British King Gold Mine, Darlot Goldfield, Leonora Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
British King Gold Mine	Mine
Darlot Goldfield	Ore Field
Leonora Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

The British King Gold Mine, and its neighbouring leases British King West and British King East are two kilometres west south-west of the Melrose station homestead, and 200 metres north of the Darlot-Weebo Road.

Little appears to remain at the site, although any old shafts would need an on the ground inspection. The tailing sands from the battery were re-processed at least three times over the years, and while some remnants remain, it is minor considering the level of mining over one hundred years ago.

The original prospectors were Sutton and Kerr (surnames) from Cue, who sold the lease in 1896 to the London and Western Australian Exploration Company. They worked the mine until 1899.

In 1900, all three leases were taken over by the Fingall Reef Extended Company from Day Dawn. This was a large operation employing seventy men. A ten head battery was transferred from the Menzies United mine, later expanded to twenty stamps. The mine was being managed by Bewick Moreing and Co, and the leases were abandoned in 1903, it is said due to the high managerial costs imposed by this company.

The sands were left untreated, but shortly after a Mr. Rankin processed the sands for a 2500 pound profit. There was 9000 tonnes of sands available, and Rankin employed four men, with 7 x 30 tonne cyanide tanks for the task.

The battery was transferred to the Vivien mine at Lawlers. The sands were re-processed again in 1915 by Dawson and Murie (surnames).

The mine at this point had only been worked to the 160 foot level, with
12 248 tonnes of ore extracted for 8850 ounces of gold. Bissett (surname) and the Metzke brothers took up the lease in 1907, and were active with intermittent mining until 1918. J. Anderson took out a crushing in 1919. A Perth syndicate re-pegged the lease in 1920.

Wesley Moore treated the battery sands again in 1949.

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References