Great Banjo Gold Mine, Yarri Goldfield, Menzies Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Great Banjo Gold Mine	Mine
Yarri Goldfield	Ore Field
Menzies Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

North of Yarri, is a rugged and remote area containing several minor gold finds stretching over an area approximately 20 kilometres north-south and 5 kilometres wide. These often represent minor gold finds from prospectors over the years after the Yarri deposits were discovered in 1902.

Access is by station tracks. One heads north just east of Yarri, and then take the left fork at the first ephemeral creek. This leads to Gibberts and Great Banjo. Further locations are north-northeast of Gibberts. Another station track heads north just west of Yarri, with most locations east of the track. Many of the locations have no access, no names, limited or no history recorded, and showing minor near surface workings. The area is remote and the nearest help is the Edjudina Station.

As far as named mines on maps, three were found. Gibberts is half way between Yarri and the Great Banjo mine, about 300 metres east of the faint track. Some near surface pits, mullock and modern exploration trenching are at the site.

Great Banjo is about 5 kilometres north of Yarri, on a barely visible and rough track. It has the most substantial footprint of all the locations, as a prospector location. The site contains a small pit, some modern trenching, mullock and disturbed ground, and possibly building or machinery ruins.

Porphyry North is about 20 kilometres north of Yarri, and 1 kilometre east of the western track, in open flat countryside. The site contains a bulldozed area.

No information was found on any of these locations. Historically they may have only been reported as a new find, and were always un-named at that time. Gibson and Johnston discovered a new reef 4 to 5 kilometres north of Yarri in 1908. This places it about the location of the Great Banjo but it is impossible to confirm.

Another possibility is the following report. The distance is a little far, but it described an adit being dug into the side of the hill. Satellite images indicate this could be the pit seen, but on the ground confirmation is needed.

In 1923, a new gold find was reported about 12 kilometres north-east or north of Yarri, by a prospector called Kirwan. A. Winzar, Inspector of Mines, visited the location, stating it was made on a 30 foot high granite hill, where a leader was located carrying gold. However the leader was only pencil thin. The prospector Kirwan found gold in adjacent rocks, but Winzar was non-plussed. A local correspondent visited the location and was more enthusiastic. This source states it was a huge dyke with small quartz and ironstone leaders intersecting in all directions showing coarse and fine gold, with erratic gold values. Floaters it was claimed were found everywhere at the bottom of the hill. An 8 foot wide adit had been dug into the side of the hill.

The only definitive information was a crushing from the Great Banjo mine in 1905 by a prospector named Parker, which is a date before the information above.

The map is approximate only in this instance, and is of the Great Banjo Mine.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References