New Hope Gold Mine, Tennant Creek, Barkly Region, Northern Territory, Australiai

Regional Level Types
New Hope Gold Mine	Mine
Tennant Creek	Creek
Barkly Region	Region
Northern Territory	Territory
Australia	Country

The New Hope gold mine is at the far south-eastern edge of the Tennant Creek Goldfield, about 30 kilometres from the town, bordering the north side of the Gosse River Road, where it turns from heading east to east-south-east. The Flag, Comstock, Plumb or Plum, and Desert Hope mines are also in the immediate area.

The New Hope probably dates from the 1930's, initially rich, but the amount of gold available was small, or as the source states 'Some early good returns then fell on its arse'.

The site was explored by National Lead in 1957, although their drilling failed to reach the mineralised zone. In the early 2000's, Emmerson Resources, contracted Craig's Mining Services to conduct small scale underground mining. Prior to this the site contained three shafts, and an adit, although whether these remain is unclear.

The area is complex, with gold found in hematite-magnetite bodies, controlled by three major faults. Country rock is greywacke, porphyry, slate, granite. At the mine site at depth, there is lower greywacke/slate with a north-south trending fault, the rock dipping south, west of the fault, and dipping north, east of the fault. Upper areas contain greywacke separated from other rocks by the Gosse Fault. The greywacke is a type of fine siliceous arenite. The mine inhabits a broad syncline plunging north-west by 20 degrees, truncated by the Gosse Fault with local overturning, and chaotic bedding close to the fault.

There are three sets of ironstone outcrops on the New Hope lease. The northern side of the outcrops is sheared, about 2 feet wide, of nodular hematite and magnetite in red clay, chlorite, and talcose. Immediate surrounding this is fine grained white slate (termed 'measle' slate by the source), containing Fe concretions, which decrease in size with depth. Little quartz is found in the main outcrop, although it occurs nearby as stringers and veins, sometimes with swirl patterns. To the east of the mine is cherry red coloured shale, passing into pelletoidal flowstone.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References