Pioneer Gold Mine (Meekatharra; Little Sweetheart; St George; Savages), Meekatharra Goldfield, Meekatharra, Meekatharra Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Pioneer Gold Mine (Meekatharra; Little Sweetheart; St George; Savages)	Mine
Meekatharra Goldfield	Ore Field
Meekatharra	- not defined -
Meekatharra Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

Known as the Meekatharra Mines or Pioneer Group, located on the eastern outskirts of the town. The mine gave its name to the town. It is an area of about 100 acres of quartz strewn country.

In May 1896, J. Meecham, L. Soich, and T. Porter applied for GML 90N known as the Meekatharra mine. Little Sweetheart was applied for by T. Regan, and Savages (GML 93N) by L.H. Darlot on behalf of the London and Perth Explorers Limited.

The initial crushing of 61 tonnes for 47 ounces saw the Meekatharra mine quickly abandoned. The name was changed to Centaur for short time, then D. Downe took over the lease and found a rich vein. There has been several options over the mine, and a main shaft sunk in 1905 and machinery installed.

GML 93N, subsequently known as Savage's open cut was applied for by J. Savage in 1899, which he held for at least 13 years. It was twice during this time under option, and twice let to tributors. In 1899, it was the only operational mine on the field, but a crushing of 56 tonnes for 1160 ounces, soon had the other prospectors back.

The Little Sweetheart mine was occupied for various times up to World War One.

Of several other minor leases in the area, the St George was the most important (GML 323N), which was worked continuously until 1912. There was also a Pioneer Block and Pioneer North lease.

To 1916, this area in total produced 13 593 tonnes for 10 758 ounces of gold.

The ground consists of greenstone, strongly weathered and sheared talcrose and chloritic rock, black fibrous chloritic serpentine at the northern end, as well as fine chloritic slate and coarser flecked schist.

There are porphyry intrusives into the greenstone, traversed by quartz veins. There are three labelled West, East and Middle. Nearly all the gold was found in the West and Middle veins, and especially at the junction of the two. Both thin to the south, and the Middle vein is cut off abruptly by a fault at the northern end. The West vein is bluish quartz and the Middle vein sugary quartz.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

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