Associated Gold Mine, Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Kalgoorlie-Boulder Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Associated Gold Mine	Mine
Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines	Group of Mines
Kalgoorlie-Boulder	- not defined -
Kalgoorlie-Boulder Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

One of several historic gold mines along the Golden Mile. Measurements in this article are imperial in keeping with the historic references. The area was known as the Australia Group of leases. The mine was east of South Kalgurli and Preserverence Mines, north of Lake View Mine and south of Brownhill and Oroya Mines.

The Associated Mine was first developed by Coolgardie Gold Mining and Prospecting Co Ltd, set-up by S.W. Pearce and W.G. Brockman, who were heavily involved in the development of the Golden Mile in its formative years. They secured initially 330 acres, and from this small beginning rapidly acquired and developed eight rich mines- Great Boulder, Lake View Consols, Associated, Ivanhoe, Kalgoorlie Mint, Lake View South, Lake View Extended and Great Boulder No 1.

The mine became known as Associated after the next company which took it over. This company , named Associated, registerred in London in December 1894 and secured a number of leases totalling 210 acres (although in time this reduced to 52 acres) from Coolgardie Gold Mining and Prospecting, as well as from the Proprietary Gold Mining Syndicate. The Associated company operated the mine from this time to the mid 1930's. While very profitable it its early years, gold yields gradually declned. It ceased paying dividends from 1914-1934.

From 1895-1904 the mine processed 343 613 tonnes of ore for 423 403 ounces of gold, and paid dividends of 431 385 pounds. It operated from two shafts named Judd which went down to 1500 feet and Tetleys down to 1073 feet, with levels driven every 100 feet.

The management of the mine was replaced in 1900 after it was found they were inflating figures of the likely gold output for the mine.

The development of the mine was propelled by the discovery of two rich lodes in its early years. The Australia East Lode in 1902, and for a time the mine was producing about 200 000 pounds (in early 1900 figures) per annum in gold.

Then the Brownhill Lode at the 1000 foot level. This was found in 1905
after a long search in the north east corner of the property. This ore shoot had been mined by other leases to the north, but Associated found that by the time it had reached its lease, ore grades had decreased and continued to do so as the shoot ran south. However, its announcement still sent Associated's shares soaring. This was helped by the announcement by the company which stated: ' the ore shoot is one of the most remarkable ore occurrances in the world. For the richness of its gold content, it has few equal.' This ore shoot was found outcropping on the surface on the Brownhill lease about 1 kilometre away from Associated in the early days of the Golden Mile. It sank below the surface in a southerly direction, and was mined by Brownhill, Brownhill Extended, and Oroya North leases, with 3 million pounds (at 1905 prices) of gold extracted from it.

In 1924, the company was re-organised. Its Canadian holdings were split into a separate company. Its Australian operations were registerred under the new company name Associated Gold Mines of Western Australia (New) Ltd.

From 1925 to 1933 it processed about 60 000 tonnes per annum, with a persistent decrease in gold grades. Dr Stillwell in 1929 made the following comments of the mine, which history shows was overly optimistic: ' The mine had bottomed on the calc schist. Between 673 feet and 946 feet levels represent a little prospected region along the Australian East Lode. The horizon at the 746 feet level was totally un-prospected, while the possibility of enrichment at the intersection of the lode existed. In the east of the mine was a band of quartz dolerite greenstone above the Oroya Shoot, and the exploration of that band, and its contact with the calc schist also offer scope for development. In the south of the mine there was considerable opportunity of obtaining values in the exploration of the upper extension of the Lake View East Lode'.

By 1934 the ore reserves at the mine were nearly exhausted without extensive new prospecting. The company was bought out by LakeView and Star in 1940, and after this some sources call it the Lake View and Associated Group of Mines. As such after this time infomation on the mine was incorporated under the Lake View Mine (Lakeview Consols or Lakeview and Star.)

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References