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Mines and mining - South Australia
This project will list mines in South Australia and include profiles of those involved in the industry.
Please also consider placing profiles in these related "global" projects Occupations --- miner and Cause of death --- mining accident
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Mines
- Wheal Gawler - In South Australia the first mine opened was the Wheal Gawler at Glen Osmond, from which silver-lead was won. It was discovered in 1841, but times were then so bad that no attempt was made to work it at first beyond raising three or four tons of ore. Cornish miners who had migrated to other parts of Australia were not slow in finding their way to South Australia to resume an occupation to which they had been used.
- Wheal Watkins mine is an historic lead and silver mine in Glen Osmond, South Australia. The mine first operated from 1844 until 1850, and again briefly in 1888 to 1889, and 1916. From 1986 onwards, the mine was accessible by guided tour, until a rockfall event prompted its closure in 2005.
- Mr. James Heneker discovered galena leading to the silver
- Property purchased by Mr Watkins of Worthing, England in December 1841
- South Australian agent, Peter Peachey (died 1850)
- The mine's principle contractor was Thomas Williams
- Captain Rowe's administrator
- Mr. H. Conigrave secretary to the mine
- Mr. Edwin Weidenbach - adjoining property owner
- H. D. O'Halloran, director
- Jno. Shaw Director
- Geln Osmond mine - later Gilles mine - In December, 1846, operations had begun in the Glen Osmond Mine, later known as the Gilles, as it was on land that was at one time the property of Mr. Osmond Gilles. The casual displacement of a few inches of soil by the wheel of a dray passing over it laid bare the shining galena beneath.
- Montacute copper mine - In 1843 Mr. Andrew Henderson, an overseer, while searching for a stray bullock, determined to climb the spur. He noted the green color of the perpendicular face of rock. On reaching the summit he broke off a piece of brown and green mineral which was Iater recognized as copper or of rich quality. The section on which the discovery was made was sold by auction for £1,550, and work was soon started, the ore won being carted to Port Adelaide by drays.
- Andrew Henderson discovered the copper
- Hahndorf Silver Mine
- William Smallpiece Whitington original owner
- Mount Malvern silver mine - On a hillside between Blackwood and Cherry Gardens, and overlooking Happy Valley reservoir, is Mount Malvern silver lead mine. Operations began there more than 40 years ago (article 1929). There was a lode formation carrying chlorides of silver, and bunches of galena and cerussite were frequently met with.
- Deloraine mine - near Kersbrook, where valuable ore is being won. There is a five-head stamp battery in the district for crushing. From the original mine, which was started about 1910, about approximately £84,000 has been won to date.Gold in payable quantities recently has been taken from a shaft below the 50-ft. level on the property of the New Deloraine Goldmining Company.
- Lady Alice Gold Mine - At Humbug Scrub, on the property on which the late Mr. T. P. Bellchambers founded his animal and bird sanctuary, was the Lady Alice Gold Mine, which was discovered in 1871 by Mr. G. Goddard. From its flotation into a company in 1873 until it was wound up in 1878 the mine produced gold worth £22,000 and copper worth £4,000.
- T. P. Bellchambers - past owner
- Mr. G. Goddard - discovered
- Nuccaleena mine
- William Smallpiece Whitington secretary
- Talisker Silver mine
- John McLaod
- Echunga goldfield - was discovered early in 1852 by Mr. W. Chapman. Rich surface gold was found, the field being alluvial. By 1871 it was estimated that gold worth £300,000 had been recovered from the diggings, but nothing has been found there of much value for many years. Traces of gold are found widely scattered in creeks, but generally in trifling quantities.
- Mr. W. Chapman discovered
- Balhannah mine - was worked for copper from 1867 to 1876, and a quantity was obtained near the surface. Bismuth was found associated with the copper, and the quantity increased until it appeared likely to prove more valuable than the copper. Gold was found in the bismuth, and some fine specimens of small nuggets of pure gold were met with. Cobalt in small quantities, also antimony and plumbago, are said to have been found in this remarkable mine.
- At Mount Sienna, near Birdwood, there has been intermittent mining of yellow and brown ochres, and of a little gold. The shafts are down 70 ft. or 80 ft.
- The Bird-in-Hand Gold Mine near Woodside has a reef ranging from 4 ft. to 8 ft. wide. Seven shafts have been sunk to varying depths, one to more than 340 ft. Up to 1889 the mine had produced 8,869 oz. of gold from treatment of 21,000 tons of lode formation. The gold appeared in shoots apparently perpendicular to the vein. There are other mines in the Woodside district that have been worked with varying success.
- South of Noarlunga mining is now (1929) proceeding for barytes (barium sulphate), which is used in the manufacture of paint and rubber. Several of the shafts may be seen from the road to Victor Harbor.
Mine Fatalities
1917
- Broken Hill - James Pinasa (Maltese)
- Broken Hill - George Dano (Maltese)
- Broken Hill - Otto Badock
1828
- Broken Hill - Robert Thomas Boon
Sources
- OLD MINES ROUND ADELAIDE (1929, September 17). News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954), p. 29
- William Smallpiece Whitington - much mining history
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