Mount Chester Mine (Mount Decker Mine), Ravensthorpe, Ravensthorpe Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Mount Chester Mine (Mount Decker Mine)	Mine
Ravensthorpe	- not defined -
Ravensthorpe Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

See also Mount Chester prospect locality on Mindat, as both historically are linked.

Litlle information could be found about this historic mine, located approximately 10 kilometres south-east of Ravensthorpe. It probably started just after 1900, as many of the historic mines in the district did. It was on a 40 acre lease.

A report in 1907 describes the geology of the copper workings as greenstone schists seen in some of the recent workings on a lode running north-east to south-west. Little ore was seen in the dumps, being mostly quartz and schist, with copper pyrites and oxidised copper ores.

The mine first came to public attention with its sale in 1906, involving a minor scandal. At the time it was known as the Mount Decker Mine. Even by this stage it appeared the copper workings had been abandoned, in favour of a large manganese deposit discovered on the summit of Mount Chester. The owners before 1906 had driven a tunnel somewhere up the hill north-east of the mine, 91 metres to try and intersect the ore body. They had failed to achieve this, although a later observer noted the tunnel had been constructed poorly, and stood little chance of reaching the ore.

The mine was sold to a group of Ravensthorpe locals (who changed the name to Mount Chester Mine),and who obtained the funds to buy it by borrowing money from the State Government. The one non-local member of the group, John Kingsmill, was a State politician, raising eyebrows at the time. They formed the Black Hills Development Company and set about tunnelling to the manganese deposit. Samples were sent to the government geologist and tests proved it to be of very high grade, with traces of silver. The manganese lode was said at the time to be 6 metres wide with manganese at 48%, iron (Fe) 9% and silica 2%.

Then nothing happened. Every few years for decades after an article would appear in the newpaper complaining no work was being done to open up the high grade manganese deposits in the Ravensthorpe area. One problem appeared to be the lack of a port at the time. It is even less likely a mine will go ahead here now, as Mount Chester is part of a national park, protecting world reknown flora.

The copper workings are at the base of Mount Chester on its western side. It consists of a partially collapsed shaft and several shallow alluvial diggings.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References