Hen and Chickens Mine, Hatches Creek Wolfram Field, Hatches Creek, Barkly Region, Northern Territory, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Hen and Chickens Mine	Mine
Hatches Creek Wolfram Field	- not defined -
Hatches Creek	Creek
Barkly Region	Region
Northern Territory	Territory
Australia	Country

The Hen and Chickens mine is part of the Hit or Miss group of workings on the Hatches Creek wolfram field. To reach head south along a track opposite the Pioneer mine bordering the Kurundi Road (Binns Track). After about 5 kilometres the track reaches the Hatches Creek itself, and proceeds south partly along the sandy creek bed (possibly boggy). At the second gully, a track heads west to the workings. Only 200 metres or so along the track the Hen and Chickens workings border the north side as two shafts (Hen and Chickens, Prices), and some shallow diggings further up the ridge.

The mine first opened in 1916, then lapsing in 1922. It was re-registered in 1936, going through several owners until F. Vandenberg in 1951. The mine closed in 1956.

There are four lodes, labelled 1-4, south to north. They are hosted by interbedded sedimentary rocks, and volcanic rocks, with quartzite of Dooley's Ridge. Two large faults strike north-west either side of the group.

The No. 1 Lode is mostly within volcanic rocks, terminating to the south in sedimentary rocks. There is one reef, 2-12 inches wide, dipping west 60-80 degrees, with open cuts and four shafts along its length of 500 feet. Two of the shafts are down to 50 feet, one at 30 feet, and the fourth called Prices Shaft with rich ore found to the water level at 70 feet. The reef is offset by several small north dipping faults. A rich patch was found at the 47 foot level of Prices Shaft, where the reef had been dragged along a horizontal shear. A second rich section was at the 70 foot level.

No. 2 Lode is north of No. 1 Lode hosted by interbedded sandstone, siltstone and quartzite, then to the north by acid porphyries, quartzite, then acid porphyry again, then in turn quartzite. The lode is 150 feet long, occurring 380 feet north of Prices Shaft. There is one reef on which three shafts have been sunk, one being the Hen and Chickens Shaft down to a depth of 75 feet. Most of the reef has been removed due to mining above this level. Ore is concentrated in two sections of the reef, linked by barren cross shears, the shoots pitching steeply west.

No. 3 lode is smaller than the others, north of the No. 2 Lode, containing a number of quartz reefs up to 12 inches wide in total, dipping 55-80 degrees, along a complicated shear. The lode is 500 feet long, with several quartz reefs, and quartz stringers in volcanic rocks, except at the ends which are sedimentary rocks. Ore levels in the lode are poor.

No. 4 Lode is 50 feet north of No. 3 Lode, with quartz reefs outcropping discontinually for 600 feet. Only two sections were developed, with two shafts 80 and 30 feet deep, however when inspected in 1956 no sign of the shafts could be found. The reef is 12-14 inches wide, steeply dipping south, carrying rich ore. There is also a narrow and ore poor central section dipping 70-80 degrees south.

The dominant ore in all the lodes is scheelite, with widespread but minor secondary copper species of malachite, chalcocite, covellite, and minor chalcopyrite, and native bismuth. Iron oxides are abundant. Mica occurs as selvedge, small stringers, and small flakes disseminated in the ore.

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