Green Diamond Mine, Hatches Creek Wolfram Field, Hatches Creek, Barkly Region, Northern Territory, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Green Diamond Mine	Mine
Hatches Creek Wolfram Field	- not defined -
Hatches Creek	Creek
Barkly Region	Region
Northern Territory	Territory
Australia	Country

The Green Diamond wolfram mine is found in the Wolfram Hill section of the Hatches Creek wolfram field. To access take the track south, opposite the Pioneer mine on the Kurundi Road (Binns Track). After about two kilometres a track branches east north-east, gradually turning north over a kilometre to a 3-way intersection. Continue straight on for about 100 metres to the mine.

The mine contains lodes covering a total length of 1500 feet in a north north-east direction towards the Black Diamond mine to the north, and contains extensive workings. The lodes are hosted by quartz-sandstone, all dipping south.

The early history of the mine is not known, but by 1940 there are 5 leases named from east to west Bumboat, Lehmann's (known as Black Angel before 1951), Horrible Annie, Reserve, and Little Wonder. By 1956, these were combined into the Green Diamond lease to the east, and Good Hope lease to the west. The leases were said to have been very active in the late 1930's. Horrible Annie and Black Angel were taken over by the Commonwealth government 1942-1944.

The reefs have a greater habit of splitting than in many parts of the Hatches Creek field, possibly due to the hard country rock. The Main Lode at the Green Diamond was developed from the Old Shaft. It was custom at Hatches Creek for everyone to turn up for the mail run once a week, both as a social event, and as a miner count to make sure everyone was ok. When the Green Diamond prospector failed to appear, they went searching. Blowflies, and a putrid smell from the shaft told them all they needed to know. The shaft was blown, and this prospector remains buried in the workings.

Another shaft was sunk in 1951. The Main Lode is an intricate set of quartz reefs, with numerous horses in a shear zone 4-5 feet wide, dipping south 45-60 degrees, the reef dividing into multiple forks along its length. Breccia quartz is found at the eastern end, but is barren. The Lehmann Fault causes large displacements of the reefs.

Wolframite is the main ore, with scheelite and tungstite. To a depth of 134 feet, the workings contain a suite of primary and secondary sulphides, copper carbonates, and bismuth minerals. Mica is common, with some sericite and pink stained kaolin adjacent to altered wolframite.

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