Round Hill, Southland District, Southland Region, New Zealandi

Regional Level Types
Round Hill	Hill
Southland District	District
Southland Region	Region
New Zealand	Country

47 kg platinum were produced by the Round Hill Mining Company near Orepuki between 1897 and 1907.

Alluvial gold mining scars, and ponds are found across an extensive area from 2 kilometres north of Orepuki, heading south-east to the locality of Round Hill, and a limited extent east towards Riverton, laterally covering about 12 kilometres. Most are hidden off the main highway, and many on private property.

Initially gold was mined from beach sands from around 1865. Further inland claims taken up by Europeans were abandoned, it is assumed due to the overburden, and/or fine nature of the gold, although the sources are not clear to the reason. Chinese miners moved in from the early 1870's with more success. A town was established at Round Hill called Canton, at its peak reaching 500 souls. This was the southern most Chinese settlement in the world. Nothing remains of the town, although a local farmer runs tours of old Chinese mine sites on his property, and has a small private museum. A public museum at Riverton also has some items, and a couple of walk trails in the hills behind Round Hill follows water races, tramways, and some stone walls can be seen.

In 1891, a company based in Liverpool England was floated, called the Round Hill Hydraulic Sluicing Company, which gradually purchased all the water rights, squeezing out small time miners. This company hydro sluiced and elevated areas in the district until 1953, being an extremely long lived enterprise.

The area contains basal diorite, with a sequence above of sandstones, siltstones, and poor quality lignite. The lignite seams are muddy, containing fine silt pockets, and woody tissue, appearing as almost brown-black clay. Some tree trunks and amber is also found in it. Above this is sand, clay and shingles containing gold.

Gold particles are very fine, described as toroidal shaped (think donuts with flat sides). The gold is recycled from older beach sediments. Most microscopically are encrusted with polymorphic clays, and bio-organic matter, and locally impregnated with fine grained authigenic (developed in-situ) gold. Some display delicate authigenic gold overgrowths.

Detrital platinum such as isoferroplatinum is also found in the gold deposits, and magnetite beach sands. This was discovered by the mine manager of the Round Hill Hydraulic Sluicing Company, noticing a silvery white mineral left behind after gold extraction. The platinum is found as minute thin scales, round or oval thin plates, or leaves.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References