Alice Mary Mine, Kundip, Ravensthorpe Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Alice Mary Mine	Mine
Kundip	- not defined -
Ravensthorpe Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

A historic copper mine. Tectonic Resources is presently (2012) accessing the feasiblity of opening the mine again. The company states the deposit also holds gold, silver, lead and zinc. Located approximately 20 kilometres south of Raventhorpe to the east of the Ravensthorpe-Hopetoun Road.




There has been miniature specimens of lavendulan rarely seen on the market from this mine. A passing reference is made to lavendulan at the mine (Sampleite from Jingemia Cave, Mineralogical Magazine, Sept 1978, Vol 42, pp369-371, P.J. Bridge et al.) although the article itself relates to a different species and location in Western Australia. More information is needed on the provenance of these lavendulan specimens.

A newspaper article (Western Mail, Phillips River Goldfield-Discovery of New Minerals 27/02/1909), which rarely for a newspaper printed a geology piece. Its included as provides useful information about species at the mine, but fails to mention lavendulan. I part quote and part summarise due to the 'flowery' nature of the article:

'The Government Geologist has received the following interesting report from the Assistant Government Geologist (Mr Woodward). The facts are briefly as follows- whilst engaged upon the recent examination of the field I was struck by the appearance of certain minerals in the ore from Alice Mary, ML99, owned by Mr (John) Ellis, which were suppose to be cuprite and azurite but did not answer the description of these minerals. I therefore collected as many as I could carry, and upon my return to Perth submitted these to Mr Simpson for determination. They proved to be olivenite and erythrite'(which are described later as streaks of pink).

The article proceeds to describe a third mineral but did not have enough material to identify so got more ore from Mr Ellis.

'In this second lot of ore two more minerals hitherto unrecorded in this State has been detected- symplesite and cobaltite. The latter two minerals are an intermate admixture in the form of veins and nodules of massive black and green symplesite, inpregnated with finely granular cobaltite and occasionally by arsenopyrite'.

They regret much of the ore had already been sent to the smelters for copper as cobalt at the time was higly valuable.

The only historic references found for the mine was across 1909-1910 (2 articles). Either it was a small operation swallowed up by a neighbouring mine, changed its name, or ceased to exist as an active mine. It states it adjoins Xmas Gift Mine (which is still not much help) and the lease is 5 acres owned by John Ellis. The operation is described as very small, the copper occurring in bunches along a narrow lode. Handpicking brings the copper content to 16% and gold at 10dwt per tonne. Cobalt (Cobaltite) was struck at the 18 metres level and continues downwards. The 1910 reference merely states high grade ore struck. More information is needed here as well.

The difficulty with the Kundip field, is there were dozens of small mines covering several kilometres, as a continuous broad line of diggings and shafts. These have now been overgrown with thick scrub through one hundred years of neglect. A mine may have had only one shaft, or several with alluvial diggings as well, and it is very difficult to determine where one mine ends and the next starts. The writer noted the lack of specimens at any of the mines he visited. Tectonic Resources as noted in the first paragraph from another writer has dug several pits in one small section of the Kundip field.

A word of warning: you can only get to the field by hiking in. The maze of tracks and thick scrub means without local knowledge you are likely to become lost. Numerous unfenced open shafts exist surrounded by soft loamy unstable soil.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References