Sydney morning Herald, Saturday, 7th January, 1899.
MINING IN NEW SOUTH
WALES.
--»
THE MOUNT BOPPY AND RESTDOWN
FIELDS.
(BY OUR SPECIAL MINING REPORTER)
No. 2.
A few miles to the north of the Burra Burra cop-
per mine a good deal of prospecting work for gold
is going on. To make the situation more defined I
may say that the exact spot is about six miles south
of Mount Boppy railway station. It is now same
two years since gold of any consequence was found
there, and about 15 mouths since any special atten-
tion was given to it. About the latter date the
Anglo-Australian Exploration Company's attention
was drawn to the fact that the deposits in this part
were of immense size, and they subsequently pur-
chased through the advice of their consulting engi-
neer, Mr Eissler, what is now known as the Mount
Boppy gold mines, and are developing them on an
extensive scale. They own a large area of mining
leases through which in a north and south direction
immense out-cropping quartz and ironstone reefs
appear on the surface. The discoverer did little
else than find gold by sinking a small prospecting
shaft. The task of developing such a mammoth
reef was too tough a job for him, or
even any small party of working miners,
so eventually the present owners purchased the pro-
perty and undertook the task of exploration. Im-
mediately a large number of hands were employed,
and the land-the home of the rabbit and scrub
wallaby-covered as it was with dense pine and
yarren scrub, was converted into a new mining
camp with comfortable little habitations dotted
about. The development of the properly started
with the sinking of four different shafts on the line
of reef, covering a distance of between 1100ft. and
1200ft. Each of these shafts was sunk to a depth
of 130ft., at which level connecting drives were
driven. Below the 130ft. level two 70ft. winzes
have been sunk, one a little to the south of the north
shaft and the other a little to the south of the south
shaft, thus making the reef developed to a depth of
200ft. for nearly 1200ft. At the 200ft. level drives
are in progress with the object of connecting the
north and south upper levels and winzes. The reef
is a massive quartz body from end to end and from
surface to deepest level. The reef varies in thick-
ness, the smallest part being 12ft. wide, whilst in
some places it is as thick as 37ft. Taking the average
from one end to the other 20ft. would be about the
width- truely a wonderful reef. This width has been
amply proved by crosscuts at various places through-
out the workings. At 130ft. level (north shaft) the
reef forms a horseshoe bend, and makes two distinct
branches in a north and south direction, the most
westerly branch continuing so far as development
work has gone (110ft ). Below 200ft. on the
north and on the south ends of the properly winzes
have just been commenced for the purpose of open-
ing another deeper level, so that very soon there
will be three levels developed in the mine. Up to
now it is calculated that 120,000 tons of stone are in
sight. The property, of course, is purely in its pro-
specting state. No crushing plant is on the ground,
but a careful systematic sampling of each section
of the mine has been carried out by assay. One
bulk sample of 200 tons has been tested at Dapto,
the result of which I understand gave a shade over
16dwt to the ton. My own dish, dolly, and drilling
samples gave what I consider to be quite an equal
result. The stone to a great extent is laminated,
and contains more or less mineral, especially in the
deeper levels. ln the upper level it is jointy and
full of rusty iron-stained vughs-a not uncommon
feature in the upper zones of most quartz
mines. The construction of the ore body matters
little if the gold is there. So far as I have been able
to judge there are no blank spots in the mine. The
reef appears to carry little or much gold through-
out, and in suficient quantities to pay well, particu-
larly taking into account the largeness of the deposit
and the case with which it can be won. Up to now
there is no hard country rock to penetrate, and ver)
little dead work required when once the propeity is
properly opened. Everything points to the conclu-
sion that the Mount Boppy goldmine will turn out
a handsome investment to the owner. It is not likely
that the property will be on the productive list for
some time yet, because it is intended to do a heap
more development work and make doubly sure as to
its actual capabilities before erecting large plant.
Mr. Frank Gronstedt is the manager. He is very
sanguine about the future, and anticipates still
further good developments beyond the present work-
ings. A large water supply tank has been excavated
on the company's land. The want of water has been a
serious drawback, but this provision will meet, at all
events, present requirements. Mining timber is very
plentiful on the ground, so that when it is required
it can be obtained in abundance. Outside of this
property thore is a certain amount of prospecting
going on. On one or two shows promising pros-
pects have been obtained, but it is qiute evident
this is no poor man's field. To do any good capital
must be forthcoming, and at present, save on the
property above referred to, there is not much evi-
dence of any being spent. The deposits about this
particular locality show very large surface indica-
tions, more in lode form than ordinary quartz reefs,
and to mine them in a small way is entirely out of
the question. If I am not very much mistaken,
Mount Boppy and the country right on to Restdown
is going to produce a great deal of gold, silver and
copper, and add another important mining camp in
this far westrrn part of the colony. The progress
will necessarily be slow, but none the less sure.
