Nordenfeldt Gold Mine, Carbine Goldfield, Coolgardie Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Nordenfeldt Gold Mine	Mine
Carbine Goldfield	Ore Field
Coolgardie Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

The Nordenfeldt is a historic underground mine to the west and adjoining the Carbine open pit area. Modern gold mining at Carbine, is likely to have disturbed or destroyed the Nordenfeldt mine description below. During its life the Nordenfeldt crushed 1700 tonnes of ore for 2400 ounces with a main shaft reaching 180 feet deep.

The names of the original prospectors could not be found, but shortly after their discovery, the Nordenfeldt Gold Mining Company was formed mid 1895. It was a local concern, with some Adelaide and Melbourne capital.

The company took over a mine with four shafts- the northern or prospectors shaft; then 37 feet south south-west the No2 shaft down to 50 feet on a reef 2 feet thick with a slide taking the reef 30 feet to the east; south of No 1 shaft by 84 feet is No. 3 shaft; and the main shaft being 100 feet north-east of the No 1, and down to 84 feet. All the shafts apart from the main shaft were in a state of disrepair, dangerous, and containing foul air (possibly lethal hydrogen sulphide gas).

The description above was by Mine Manager Robert Lisle in mid 1896, for the shareholders of the mine. On 16 March 1898, aged 34, he fell down the shaft and was killed. Deaths in mines were so common, it remained unreported, apart from a brief mention at the next shareholder meeting, when the directors stated the death was 'regrettable'.

Concerned the mine was not being managed, one of the directors was sent on a site visit. Ore was being carted by camel to a battery at a mine at Kintore about 10 kilometres to the south. He found half of what was being bagged was barren mullock. The mine was temporarily closed, until A. Brakespeare was appointed mine manager shortly after.

The directors were not immune to outlandish statements common for the time. At a shareholder meeting in 1898 they were told the mine would become ' one of the richest in WA'. They were also told there was profitable ore to last 5 years. One year later, the directors are calling on shareholders for more money, stating carting and battery charges, with poor gold grades, was making the mine unprofitable. Fearing they were throwing good money after bad, the shareholders failed to support the call and the mine closed.

By 1908, the mine was under the control of Robert Crawford, who was mining at neighbouring Carbine. A crushing is noted by him from Nordenfeldt in 1908, and there were possibly others but listed for the Carbine mine.

In 1934, the United Westralian Gold N.L. took out options over the Nordenfeldt, Kiora and Gouldbourn leases elsewhere in the district. They re-conditioned the main shaft at Nordenfeldt, but no reports were found of any active mining.

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