Bonnievale Gold Mine (Westralia; Varischetti), Coolgardie, Coolgardie Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Bonnievale Gold Mine (Westralia; Varischetti)	Mine
Coolgardie	City
Coolgardie Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

My belief is this is referring to an abandoned goldfield, 14 kilometres north of Coolgardie, although gold is not listed for the location on Mindat. The writer visited the location in 1980 ( a long time ago), and it was a collection of shafts, mullock piles and diggings, spread over several acres, immediately south of the Trans Australian Railway Line.

The goldfield is named after a prospector called Bonnie, who discovered the site, after picking up a 7oz nugget in May or June 1894.

In the public domain, it appears to only be remembered for a famous mine rescue in 1907. On March 19 1907, a thunderstorm hit the goldfield, and the Westralia Mine was flooded. 160 men working underground scrambled to safety. One, Modesto Varischetti, was left behind. Initially he was given up for dead, but then tapping could be heard. Pumping equipment was rushed to the site, but the estimated time of one week to clear the water, there was little hope for his survival. Modesto was trapped at the 1000ft level.

The son of the mine manager suggested divers, and two were brought in from Kalgoorlie. The only air hose long enough was in Fremantle, 560 kilometres away, and the State Government ordered a special train delivery of the hose to Coolgardie. At the time, it set a world record pace over the distance.

The divers were Frank Hughes and Thomas Hearn; and the rescue was organised by mine engineer Herbert Hoover, who was to later become President of the United States.

Several dives were made starting on day 4 of the emergency. The divers reached Modesto, who had survived in an air pocket, on day 6. Essential supplies were delivered to him. On day 9, enough water had been pumped out, for Modesto to be guided by the divers through waist to neck high water, and knee deep sludge to the surface.

Modesto eventually went back to work, and died aged 57 from fibrosis, another danger to miners.

A plaque marks the site.

While I believe no town remains at the site, the Bonnievale Tavern was reconstructed at Westonia around 1910, and now operates as the Westonia Tavern. Westonia is 75 kilometres west of Southern Cross, at the Edna May Gold Mine.

The quartz at the site is hard, white, or glassy, with very minor sulphides including galena. Mineralisation is in laminated quartz reefs in biotite granulite, intruded by ultramafic rocks, locally schistose near the granite contacts. The reefs run parallel to the regional rock, dip steeply north-east, except one reef which strikes north, dipping shallowly east.

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References