Big government input for Tarcoola far north goldfields during first half of 20th Century in South Australia
Historical mining structures and equipment, including the South Australian government batteries (ore crushers), left on the Tarcoola and Glenloth gold mining fields in the state's far north during the first half of the 20th Century were placed on the state heritage list.
Images courtesy Exploroz
Strong involvement by the South Australian government was a feature of the far north Tarcoola goldfields – the largest reef and area exploited for that metal at the start of the 20th Century and expected to match major Victorian mines Ballarat and Bendigo. The rich historical mining landscape left at Tarcoola and nearby goldfield at Glenloth, 50 kilometres away, were state heritage listed.
While prospectors found small alluvial gold deposits around Tarcoola from 1893, it took until 1899 for groups to claim valuable mineral areas there. Andrew Tenant and C. H. Hakendorf headed the most successful of these. After nine prospectors of Western and South Australian Border Prospecting Association identified the Tarcoola gold veins as sustaining most intensive mining for decades, Tarcoola Blocks Co. was formed with claims on 10 20-acre blocks and became one of the state's most successful mining companies with its own infrastructure.
The South Australian government had increased its role on goldfields by buying a battery (ore crusher) at Mount Torrens in 1894 and building a battery at Peterborough three years later. Tarcoola saw the most intensive government involvement. Tarcoola goldfields’ first heyday, 1900-18, had up to 500 people living in mostly improvised housing and working at Tarcoola Blocks and many small mines largely without mechanised equipment.
The South Australian government invested major capital and energy to support mining by groups of all sizes at the field’s eastern end. The government even started its own mine in 1900, opening it to the public and building a battery that became a base for ore processing, with battery staff also operating the government's battery at Glenloth. Tarcoola had continued support by state and federal government investment to promote jobs and economic activity into the 1930s Depression.
The South Australian government battery, complete with cyanidation plant, was open to mining groups that couldn’t afford their own. The government funded wells in and around its battery for a vital water supply, a laid-out original town (abandoned in 1919), as well as financial and practical assistance to large and small enterprises, who worked the field until the government’s battery closed in the mid 1950s.
By repairing and upgrading the government battery, making grants and technical support/upgrades for miners, and building an iron tank in 1935 to boost the battery’s water supply, the government attracted up to 60 men to the field at a time, prospecting and opening new mines until the 1950s.
Tarcoola Proprietary was among companies that failed to find riches in extensions of Tarcoola Blocks’ finds. Standard Mining Company brought a more systematic approach in 1948 after a favourable geological investigation. It expanded mine workings and installed equipment on the mullock platform around the main shaft. It won more than 7,310 ounces of gold before closing in 1953 – two years before the government battery shutdown.
From 1986, Tarcoola Gold invested in the field, erecting headframes and a camp near Tarcoola Blocks’ main shaft, mapping and testing drilling and moving equipment from Kalgoorlie. It won a mere 261 ounces of gold by mining but recovered around 1,000 ounces reprocessing gold tailings from the Tarcoola Blocks and government batteries.
Tarcoola remained most productive of South Australia's goldfields before mass-mining technologies. Mining Review accounts recorded more than 80,000 ounces of gold from the field from 1900-1955. Around 55,000 ounces (68%) of all gold came from the original Tarcoola Blocks claims and around 44.5% passed through the government battery.
Tarcoola goldfields showed promise of finally being fully exploited with interest from major companies in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.