Gold was discovered here in 1885, by Charlie Hall and Jack Slattery. It was the first payable discovery of gold in Western Australia.

The goldfield was not rich compared to later discoveries at places further south like Cue, Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie and others. Despite its remoteness, thousands of men descended on the locations. The local aboriginal tribes immediately rose in rebellion, and several were killed on both sides. This is off topic but important. Smith's article in the below references is available on-line, with information relating to pastoralists impacts on the local aboriginal tribes. Various newspaper reports were also found regarding conflict between the gold miners and aboriginals.

The rush was short lived, as the alluvial gold in the gravels went to no depth and was limited in extent. Reefing gold mines by companies and prospecting parties lasted from around 1886 to 1896, however the small reefs, remoteness, at times lack of water, and poor mine management all led to them being abandoned. A couple of large open pits were developed in the 1980's and 1990's, but largely the area has been left to hobby metal detectorists, and colourful prospecting characters.

The town of Halls Creek moved 15 kilometres west to the newly built Great Northern Highway across the late 1940's and 1950's. The original site for the town now known as 'Old Halls Creek', contains a couple of building ruins, collected mining relics, cemetery, information signs, and basic caravan, camping ground and accommodation at the Halls Creek Lodge. It is found on the Duncan Road.

The widely scattered gold locations are generally within 20 kilometres south-east of the Old Halls Creek site, and between 500 metres to several kilometres north and south of the Duncan Road. Some of the larger sites contain substantial mining relics, although many historic workings have also been bulldozed. The central section of the goldfield near the Duncan Road between the Mount Bradley and Golden Crown mines was known historically as Brockman. The more remote locations for the goldfield are in rough hilly country, along tracks barely passable. The area is remote, and is not for the ill-prepared and faint hearted.

The gold deposits are fault controlled quartz lodes, hosted by low grade metasediments of the Halls Creek Group, and confined to a narrow stratigraphic zone between the Olympio and Biscay Formations, adjacent to dolerite sills of the Woodward Dolerite.

The lodes were generally thin (under 2 metres), steeply dipping quartz veins, usually shale hosted, but sometimes also dolerite and sandstone. Most deposits have only been accessed down to the oxidised zone, where fine gold was found. In un-oxidised zones gold is associated with pyrite-galena-sphalerite-chalcopyrite mineralisation. Many nuggets have also been found in the area over the years.

A geological feature of interest is near Old Halls Creek. The turn-off to China Wall is 5.7 kilometres south of the modern Halls Creek, off Duncan Road. It is a sub-vertical white quartz vein which marches up the side of a hill, projecting above the surface, and can be seen winding it way over hills in the distance, like a mini natural Great Wall of China.

Localities in this Region

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References