Gnows Nest Mine, Wadgingarra Goldfield, Yalgoo Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Gnows Nest Mine	Mine
Wadgingarra Goldfield	Ore Field
Yalgoo Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

'Gnow' is an old name for the Mallee Fowl- a turkey sized native Australia ground living bird, which builds large nest mounds from dirt and leaf litter.

The mine is approximately two kilometres south of the Badja Station turnoff and 500 metres west of the Yalgoo-Fields Find Road. Despite its extensive mining history, not much remains at the site, with even most of the mullock piles carted away.

The lease was first pegged in 1918 by Lionel William Vince and John Edgar. They developed the mine from this date till 1921, with a crushing found in May 1919 of 15.5 tonnes for 22 oz at 4 dwt. A five head battery was constructed at the site also in this year. There were two leases covering 36 acres, with the reef traversing both properties. GML 807 & 880.

The lease was sold for 12 000 pounds to Lardie Vince, his brother G. Vince, C.H. Wittenoom (owner of Badja Station), and J.E. Kidd (owner of Muralgarra Station), both stations near the mine. At this time the location had a number of shafts, the main one down to 200 feet on a reef 4 to 14 feet wide. It was compared to the lode at the Great Fingall Mine at Day Dawn. The reef was blue quartz, with iron pyrites and galena associated with the gold. A jasper lode cut the reef at its southern end.

It was sold later that year to the local Gnows Nest Mining Company, who conducting mining operations until it went into voluntary liquidation in 1924. The company was able to produce a substantial amount of crushings with very good gold values through this time. The now 10 head battery and other machinery had been transferred to the site from the St George Mine at Mount Magnet. The machinery was already second hand and by 1924 was all in a very poor state. All ore had been worked out to the third level. It is thought either the company did not have the funds to replace the machinery, or viewed it as uneconomic with the gold it believed was left. During this period the mine crushed 18 331 tonnes of ore for 62 215 pounds, and a further 2 799 tonnes from reprocessing the mill residues.

The Brilliant Co Ltd then took up the lease for 2 500 pounds and 10 000 shares in June 1924, and mined until 1930 when the lease was forfeited to the Warden. By this stage the shaft was down to 371 feet with four levels. The company as it sunk the shaft encountered an inpouring of water, which consistently caused it grief (12 000 to 14 000 gallons per hour).

It was sold to a syndicate consisting of A. Brown, J. Hessler, A. Woimar, and J. Bridson. Around 1936 J.L. Nevill also became involved with the mine. He had interests in several mines in the Yalgoo district through the 1930's. Gold was obtained during this period for 6 to 8 dwt. They were also re-processing 10 000 tonnes of mine dump material in the late 1930's to 1939.

Another five head battery was constructed in 1937. The Goldfields Australia Development Co took out an 18 month option over the mine in 1937.

In December 1939 60 Yalgoo residents travelled to the mine, for the opening of the latest battery situated at the southern end of the lease. J.L. Nevill and H. Zuegg are noted as owners of the mine at this time. 15 men are employed at the mine. They intend to increase this to 25 working 24 hours in 3 shifts. Machinery beyond the battery include a grinding pan, winding winch, a 25 hp crude oil engine for driving the battery plant and pumping gear. No information was found beyond this, and their plans may have been doomed anyway to failure with the outbreak of World War Two, which saw costs to mines skyrocket, and a labour shortage.

In 1947 the Ridge brothers took an option over the mine, but no more is known. Over modern times the area has been extensively explored, but nothing economic enough to open a new mine.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References