Challenge Gold Mine, Niagara, Kookynie Goldfield, Menzies Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Challenge Gold Mine	Mine
Niagara	- not defined -
Kookynie Goldfield	Ore Field
Menzies Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

The Challenge Gold Mine is the initial deposit discovered in the Niagara area in 1895 by Northmore and G.P. (Dorrie) Doolette. Later in 1895, the Challenge Gold Estates Proprietary was floated in London with 225 000 pounds capital. Of this 180 000 pounds went to the original prospectors, making them instant millionaires by todays standards. Eight leases were purchased from the prospectors totalling 114 acres.

A 10 head battery was erected, and cyanide plant capable of 100 tonnes per month. Robert Collins was mine manager. A shallow shaft was sunk to 50 feet, and much costeaning. Soon the near surface ore had run out, and due to wasteful use of money, the company ran out of capital. The company was reconstructed June 1897, and raised a further 95 000 pounds capital. It was one of 73 Western Australian mining companies to float in London in the first half of that year, raising 7.7 million pounds. Remember that's in 1897 figures.

The work at a shallow level continued and again they ran out of capital and folded. The leases were divided up amongst several companies and prospectors, and became the Missing Link, Eaglehawk Feather, Justice etc.

After the company left, the lease was taken up by M. Grace. In 1905, the main Challenge mine was taken over by a Kalgoorlie syndicate. Fourteen men were employed with the shaft down to 160 feet. The battery was sold to the Champion mine.

Shortly after it fell into the hands of Charles de Bernales. The warden at Kookynie was no fan of de Bernales who he rightly saw as a speculator rather than a miner. H.G. Hepburn on behalf of an Adelaide syndicate, challenged for forfeiture in 1909 and won, although de Bernales would run to the Mines Department to get the warden's decisions overridden. GML 586G.

The mine produced 1029 tonnes of ore for 847 ounces of gold. While the mine was not successful, it did produce some magnificent specimens from the upper levels. These all went through the mill, and are no longer with us today.

The main lease borders the south side of the Kookynie Road, and little remains. A line of shafts, small pits, and two open cuts extends for a kilometre, and some of this was the extended leases owned by the company originally.

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