in value compared with t.he year 1909. During the year a very large rtrea of both Crown Ind privrtte lRllds yas applied for. embracing the rturiferous lead beneath the basalt, but the work so far has onlv been of a prospecting character. From the leases held by the Main Ridge Deep Lead Gold Mining Cempany, 1,387 load~ of wash-dirt were rai~ed and treated for a yield of 445 oz. of gold, valued at £1,687, but owing to shortness of funds and the heavy expenditure involved in raising and treating the materiaL operations ceased towards the end of the year pending reconstruction of the company. It. is repre:;ented that fresh capital has be-en subscribed to install a modern plant, and that work will shortly be resnmed. A face of wash has been ouened up for about 200 feet in length, which is said to average 10 dwt. to the fathom, but this cannot be worked as the level has been lost, and a drive of 400 feet in length mnst be put in before mining can be a.gain entered upon. At the site held by the Main Ridge Newcastle North Syndicate the main tunnel has been put in some 70~ fe”t. A shaft ha,s been sunk 150 feet to the wllsh, and drives, crosscuts, and air-shnfts put in. The drive is in 202 feet on wash, which averages about 20 inches in depth, and prospects about 3 dwt. to the load. ‘fhe Main Ridge Alluvial Gold ‘Mininp; Company has tested the lead at several noints by boring. At Loni!. Point, Nardin’s Deep Lead Gold Mining Company has done a. gaud deal of prospecting in the w~v of shaft sinking, tll11l1dling, amI drivillP.;, Rnd which has resulted in fair prospect~ being obtained. The holders of the othE’I’ mines in this loc’1litv were t,f’sting their areas by fnrther sinking and driving, hut in most C’1ses they were waitinp.; on the rE’sults ,..11tail1”d by the parent company-the Main Ridge Deep Lead Company. At th” Mount David Mine, 1,549 t011S raised ancl trE’&ted; in tlw year !rave a yield of 1.072 oz. of !rold, of a valne of £4,120, whilst J ,330 tOllS of t.ailill~S trC’ated nroduced 352 oz., valued llt £469. making the tobl valne for the year of £4,599. For the first fonr months of the year operations were carried on in the 118ua1 way, and d111’inc; tr”,t period thE’ qll~l1t,itV of stone 11’0ntionpd was raised. It was then decided to discontin11” raisinp; ore, and to concentrate energies on the sinking of No.2 main shaft on the eastern side of the mine. the obipct being to P-Ol1l1ect the lower workings, ,,”d thns avoid expel’se in hauling and mining the, ore. ‘l’he n(‘w shRft was down 250 f(‘(‘t flt the close of the veal’. It will he connected with the battery by a tramlinA. V crv little allllvial fossickinrr was done in this Divisi’on during the year. but ,..,’large area of private lands I’as being prospected under Anthority to Enter. BU1’1’aga Division . . Apart from a few fossickers working aIMg the Isab~ lla .and Little Rivets there ate hardly any gold: iIuilers op.erating in this district. The gold won dUring the year IS valued at under £50. Several Authorities to Enter ptivate lands were granted} but to date little or no development had taken pace. Oberon Division. The result of the year’s working in this Division shows that only 73 ,oz.. of ~ld were wort, valued at £270, but even thlS IS an improvement upon last year’s return. . ‘ Fro~ the mine held by S. Jacobs and A. Wali. a few mIles north of Oberon, 100 tons of stone were treated, yielding 51 oz., worth £192. Operations were ollly commenced by the lessees in September last when the mine was unwatered to the 100-feet level and the main shaft sunk a further 50 feet, the result is therefore satisfactory, especially for this field. A five head battery and a steam winding plant have been iustalled at this mine. , Oli OOl’deroy and party’s mine, at Jelleiudore, a tunnel has been put in 105 feet, several shafts sunk to depths of 50 feet or so, and excavating work done; but active mhIing operations wel’e interfered with by the scarcity of water. The plant at this mine now incl1}des a Huntingdon. M,ill, rock-breakei’, COlicentratmg tables, i>team pumpmg plant, &c.;

Carcoar Division.

The gold woft in this Divisioft dUring the year was 909 oz., valued at £3,308, showiilg a decrease in value of £2,050 on the yield for the year 1909. The I,yndhurst Railway and Mines, Limited, raised 1,515 tons of are, which produced 668 oz. of gold, valued at £2,511. During the earlier months of the ,ear opm:atiol1s were hampered for the want of water. The ore IS crushed through very coarse SCl’oons and pU,t through an Edward~’ Roasting Furnace, the gold bemg extracted by cyallIde. Compared with previous ye~rs. the returns from this mine are somewhat disappOlntmg. :!’rom Jarvis Bl’others’ Miile, at Wire Gully, 241 oz. of {!;o.ld wete ,won, valued at £798. This yield also exhIbIts a fallIng off from that of the previous year. n will thus been seen that mining matters were very quiet in this Division, and with the exception of u. .few .claims h~ld by fossickers there were no other mmes III operatIon. 1I.fandu/’a11la Division. III this Division mining has been quiescent and the results haye not come up to expectations. ‘ The yield amounted to 800 oz. of gold, of a value of £2,559, as compared with 1,662 oz., yielding £5069 for the year 1909, thus showing a decrease of £2;5lO III value. The chief contribution again came from Hogan’s Le.as;3 at Junction Reefs. Some 1,960 tons of are were raIsed and tI’eated for 744 oz. of gold valued at £2,344. ‘ From alluvial workings in this locality about 56 oz. of gold, worth £215, were secured, which is a considerable falling off on last year’s returns. At Burnt Yards a prospecting party sank a shaft to a depth of 100 feet vdth encouraging results. A 10-head battery was in course of erection at Sheehan’s Mine, Junction Reefs, and should be in full , working order early in the current year. Canou;indi’U Di1:ision. W. Murray and party, at the Blue Jacket Mine Belmore, abtained encouraging results. The ore treated amounted to 22G tons. and yielded 394 oz., valued at £1,530. This is exclUsive of the gold contents of the tailings. &c.;, whieh it is estimated will bring the total vnlue of the yield UIJ to £2,2GO. Stolling Was done from the new working shaft between the 50 and 100 fpet levels. ‘j’he futui’e l)1’oSpects of the mine are said to be goad. Extensive prospecting was done on the Red Jacket Miile, and resulted in the discovery of a well-defined reef, which is snpposed to be a continuation of the Cave chute, so profitably worked in the early days, but up to the close of the year no stone had been treated. Work at Sam’s Reef Mine was interrupted owing to litigation. A shaft has been sunk to a depth of 130. feet on a formation giVing, it is said, every indicatIOn of containing payable gold. .The Gospel Oak Mine was under suspension of the labour covenants during the greater portion of the year. The grolmd is hard, and costly to work. A 88028–0 Parcel of 10 tons of ore was sent to the smelting works at Cockle Creek for treatment, but the returns had not come to hand up to the close of the year. Mout!t McDonala Division. , E’our !J:l,t;ties or miners were engaged in this Division dUl’ing the year’, principally carrying out pl’ospecting work. A. A. Kel11ledy and W. J. Cash were sliccessful in opening up a payable lode, and 346 tolls of stone ctushed gave a yield of 100 oz. of gold, valued at £387. A lode was discovered at Scrubby Rush, but owing to its refractory nature the ore cannot be successfully treated locally. A smalI pal’cel was forwarded to the smelting works at Cockle Creek, and a i’erurn was obtained of almost 2 oz. or gold to the ton. When this report was being written the prospectors were engaged in Sinking the shaft to a depth of 100 feet, with the object of further proviilg the value of the lode. No alluvial mining was done in this Division dtii’ing the year. Molong Dit:is’ion. A few fossickel’s were engaged from time to time upon the alluvial deposits within this DiviSion, but no record is obtainable as to the actual quantity of gold won. The yield, however, would be very small.

TAMBAROORA AND TURON ]fINING DISTRICT.

Hill End Ditision.

The area embracing the old and one-time famous Hill End and Tambal’oora fields gives p1’omise of again becoming an active centre. For some time past there has been a decided revival of interest in this Division, and a strong syndicate is reported to haye been formed to take over the whole of the old “Hawkins Hill” mines. It is represented that negotiations have been practically completed for the amalgamation of the contiilUous wOi’kings along the lode. In taking over these propertif’s the proposal is to wotk from the lower levels. The Consolidated tunnel is to be extended another 500 feet east for the pUrpose of cutting new reefs which outCl’OP on the sUi’face, but have not been tested at a depth; also to drive a new tunnel in a ilorth-easterly direction at the old site of Peterson’s battel;y, so as to gain access to Kl’ohmann’s ai·ea.This would, it is estimated, give a depth of over 250 feet below the Krohmann and Beyers bottom levels. The same driveS ‘would then be furtber extended to connect with a ilew shaft to be sunk in the vicinity of “Split Rock,” east or Krohmann’s. It is also intended to reopen the old Rose of England tunnel, and to extend it another 250 feet east, to intersect the Ha,,:kins Hill reefs propel’, which, it is claimed by the syndIcate, have not so far been tested. The Stal’ of Peace shaft is also to be cleaned out and reopened. It is IUl’thei’ Pi’Oposed to consU’uct a large dam neal’ Bald Rock, capable of conserYing ample water fot aU m.achinery and other purposes in connection with the new wOl’kings. ‘fhis dam will have a depth of about 40 feet. An additional area of 50 acres east of the other holdings mentioned has also been applied for. The formation of the company was expected to be completed eal’ly in the year 1911, with a capital of £100,000. . The venture is an impoi’tant oile, and sbould development be carried out on vigorous lines it should go far towards advancing this old field once more to a prominent pOSition as a gold produceI’. Conflicting interests on this line of lode have hitherto i’etarded the compietion of an amalgamation stich as now Pi’oposed, bnt ~’ith the advent of this Hew scheme the pl;ospects of this important centre appear brighter than they ha’i’e been for many ;years. Some further impoNance has to be attached to a proposal by a new company to take over the Macqrtal’ie !field :r.~ining Company (late Root Hog), with Ii wOi’kmg capItal of some £60,000. It is said that this mine will be further tested and conSistently wOl’ked at iift early date, thus giving further stimulUs to the promotion Of the mining industi’Y. DUi’ing the year under review the mine has not been worked to any extent. The only continuous working done at Hawkins Hill during the year was at the Sir Harry Rawson at which mille 87 tmls of are were raised, yielding 177 ~z. worth £645, neither slimes nor tailings being treated.’ The Hawkins Hill Reward Gold Mining Company cross-cutting east, discovered a new reef carl’ying pay: able gold, but up to tbe close of tbe year little deveiopment work bad been done. It is, however, proposed to again cross-cut in a westerly direction to pick up reefs that are known to exist. At the Valentine Mine, G. Davidson carried out a deal of development work which Ims enabled several veins to be profitably mined. A Card concenh’ating table has been installed, and it is expected that the recovery of the concentrates will materially augment the yield. The prospects of the mine at the close of the year were promising. The ore treated amounted to G53 tons, which yielded 50G oz. of gold, valued at £1,!l40. . The mines at Quartz Ridge ,vere worked during the year but the returns went small. At Monkey Hill, the Turon Ancient Leads 1’,1ining Company has continued further development work, without any marked success. The wash in No.4 rise, off the main tunnel, at about 800 feet, is reported as showing improvement. From Ellis Brothers Golden Gully claim some 1,600 loads of wash-dirt vere treated for 51 oz. of gold, valued at nIH. Independent of the mines already mentioned, considerable Ilrospecting wnR done in this Division during the year, and is indicative of an increasing interest gE’nerally. The gold yon in this Dh-ision duril1g” 1810 is estimated at 1,43D oz., of a valne of £4,5:!3, which shows an increase in value on the preyious year’s production of £756. ,sofala Dirision. The gold won in this Division during the year totalled 1,57!) oz., valued at £G,OlD, as compared with 2,393 oz., valued at £!J,005, for 100D-showing a decrease of £2,!l8G in yalue. The dredges have produced the greater portion of this yielc1, Imc1 the contribution furnished by these plants will be found set: out under the notes on the dredging industry. Both in quartz and alluvial mining in this Division no progress was made dnring the year. From Atherton nnu party’s Queensiunder lIHne, a pnrcel of 30 tons of stone was treated, and yielded 12 oz. of gold, vnlued at £4G. A shaft was sunk 50 feet with assistance from the ProRpecting Y ote, with the object of IH”oYing the yalne of the formation at a depth. The proprietors then obtaiued exemption from labour conditions with a view to completing negotiations for the transfer of the property to a sync1icate, which had pegged out fiye adjoining leases, but to date of this report the sale had not eventuated. At Hilltop, Corn ford and party, nfter securing suspension of the labour covenants for some time, proceeded to deepen the existing shaft another 50 feet, with assistance from the Prospecting Vote. No other quartz-mining was done in this Division during the year. Alluvial-mining has been carried on much as usual, but the number of loads of wasil-dirt treated is not m-ailable. The gold yon by this class of mining is valuell at about £I,:!OS. On the ,,-hole, mining in this Division ,,:ns not carried on with any marked actiYity, hut an increaSing interest was being manifested in the loenlity, and consequently better n:sults mny be hOjlcd for. ,stuart Tou’}/ Dirisloil. No quartz-mining of any extent wns c10ne in this Diyision during the year, the gold being obtained from the alluvial” deposits_ ‘1’he yield from the dredges is coasiderably below that of ]Jl’eyions years, and particulars of the work done will be found under the notes on “Dredging.” ,Vith respect to the ordinary alluvial workings, there arc no important c1evelopments to recorc1, the yielc1 from this sonrce being estimated at 442 oz., valued at £1,700. At ]l.Jookerawa the alluvial workings benCl1tll the basalt continue to produce vayable wasIl. ‘1’unuelling wns being carried on in the vicinity in othel’ claims, with the object of intersecting the sallie rnn of wasIl. As regards the existing quartz mines of this Division, it may be said that each mine has probably been worked out so far as the payable stone within reach is concerned; therefore a system of deyelopment reqniees to be carried on to open up fresh bodies of stone and determine values. The depths of the various shafts range from 200 r€’et to oyer GOO feet, and they contain a large q1lntity of accumulated water. In the former days of the fielc1 there were no concentrating appliances in use; consequently, as most of the veins, if not all, arc mineralised, a larger proportion . f the gold could be saved u11(1e1’ modern methods than was formerly the case. If systematically opened up, these mines should be quite capable of supplying regular quantities of stone for treatment, but the amount of work to be done to place them in a producing condition would be considerable, and a large outlay of capital would certainly have to be faced.

MUDGEE MINING DISTRICT.

Mudgee Division.

A fair amount of mining for alluvial gold was done in this Division, but many of the men who previously followed this occupation have found more lucrative employment in connection with the pastoral industry. At Eurunduree, Kellet and party made an effort to test the deep ground, but the water proved difficult to cope with. A company was subsequently formed, and machinery installed, to prosecute operations. At Buc1g’ee Budgee, W. T. ,Vonnocott was in receipt of a grant from the Prospecting Vote to further test the Budgee Bmlgee reef. The shaft was sunk to a depth of 1:!0 feet and driyes P1t in for 25 feet north and 25 feet south. The shaft was to be deepened a. further 20 feet. At Scabby Hill, ifullamuddy, a number of men, working on tribute on private property, obtained good results from the alluvial deposits. From the vicinity of Cullenbone small finds have been rel1orted, but” nothing of a permanent nature rew>’.rded the efforts of the miners. At Collingwood prospecting was done on private land. A little alluvial gold was obtained, but water proyec1 an obstacle to the successful continuance of opera tiollS.

H argra1:es Division.

The year opened with mining in a lifeless condition in this DiYision, but towarc1s its close a revival of interest ,,,as noticeable, as evic1ence of which it may be mentioned that gold leases, covering IG3 acres, were applied for, embracing some of th,e historic sites of this field. The Blue SI)eC ]fine wns acquired from P. Pilley in the month of September by the North Mount Boppy Company. ‘1’he work of enlarging the shaft and retimbering it, &c.;, was entered upon in October. It is proposed to carry the shaft down to 200 feet, and then to drive some 500 feet on the western reef, with the object of proYing its yalue. A new steam power and hauling pJ nut was to be installed. The Big Nugget Mine has once l1gnin been taken possession of. Leases were also applied for covering tlle areas ou ‘1’uc!i:er’s Hill, preyiously worked so ·successfully. No mining for alluvial gold of a practical nature was done. Gulgong Didsioll. The mining for alluvial gold is in a depressed condition, and operations have been brought almost to a standstill. ‘1’lle total amount of gold won from this source during the year is estimated at 448 oz., valued at £1,705. The RC’d Hill Mine was inspected anc1 sampled at the instance of the North Mount Boppy Company, with a yiew to lmrchase. ‘I’lle opening up and c1evelopment of this mine lllay thus form a feature of operations duril~ Inn, and giYe a llluch-needed stimulus to mining generally throughout this Division. The Red Hill Extenc1ed Mine was also snmplec1 with a view to purChase.

Winacyer Dirision.

The l~agle Hawk Mine, at Clarke’s Creek, held by n. Tulloch, was under option to a company for three months, during which period very little, work was carried on. The rcef was stoped out between the 200 and 144 feet levels, some 438 tons of quartz being obtained. Of this 231 tons were crushec1 for a yield of 171 oz. of gold, Yalued at £GDO, the want of water during the last four months of the year preventing the balance from being treated. A large amount of c1eYelopment work will have to be faced during 1!)11, and consequently it is expected that very little ore will be raised. The Golden Lily Mine was worked by trlbuters, who had 442 tons treated fOl’ a yield of 205 oz., valued at £81!). Work was suspended at the Coronation Mine for a great part of the year. Some 40 tons of second-grade ore, whieh was at grass, were treated for a yield of 20 oz. of gold. H. M. Serieser cyanided GOO tons of tailings for a yield of GO oz. of bullioll, the result being unremunerative Alluvial mining, liS usual, enabled a number of men to secure a living. Operations were confined mostly to the old ground and to the beds of the streams. Co1Jbora Diz:i·sion. Occasionally the alluvial deposits of this district attract the attention of a few miners, and during the period under review it is estimated that 20 oz. of gold were obtained. Capcrtco Di1:ision. A few aged fossickers, working principally on the Turon River, obtained some 80 oz. of gold, valued at £310.

Dubbo Dirision.

There were practically no mining operations conducted in this Division, although a prospecting area is held in the parish of Roche for the purpose of searching for gold, but no results of any valne were secured during the year.

Peale Hill Didsion.

The following statement shows the output from the mines of this Division during the past seven years. It will be noted that the yield for lIno falls short of that of the previous year, owing to the production of the smaller mines being on a lesser scale than in lr09. Year. Yield. Value. oz. £ 1904 ……………… 6,107 22,538 1905 ……………… 6,388 24,764 1906 ……………… 6,862 26,70:l 1907 …………. : …. 7,255 28,219 1908 ……………… 6,0i3 23,443 I!l09 ……………… 6,984 26,852 1910 ……………… 6,393 24,756 Total …………… 46,032 £177,2B1 ——–.——~.-.. “.- The plant of the Myalls and Peak Hill Gold Mines, Limited, at Peak Hill, was in continuous operation, and the results are considerably in advance of those for the year 1909. The No. 8 Krupp Ball Mill, installed in the early part of the year, resulted in an improved recovery of about 12 per c«nt. being secured, and accounts to a great extent for the increased yield. Three new vats were added to the cyanide plant in order to meet the additional output. A winding engine and head gear were transferred from the company’s leases at McPhail, and was in course of erection, so as to permit of the sinking of Thomas’ shaft a further depth of 200 feet to test the sulphides, and thus obtain data to devise a method of treatment. About 100 :men were kept constantly employed throughout th? year, and if this latter undertaking be successful there is every reason to believe that the number will be increased. The ore treated amounted to’41,845 tons, which yielded 5,295 oz. of gold, valued at £20,645. This company’s leases at McPhail were under exemptions from the labour conditions for the greater part of the year; consequently the results of operations are practically nil. A vacuum filter was erected for the purpose of treating the accumulated slimes, but the plant proved unsuitabM, and no satisfactory results were obtained: It is stated to be the intention of the company to surrender a number of the leases held and restrict work at the mine to a smaller scale. From the Bobby Burns Gold Mine, at Peak Hill, there were treated, by direct cyanidation, about 1,800 tons of are, for a yield of 2(jU oz. This result was considerably below the company’s expectations, as more than the estimated amount of time was devoted to exploratory and other dead work, and in consequence the output did not reach the tonnage antiCipated. However, it is thought that the quantity of are to be treated during the current year will indicate a decided increase on that for 1910. The Golden Crown Syndicate’s operations show thJlt only 18 tons of ore were mined, which, it is estimated, will yield about 9 oz. per ton. Beyond this, nothing of importance transpired. Considerable time was spent in driving, and also deepening the main shaft. The Gold Hill Company, at ‘l’omingley, records a marked decline in both output and yield for 1910. At the commencement of the year some very rich ore was being mined, but the vein was not of a permanent nature and soon gave out. Since then a considerable amount of prospecting and other non-produetivQ work was carried on, but no payable ore was located. The leases surrendered by Messrs. Crowhu1’st and Sons were acquired by the Gold Hill Company. Of the leases working on the Peak lIill cemetery line, Fraser and Farquharson appear to have obtained the most successful results-48 tons of are raised for the year, giving a return of 230 oz., exclusive of the tailings. Frazer and ‘Yard treated 53 tons of ore and 110 tons of tailings for a return of 118 oz., and Coleman a:ad party 17 tons for 23 oz. In all three instances a considerable amount of time was occupied in Sinking new shafts, and this to some extent accounts for the small amount of stone raised. In the circumstances it might thus reasonably be assumed that the yield for 1911 will show a substantial increase on that of the year under review. As regards alluvial mining no movement worthy of mention occurred. A little prospecting was done in the deep ground around Peak Hill, but no encouraging results were met with. Wellington Dki8ion. The gold won in this Diyision during the year is valued at £3G,G02, as compared with £44,521 in 1909, a decrease of £7,919. Of the yield for 1910 the quartz mines supplied an output valued at £19,772, the gold won from the ordinary alluvial ,yorkings realised £580, while the dredges furnished a contribution valued at £1G,250. The operations of the two dredges are referred to elsewhere under the notes on the dredging industry. ‘.rhe Mitch~l!’s Creek :M:ine has been acquired by a company, which purposes to resume mining on an extended scale. During the year the work done consisted of the treatment by the Mitchell’s Creek Gold Itecovery Company of the accl1lnulated heaps of sands and slimes, the value of the bullion won being £18,OG8. The Federal Gold and Silver Mining Company suspended work at the mine at ‘Vuuluman in September, owing, it is stated, to the failure of the water supply. The main shaft is down 235 feet, 80 feet vertically and 155 feet on the underlay. The reef is said to have been proved at the bottom level for about 175 feet, and ranges in width from 12 to 20 inches. The are treated amounted to 403 tons, and yielded 283 oz. gold, valued at £1,225. Some 31 tons of concentrates were recovered in addition, ass~lying 2 oz. G dwt. 11 grs. gold, 22 oz. silver, per ton, and 1G per cent. lead, and haying a gross value of £422. ‘V. Black and party, known as the Southern Cross Syndicate, at Gunner’s Dam, have steadily continued work, but lIO ore was treated during the year. They constructe(l a dum and erected a battery, at an outlay of some £1,200. The new main shaft was sunk to a depth of 150 feet. The ‘Yelcome -Jack and Commonwealth Mines were closed down during the whole of 1910. Alluyial gold-mining, other than dredging, was chiefly (‘on fined to JaWbone, but the yields were small, and no fresh finds resulted.