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

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

This historic mine bordered the Half Mile Reef mine to its north, both about 7 kilometres south-west of Bardoc.

It was developed in the late 1890's by an English company. They in turn employed an Italian contractor to construct two dams, the battery and sink a shaft. This contractor imported twelve miners from Lombardy Italy for the job. It became known to other miners in the district, the Italians were on virtually slave labour wages, and had to each pay off a 400 pound travel expense debt before they saw any money.

A branch of the Australian Miners Association was formed as a result of concern over the welfare of the Italians. The company claimed ignorance at what the contractor was paying his staff. Two representatives of the association interviewed the miners, the mine manager claiming they were forcibly detained and intimidated. This claim was denied by the association, which also stated the miners had no idea of how much their wages were until the first pay day. As a result the mine was black banned in the district.

Regardless the first crushing at the battery took place March 1897, and until 1905 the mine produced a substantial 22 963 tonnes of ore for 14 432 ounces of gold.

The main shaft was down to 565 feet, with levels at 120, 170, and 343 feet. The reef averaged 2 feet wide, the ore shoot dipping south. To the north and south, and also at depth the quartz veins pinched out. There was a small amount of water in the upper workings, but the lower levels were dry.

The mine is one of several which occupy a shallow valley 6 kilometres long and about 1 kilometre wide, from the Half Mile Reef area then south-east to the Bulletin mine. The schists are generally hornblende, and much weathered above the water level at 200 feet below the surface. The area contains numerous small porphyry dykes. The quartz reefs are Fe stained, often vughy containing gossan and high gold values. Below the water level the quartz takes on a banded appearance, often containing pyrites, sometimes of a botryoidal form.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

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