Ninan prospect, Wongan Hills, Wongan-Ballidu Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Ninan prospect	Prospect
Wongan Hills	Group of Hills
Wongan-Ballidu Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

Located 6.1 km west south west of Wongan Hills.

Appears to relate to several prospects in the area. One story states a farm worker called Edward Bear found a gold specimen (which later turned out to be copper) at Wongan Hills, and brought it to Perth. William Lawrence was interested in financing new discoveries and Bear agreed to show him the find. However, before he could do this Bear drowned in the Swan River at the foot of William Street in Perth. Lawrence commissioned Tom Payne and R Greaves to find the location. On the way, Greaves became seriously ill and the expedition was abandoned.

This must have occurred sometime before 1888, as in this year Payne is reported to have discovered gold and copper at the site, and several claims were pegged. Government Geologist Harry Woodward travelled through the area the same year, stating the prospects looked promising but giving no further details.

In 1898 it was reported E.T. and J. Brown had found copper here and fine specimens had been sent to Perth. More specimens were sent in 1899. In 1914 an article states briefly John De Baun financed some mining years ago but didn't find anything economic. The same year it was reported activity was occurring cleaning out an old shaft in the hope of finding gold but no more was said. Information after this dries up.

This unpromising history has not stopped modern exploration companies from searching the area, now largely cleared wheatfields.

From 1975 to 1991 the southern area of the Wongan Hills Range was explored by Aquitaine, BHP Billiton and others. This was focussed on a north north-west trending gossanous ridge of ferruginous garnet mica schist and quartzite. Mineralisation went to no depth.

Another separate zone contained 1.75% Cu, with below 120 metres veinlets and disseminated chalcopyrite, magnetite, minor arsenopyrite, pyrite, cubanite, marcasite in quartz-biotite-muscovite-chlorite-magnetite-fayalite-grunnerite schist.

To the south is an area labelled Ninan, being minor gold with anomalous lead, zinc and silver in semi massive magnetite-chlorite rocks in a quartz-mica schist, hosted by the core of a faulted north north-west plunging antiform. A modern exploration company found anomalous copper.

Further south is Mystery prospect being a 'geochemical anomaly' parrallel to Ninan containing a grab-bag of elements. Further prospects or maybe just anomalies extend south over a fair distance crossing rolling wheatfields, containing gold, copper, lead, zinc, silver.

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References