Redleap Gold Mine (Cardinal), Mulline Goldfield, Menzies Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Redleap Gold Mine (Cardinal)	Mine
Mulline Goldfield	Ore Field
Menzies Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

The Redleap Gold Mine is named after a horse. It was reasonably common for prospectors to name their discoveries after famous Australian horses of the time. As the main mode of transport in the 1890's, interest in all things 'horsey' was far greater than now.

Redleap was a successful steeplechaser in the 1890's. Beyond Phar Lap, unless someone has an interest in horse racing history, most successful Australian horses from times past have been forgotten about. It is noted in 1940, Redleap's skeleton was in the Melbourne Museum (and is assumed is still there locked in a vault somewhere), along with Carbine, and the remains of Phar Lap (both having gold mines named after them also in Western Australia).

Redleap won the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdle Race twice, the Grand National Steeplechase by six lengths with a record weight for the time, and the Caulfield Grand National Steeplechase by four lengths. The jockey for all these races was W.S. Cox.

The deposit was discovered by the Moss brothers of Coolgardie, probably around 1895. In 1896 they sold the mine for 5800 pounds to Neil McNeil. Another source at the same time states it was sold for 6000 pounds to the Lady Shenton mine at Menzies.

From the late 1890's to about 1905 the deposit was developed by English based London and Coolgardie Explorers Company. After extracting thousands of valuable tonnes of ore, they lost the reef. Much prospecting later could not relocate it, and the lease was abandoned. The major shareholders of the company were the Lever brothers (William and James), who developed a new soap making process from 1885 in Britain. It was a hugely successful manufacturing business. The company merged in 1930 to form Unilever.

On February 20 1901, miner and prospector, James Sutherland was killed in a fall of earth at the mine. His grave is hidden in the scrub, about 5 kilometres south of the mine, just north-east of the Ularring Soak. This is the rock on the west side of the road north of Ularring Rock, with the grave about 100 metres east of the road. He was 35 years of age, originally from Wycheproof Victoria.

In 1902 there were five shafts, on a reef striking north-west to south-east. At the 100 foot level, the reef had been driven on for 150 feet south and 50 feet north, and stoped to the surface for a length of 150 feet. A northern shaft there was driving at the 100 feet for a length of 300 feet, with 100 feet stoped to the surface. The reef averaged 10 inches wide, was very irregular, with varying dips. A large quartzite dyke ran alongside the reef, and occasionally crossed it, but never displaced the reef.

Around 1906, Mulwarrie prospectors, S. Bowyer, M. McInnes, and D. Russell, sank a shaft just south of the old workings. They quickly came across a 9 inch leader which opened out at depth to 2 feet wide. At 80 feet down they drove along the reef discovering rich specimen stone, some individual pieces 15 to 22 ounces each.

The mine was being worked in 1912 by Percy Robinson and Bob Boundy. Until 1913, they found more rich stone, and re-named the lease the Cardinal after another well known steeplechaser of the time.

In recent decades a large open pit was developed at the site, but more information is needed on this. The mine is 5 kilometres north of Ularring Rock, the pit borders the east side of the Mulline-Davyhurst Road, and the tailings heap borders the west side of the road.

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