Batavia Gold Mine (Dow's Batavia; Papuan United), Kookynie, Kookynie Goldfield, Menzies Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Batavia Gold Mine (Dow's Batavia; Papuan United)	Mine
Kookynie	- not defined -
Kookynie Goldfield	Ore Field
Menzies Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

The Batavia Gold Mine was developed by London based Britannia Gold Mining Company Ltd, who worked it with the neighbouring Britannia mine to the south. The company acquired the lease in 1895, and abandoned it due to low gold values in 1903. For most of this period J. Leipold was joint mine manager for both mines. The company had sunk three shafts, but the main was in the wrong position, and made operations awkward and expensive.

The Batavia during this period produced 8061 ounces of gold from 7902 tonnes of ore (GML 279G), amounting to 120 000 pounds money wise in early Twentieth Century figures. As Dow's Batavia around 1907 and Papuan United it produced 85 ounces from 57 tonnes (GML 717G). Then back under the name of Batavia 64 ounces from 92 tonnes, all the above before 1915. Some prospectors worked the mine to a minor degree in later years.

Daniel O'Brien applied for the lease (8 acres) in March 1949.

The Batavia is said to have shown traces of tellurides at one stage. Historically, mines in Western Australia until after World War Two, saw little value in the skills of a geologist. The state government had appointed a geologist who would spend most of the year travelling from mine to mine across the vast remote interior. Most famous of these was E.S. Simpson, but there were several others. Their inspections, produced reports which are at best general, and almost never included a full, or substantial list of species.

Please be warned the following episode is harrowing, but it is important to highlight the dangerous nature of mining during these times, as compared to now.

John Thomas Ryan and John Douglas Hoar, were prospectors working the Champion Mine to the south in 1933. In October of that year, Ryan stated one morning he was walking north to some leases to take samples. Later in the morning Hoar saw a puff of smoke in the distance, but as the mine was near the railway line, thought nothing of it.

Ryan had lit a candle with a match in the underground workings of the old Batavia mine. He threw the match to the ground, whereby it lit gunpowder and an explosion followed. At some point previously the drive had been used to store explosive magazines.

Ryan was burn't from head to foot. All his clothes had been burned off apart from his boots. Hoar saw a blackened figure screaming and running towards him. He got onto his bicycle and rode the 5 kilometres to Kookynie. From here he travelled back to the mine with help, and had arranged for the train to stop to take Ryan to the Kookynie hospital. They met Ryan walking towards town, having travelled some three miles in total by this stage from the scene of the accident. He died shortly after at the hospital.

The Batavia Gold Mine is approximately 5 kilometres north of Kookynie, and about 300 metres north of where the Malcolm-Kookynie Road crosses the railway line. The location is east of the road, between it and the railway line. The site consists of a north-south line of shafts over several hundred metres, with some small trenches, alluvial workings and mullock. It is 100 metres north of the Britannia Gold Mine. Further, at this point, directly west of the road is an intensive west south-west to east north-east line of shafts, and more minor modern cross trenches stretching several hundred metres. There is some indication this was also part of the Batavia mine, as one source stated the workings run east-west. The extensive nature of the workings in this area, would indicate there were probably several named leases in the early days.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

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