Spring Hill Gold Mine (Carlyle), Parker Range Goldfield, Yilgarn Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Spring Hill Gold Mine (Carlyle)	Mine
Parker Range Goldfield	Ore Field
Yilgarn Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

The most substantial location in the Parker Range area, mainly as it held the battery, that local prospectors would crush their ore at in the early days of the goldfield. There was also a gold mine at the site. This is located approximately 25 kilometres south of Marvel Loch, 1 kilometre south of the Buffalo South gold prospect, and borders the east side of the Marvel Loch-Forrestania Road. For a battery location the site is not extensive.

The Spring Hill mine consists of a 200 metre long open pit 5 to 10 metres deep. At the base of the pit are two shafts accessing several stoped areas.

It is thought the mine was developed shortly after gold was discovered in the area in 1888. The Carlyle was an early name for the mine in the early to mid 1890's. It was developed by the Carlyle Gold Mining Company. One writer states the mine had a sickly and troublesome career in its early years. Like many mines in the area, activity hit a low ebb in 1892, when the incredibly rich Coolgardie field was discovered, and most miners in the area fled to it. So did the battery, which was re-erected on the famous Bayley's Reward mine at Coolgardie. By 1895, a 10 head battery had been re-built on the site. The battery was almost sold again in 1897 to pay a 400 pound debt, based on some judgement in the Warden's Court.

In 1909 it is stated Spring Hill is the only mine being developed at the time in the area. The underground workings extend to 150 feet below the surface and along strike for 300 feet, on a 12 foot wide lode. Fourteen men are employed at the mine. It contains at this point a 5 head battery, which was later extended to 10 head, although it appears only 5 head was ever running due to a lack of ore, and meagre water supplies. Alex Patterson owns the battery and mine.

Information about many of the gold mines on this field is limited. The next report is 1923, although adds little new. GML 724, 5 acres, Spring Hill. The main shaft is still at 150 feet, on a lode of quartz, ironstone, and occasional kaolin, the latter yielding the most gold. Patterson still owns the operation. Crushings are noted for the mine and various local prospectors across the period, but appears to end in 1925.

The estimated resource at the site is 406 700 tonnes of ore at 2.0 g/t yielding 25 750 ounces of gold.

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