Criterion Mine, Arrowtown, Queenstown-Lakes District, Otago Region, New Zealandi

Regional Level Types
Criterion Mine	Mine
Arrowtown	- not defined -
Queenstown-Lakes District	District
Otago Region	Region
New Zealand	Country

Abandoned gold mine.

(Pyke, 1866) The reef trends north-south, 2 to 6 feet wide, and dips east 15 degrees.

(Hutton, 1875) The reef trends north-west, dips 80-90 degrees east. There were rich alluvial gold workings from the early rush discovery days next to the quartz lode workings.

The auriferous quartz reef here was discovered in 1864 by Victorian (Australia) miners William McWhirter and D. Stewart. They struck a rich patch 4 feet wide of quartz rubble of fine gold and gold quartz specimens amounting to 11 ounces. A primitive hand stamper was erected, and a shallow shaft sunk, but gold values decreased with depth.

They sold the claim for £300, and the Criterion Gold Mining Company was floated. They found a block of auriferous stone 10 foot long at 3 ounces of gold to the tonne. The reef consists of clayey mica schist mullock, traversed with quartz veins and bunches. The clay caused a lot of problems, as much of the fine gold was lost to the tailings.

A shaft was sunk to 120 feet, and worked from 90 feet to the surface, and a length of 70 feet. Another shaft down to 40 feet was sunk at the south-east end of the reef. A five stamp battery was erected, with twenty men employed to work it. (Hutton, 1875) states too many men had been employed to efficiently run the battery, and indicated bad management. The reef was small at depth, with low value gold, and their expensive dam was washed away in a flood. The company folded, and the battery was purchased by Jackson Barry and taken to the Carrick Range.

The New Criterion Gold Mining Company was formed in 1884. Henry B. Smith was mine manager. This company also soon folded.

In 1893, a London syndicate led by eternal optimist James Frederick Healey, decided to give the old mine a trial. Gold assayed at 2 ounces 11 dwt to the tonne. Information was found until 1897, and they went by the wayside as well.

The Gore syndicate pumped out the water from the old shaft in 1933. There was a small trial crushing, and work was suspended in December 1933. A further 3 tonnes of quartz was crushed in 1935 at the Unemployed Mining Executives battery in Conroy Gully.

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