The
present revival in mining in this field commenced in 1896 as a
consequence of prospectors uncovering the cap of the lode, which
proved to be rich in gold. It was found on the date of the Queen's
Birthday, and a company was formed, to be known as the Birthday. Since
then there has been a general activity all along the line, and many
have been the ups and downs of the market values of all the stocks
concerned.
In
describing the mines of the field, I may as well commence at the
southern end. About seven miles to the south of Berringa proper is a
mine known as the South Golden Birthday. Here a main line of lode was
opened to a depth of about 150 feet. The stone goes down nearly
vertically in gold-siate, and one small occurrence in it was worked out
for a return of about 1 oz. to the ton. Not meeting with another
occurrence at once, work ceased, and a good prospect remains deserted.
This mine deserves attention.
A
couple of miles to the north of this several mines, known as the Long
Thought Of Group, remain deserted. Here a parcel of stone was sampled
for rich returns, and the company operating had its stock up to 28s.,
only to come down again to a shilling or so as soon as the golden
situation that had been found was worked out, and prospecting effort
was required. The history of this mine from start to finish shows how
the wrecking due to the gambling so associated with mining brings
disaster on what might otherwise have resulted in the creation of a
centre of industrial activity. How many points on the thousands of
lodes in our State have been but scratched, and then abandoned through
the same causes? The Long Thought Of Company crushed altogether about
r,88o tons of quartz for a return of 1,167 oz- of gold. About 194 oz. of this came from nearly 38 tons of concentrated sulphides, principally sulphides of iron.
The
region here is on the foot-hills of the main range to the ncith, on
which is situated Berringa proper. A little
to the south the plains of volcanic and marine deposits commence.
About 6 miles south-east is Roke-wood, and about- the same distance to
the south-west is Pitfield. The old village of Rokewood Junction occurs
in the valley to the west
of the Long Thought Of mine. The ranges and gullies around show
plentiful remains of early shallow alluvial mining and numerous
outcrops of lodes belonging to many parallel svstems of quartz
formations. Some of these have been scratched a little, and one known
as the Mac's Lucky has had a position of rich deposition in it "
rooted," perhaps, down to its termination. This area contains part of a
line of lode system, in which a narrow, say inch-wide, drain was
associated with gold-slate lavers, which were fractured very much in
compound form. This fracturing resulted in the conversion of such
fractured parts from slate into widths of lens-shaped quartz
formations, at parts into the body of which the original drains
descended. At points on this drain, where, in descending, its course
had deviated a little from the vertical, an obstruction to the gravity
" pull " on the liquids, due to the meeting of the walls caused an
impediment to circulation, had favoured deposition of gold and
sulphides (principally pyrites and galena). Very rich patches of gold
were found at such points, the largest nugget weighing about 60 oz. I
have noticed in all fields visited that the much-favoured areas of
deposition on systems of fracture show features which promote the
concentration of drainage from long extents of country associated with
the fracture. It is a kind of focussing of drainage, brought
about by a bulge produced by a longitudinal pressure on the line
meeting with resistance. The greater the length of area draining to one
main position of obstruction, the greater the deposit of gold. Such
areas have their gold accumulated in one main occurrence of golden
stone, or more often at many points. This arrangement of scattered
deposition is the result of the greater or less twist application of
the force which produced the bulging.
