King Solomon Mine (King Solomon's; Break Em All; Switzers Freehold), Waikaia Valley, Southland District, Southland Region, New Zealandi

Regional Level Types
King Solomon Mine (King Solomon's; Break Em All; Switzers Freehold)	Mine
Waikaia Valley	Valley
Southland District	District
Southland Region	Region
New Zealand	Country

Most of the locations around Waikaia were temporary alluvial ground or hydro sluicing, or dredging operations in auriferous gravels. The King Solomon Mine was the most substantial, and longest lasting mine in the area. It is located just south of Winding Creek Road, about 8 kilometres south south-east of Waikaia. The site is presently a tree plantation, behind a house on private property.

The mine probably started shortly after gold was discovered in the area in 1862. It was alluvial ground sluicing in gravels, the claim named Break Em All.

Controversy erupted in 1871, when the Waste Lands Board sold 50 acres of the site cheaply as freehold, preventing in the process, locals from alluvial mining in the area. After a prolonged agitation a commission of enquiry was set up in 1873, but little came of it.

The lucky new owner was Allan McDonald, who quickly sold it to Horace Bastings and Hector Norman Simpson or Simson (both spellings in newspapers). April 1874 they floated the Switzers Freehold Gold Mining Company with £5,000 capital. Bastings and Simpson were the majority shareholders, with 25 mainly Dunedin merchants and tradesmen holding one to two shares each.

The mine was let on tribute to a group of Chinese miners initially, who obtained much gold, before the company took over operations, installing elevators and other modern equipment for the time on 10 feet thick auriferous gravels.

It is reported in 1886, major mining at the site had ceased with rusting machinery, and three miners tributing the only activity. It is reported in 1897 an English company had purchased the claim in the middle of a mining speculation boom on the London stock exchange. No information was found of activity immediately after, although some mining must have been occurring in 1904 due to the story below.

In 1904, Frank Irwin (20) had been employed to care-take the mine site, and the Argyle water race leading to it. Frank had a habit of pulling out his revolver, and threatening to shoot anyone who annoyed him. One occasion this happened to a group of fellow employees, and he was pinned down, and the gun removed from him temporarily. He was subsequently dismissed. Seeking revenge he returned shortly after, and not realising the danger was invited into John Thornton's house nearby for dinner. After the meal John and his son left to look for cattle. In the meantime Mrs Thornton was severely injured when Irwin shot her three times. He then proceeded to the care-takers hut with the intention to kill the man who had replaced him, however committed suicide shortly before arriving at the hut.

A company was formed in 1925 to take over the claim as the King Solomon Gold Mines Limited. In 1927, a 3 ounce nugget from the mine was displayed in Denison's jewellers, on Queen Street in Auckland. It appears the company was restructured around 1930 as the King Solomon Deep Lead Ltd. The company extracted in its life £130,000 worth of gold, and produced £19,500 in dividends, after £15,000 had been invested by the original shareholders.

In 1937, the mine closed after a series of poor results. A section of auriferous wash remained untouched at the bottom of the shaft due to safety reasons, and probably remains there to this day.

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