Puzzle Gold Mine, Leonora, Leonora Shire, Western Australia, Australiai
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Puzzle Gold Mine | Mine |
| Leonora | Town |
| Leonora Shire | Shire |
| Western Australia | State |
| Australia | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
28° 42' 5'' South , 121° 10' 59'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Leonora | 532 (2012) | 24.9km |
In 1940, two long time prospectors discovered the Puzzle deposit. Robert ('Bob') Dowson had travelled from Daylesford Victoria in the early 1900's, and with his prospecting partner Bert ('Herb')Cottingham, spent the next 40 years prospecting the northern goldfields. The Puzzle find was a final reward for persistence late in their age.
The mine was located on a ridgeline 200 yards long and 12 feet high of schist and quartz. They dug several shallow shafts no more than 20 feet deep, and alluvial workings. Only one shaft, dug in 1945, went deeper to 50 feet where water was encountered.
Crushings were 1940: 134 tonnes, 150 ounces 22 dwt, 1941: 614 tonnes, 399 ounces, 23 dwt, 1942: 240 tonnes, 345 ounces 13 dwt, 1943: 130 tonnes, 141 ounces, 21 dwt, 1944: 212 tonnes, 309 ounces, 34 dwt, 1945: 275 tonnes, 370 ounces, 27 dwt, 1946: 265 tonnes, 134 ounces, 10 dwt, and 334 ounces from the sands.
Until 1943, ore was carted 20 miles to the Reefers battery. After this a battery was purchased from the Innuit lease, and its owner William Seaborn brought into the partnership. A cyanide plant was also erected.
At the end of 1947 they sold the mine, however Dowson did not enjoy retirement long, dying six months later, and is now buried in the Leonora cemetery.
The mine had been sold to a party of five miners, being Vic Parora, Con
Patroni, Giorgi, Rocchi, and Cioli. Crushings by them were found until 1950.
The mine is 25 kilometres north of Leonora, and about 2 kilometres west of the Goldfields Highway. A little used track connects the mine to the highway. The Rainbow Gold Mine is 500 metres due west, and large King of the Hills (Tarmoola) north north-west by 5 kilometres . Numerous isolated historic shafts, and small groupings of shafts litter the area. An irregular shaped, small shallow pit now marks the site, it would appear from more modern times.
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Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsCommodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.Mineral List
2 valid minerals.
Rock Types Recorded
Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!
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Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Native Gold Formula: Au |
| ⓘ Quartz Formula: SiO2 |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 1 - Elements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Native Gold | 1.AA.05 | Au |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| O | Oxygen | |
|---|---|---|
| O | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Au | Gold | |
| Au | ⓘ Native Gold | Au |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
Australia
- Western Australia
- Mount Keith Nickel Metallogenic ProvinceGeologic Province
- West Australian ElementCraton
- Yilgarn CratonCraton
Australian PlateTectonic Plate
- West Australian Craton
- Eastern Yilgarn CratonCraton
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