Kooline Station (Kooline Silver-Lead Field), Ashburton Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Kooline Station (Kooline Silver-Lead Field)	- not defined -
Ashburton Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

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The Kooline lead-silver field (named after Kooline Station) was active between about 1948-1959. Minor copper was also found on the field. At its height, eighty people worked the field, mainly returned servicemen from World War Two. It is believed a drop in lead prices led to the field being abandoned, although the presence of water at depth also caused difficulties. It is approximately 200 kilometres south-east of Onslow, produced in total about 1000 tonnes per annum, and the ore was shipped from the port of Onslow. This was packed in 44 gallon drums. Initially the ore was hand mined, but later machinery was able to reach the mines, and a couple of the mines constructed crushing plants.

During its time it was an isolated and tight knit community, except during the height of summer when the field was largely abandoned, and the inhabitants travelled south to more settled areas. The sources note 17 mines and 10 miscellaneous deposits in the area. Many of these are difficult to locate on the ground, locations uncertain but most are in a 7.2 by 2.4 kilometre area, and information scant. The general area though was geologically mapped in 1961 and 1965. Many of the mines were about 30 kilometres south-east of the Kooline Homestead on the north side of the Ashburton River, near salt lakes, and east of the Capricorn Ranges.

The field was discovered by Jack Dunlop, Frederick John Camp, and Hamilton (no given name mentioned). Hamilton sold his interests to Dunlop and Camp, but did not live to enjoy his windfall, as was killed the next day, the article does not mention how.

Galena bearing veins in mudstone, siltstone and sandstone on the northern limb of a large upward facing syncline. The field produced in total between 1948 to 1959 2679 tonnes of lead and 825 g silver. The quartz-calcite veins range from a few cms to 1.2 metres thick, up to 60 metres long, containing galena, quartz, cerussite, malachite, barite, and calcite. The minerals are disseminated through quartz, or in narrow seams of massive sulphide or carbonate.

Explored by Carr Boyd 1969-1971, Uranerz 1981-1982, Nero Exploration 1986-1990, and Golden Deeps 1987-1988.

Commodity List

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Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

10 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded

Rock list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities