Wheal Watkins mine
| Standort | |
|---|---|
  Wheal Watkins Location in Australia | |
| Standort | Glen Osmond |
| State | South Australia |
| Land | Australien |
| Production | |
| Produkte | Lead Silver |
| History | |
| Opened | 1843 |
| Closed | 1916 |
| Owner | |
| Unternehmen | Wheal Gawler Mining Association Adelaide Silver Lead Company Tarcoola Development Syndicate |
Wheal Watkins mine is an historic mine in the Adelaide, Australia suburb of Glen Osmond. It yielded silver and lead in the mid 19th century. The ore body was discovered in March 1841, and mining commenced soon after. Wheal Watkins opened in 1843 and operated until 1851, when the miners left for the Victorian gold rush, and then to mine copper in Burra and Kapunda. It operated again briefly in 1855, in the 1890s and in 1916. Ore from the Glen Osmond mines was the first mineral export from Australia.
Development
The Wheal Watkins mine was preceded by the Wheal Gawler mine, which was opened in May of 1841. The initial discovery of galena in the field is attributed to James Heneker.[1]
The property containing the Wheal Watkins lead and silver deposit was purchased by Mr Watkins of Worthing, England in December 1841. It was purchased through his South Australian agent, Peter Peachey, who opened a mine there on his behalf in 1843. He first worked the deposit in May of 1844.[2][3] The lode was found to contain 70% lead and 30 ounces of silver per ton. The ore was sold in London for £13 13 shillings per ton.[2]
The mine's principle contractor was Thomas Williams, and a team of Cornish miners was employed.[4] In its first year, the mine employed twelve to eighteen people. In the mine's first seven months, 150 tons of ore was extracted, 100 tons of which was shipped to England.[3] A nearby hotel called The Miner's Arms provided accommodation and provisions to visitors to the mine and region.[5] Peachey died in 1850, but work on the mine continued. The mine was abandoned in part due to the "ridiculously high" impost of royalties and in response to offers of more lucrative prospects during the Victorian gold rush of 1851.[2]
Later workings
The field, which included the adjacent Wheal Gawler and Glen Osmond mines, enjoyed a short-lived revival in 1888.[6] At this time, the operation was lead by Captain Rowe,[7] and the mine's secretary was Mr H. Conigrave.[8] A report on the mine from 1888 referred to the mine by the alternative name of "Peachey's lode".[9]
In 1913, a prospector fell feint while down the mine, and was saved from falling to his death by his partner. A bow-line loop of rope was lowered around his body and the prospector was hauled safely to the surface.[10]
The last entity to work the mine was the Tarcoola Development Syndicate in 1916.[11][12][13]
Closure
After the closure of the mine, some shafts and adits remained open. Several incidents are known to have occurred whereby people or animals fell down holes of became stuck in adits. These include two dogs,[14] a cow and fireman who was attending to a bushfire- all of whom were safely recovered. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the mine was opened to the public on various occasions for guided tours.
Preservation
The mine was added to the National Estate Register in 1996, and re-opened by then South Australian Minister for Mines, Stephen Baker MP. As of 2016, the mine is closed to the public.
Gallery
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Lower adit mine entrance -
Lower adit interior view from mine entrance -
Heritage Listing commemorative plaque
References
- ^ "Mr. James Heneker, sen. - Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931) - 10 Mar 1917". Trove. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ a b c "Mining Days At Glen Osmond - The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1954) - 9 Oct 1943". Trove. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ a b "SOUTH AUSTRALIA. - The Courier (Hobart, Tas. : 1840 - 1859) - 11 Jan 1845". Trove. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "LOCAL INTELLIGENCE. - Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) - 29 Jun 1844". Trove. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "Advertising - Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904) - 27 Jul 1844". Trove. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "Mining Days At Glen Osmond - The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1954) - 9 Oct 1943". Trove. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "Unexpected Fall of Mullock at the Wheal Watkins. - The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA : 1867 - 1922) - 29 Sep 1888". Trove. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "THE WHEAL WATKINS MINE. - South Australian Weekly Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1881 - 1889) - 1 Sep 1888". Trove. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "OLD MINES ROUND ADELAIDE - Gold, Silver, and Copper in Ranges ABANDONED SHAFTS DOT COUNTRYSIDE - News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954) - 17 Sep 1929". Trove. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "SAVED BY A BOWLINE. - The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) - 27 Nov 1913". Trove. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "TARCOOLA DEVELOPMENT SYNDICATE. - Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931) - 18 Nov 1916". Trove. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "MINING IN S.A. - SIX MONTHS' OPERATIONS REVIVAL IN COPPER AND GOLD MINING. - Daily Herald (Adelaide, SA : 1910 - 1924) - 10 Oct 1916". Trove. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "TAROOOLA DEVELOPMENT SYNDICATE. - Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931) - 23 Sep 1916". Trove. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "Out among the People - Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931) - 8 Jan 1931". Trove. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- "The Glen Osmond Mines". South Australian History. Flinders Ranges Research. Retrieved 25 April 2006.