Duke Gold Mine, Broad Arrow, Broad Arrow Goldfield, Kalgoorlie-Boulder Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Duke Gold Mine	Mine
Broad Arrow	- not defined -
Broad Arrow Goldfield	Ore Field
Kalgoorlie-Boulder Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

The Duke Gold Mine can be reached by travelling along a north north-west striking track from the Goldfields Highway and Broad Arrow-Ora Banda Road. After 2 kilometres a cross track is reached and the mine is a few hundred metres to the north-east. The site consists of a 200 metre line of collapsed shafts or deep trenches striking north-east to south-west. Immediately south of this is remnant battery sands, which over the years has eroded southwards several hundred metres to the Valhalla mine.

Rich gold was discovered in 1895, and the lease sold to the Duke Mines Limited in 1896. The mine was developed by the Duke Mines Limited in the late 1890's. It was a large up to 40 feet lode, but low grade. Over 18 000 pounds had been spent on the mine between 1897 to 1900. At this point the company had run out of capital, and was borrowing money to pay wages. George E. Brown is mine manager.

The Standard Exploration Company purchased the mine. The former company requested six months exemption to arrange the transfer. Gold mining communities at the time disliked with a passion the granting of exemptions. An idle mine was the cause for unemployment, and a lack of money being spent at local businesses. The Broad Arrow Mayor, councillors and leading Broad Arrow citizens presented a petition to the Warden arguing against the exemption. The warden dismissed the petition as a bunch of trouble making rabble. He awarded three months exemption. B.H. or Hope Nicolson is mine manager for the new company.

Arthur Thors (33) died at the mine in July 1907, when a full ore bin tipped its contents on him underground and he was buried. The mine at this time was being worked by Frank Chapman, James Chant and Thors, who was said to have been strongly built. Chapman and Thors had been business partners in Boulder the prior twelve years.

The mine at this time is supplying water to the nearby Railway Venture mine battery. For years there had been plans in place to erect a public battery at the Duke mine. This fell through either for lack of funds, the lease holders wanting too much money, and the battery owner going bankrupt. One attempt saw the battery almost complete, before the creditors stepped in, dismantled the machinery and carted it away.

Hunt and Sons of Kalgoorlie own the lease in 1910. Probert and Quistini shortly after. A 10 head public battery was finally operational at the site in 1911.

By 1916, Hamblin and Northey (surnames) are taking ore out of the mine, it being sent to the Hannans Central battery at Kalgoorlie. The following year a Melbourne syndicate took an option over the lease. Allen and Thomas (surnames) are mining on behalf of the syndicate.

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