Colonial Mine, Wittenoom Gorge, Wittenoom, Ashburton Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Colonial Mine	Mine (Abandoned)
Wittenoom Gorge	Gorge
Wittenoom	- not defined -
Ashburton Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

An abandoned crocidolite asbestos mine in Wittenoom gorge.

Dangerous to visit as asbestos fibres are very dangerous to health. Mining was conducted in three main locations: Vampire Gorge, Wittenoom Gorge, and Colonial Gorge.

During 1937–1938, rising asbestos prices attracted prospectors to the Hamersley Ranges. Small quantities of milled asbestos fibre were produced by Western Australian Blue Asbestos Fibres Ltd, along with Messrs L. G. Hancock and P. Wright, in the Yampire and Wittenoom Gorges. The Yampire Mine produced approximately 300 tons of asbestos fibre before its closure in 1946.

In 1946, the Hancock and Wright operation was taken over by Australian Blue Asbestos Ltd, a subsidiary of CSR. The new owners developed the Wittenoom Mine between 1946 and 1958, during which about 20,000 tons of asbestos fibre and 600,000 tons of waste were produced. A new milling plant was constructed at the Wittenoom Mine in 1949.

The Colonial Mine operated from 1953 to 1966, producing approximately 130,000 tons of asbestos fibre and about 2.6 million tons of waste. Between 1958 and 1960, both the Wittenoom and Colonial mine mills were in operation. High dust levels remained a persistent problem at both sites.

When announcing the closure of asbestos mining operations at Wittenoom in December 1966, CSR Chairman Sir James Vernon stated that the mine had produced a total of 131,000 tons of crocidolite, of which more than 100,000 tons had been exported.

The Colonial Mine began operations in 1953 and was closed in 1966. During this period, the mine produced approximately 130,000 tons of asbestos fibre and 2.6 million tons of tailings, which contained an estimated 56,000 tons of unrecovered asbestos (Jones, 1990c).

Tailings were deposited in several locations: upstream of the mill within Colonial Gorge, in the immediate vicinity of the mill, and downstream on the west bank near the junction of Western Gorge Creek, Joffre Creek, and the Magazine Pool area.

This area contains the largest accumulation of tailings, which are highly visible and encroach upon areas frequented by tourists and those used as exploration bases for mining activities.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References