Idaho Gold Mine (Idaho Pit; Idaho Extended; Aberdare; Star of Aberdare; South Star; Morning Star; Morning Star Extended; Ilannans Golden Morning Star), Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Kalgoorlie-Boulder Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Idaho Gold Mine (Idaho Pit; Idaho Extended; Aberdare; Star of Aberdare; South Star; Morning Star; Morning Star Extended; Ilannans Golden Morning Star)	Mine
Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines	Group of Mines
Kalgoorlie-Boulder	- not defined -
Kalgoorlie-Boulder Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

One of dozens of historic gold mines along the Golden Mile until the Superpit took over. At the southern end of the field in what was known in the early days of the gold-rush as the Six Mile alluvial area. It was on what was known as the Imperial Group of leases.

The property was worked shortly after the initial gold-rush discoveries from 1893 to 1931 by Aberdare and Moreing Co. Over this time they crushed 129 081 tonnes of ore for 64 181 ounces of gold. From 1904-1906 the proprietors of the leases was Archibald Gibson Fraser, Brainard Stone, James Kelly, William Hicks, and Samuel Love. They were later arrested for stealing gold. In 1906 it was held by W.V.J. Brown 'and his three mates'. In 1909 the lease had four shareholders: Samuel Love (80 shares), William John Hicks (80 shares), Jessie Pearce (20 shares) and William Pearce (60 shares). William Pearce was sentenced to three months imprisonment in 1921 after police searched his sulky one night at the mine and found stolen gold. Around this time the mine was producing 6 500 ounces of gold per annum.

The Imperial Mining Company took over in 1932. The General Manager at the Idaho Mine was A.J. McGeorge, who pegged out the wealthy Perserverance Mine before news of the Golden Mile reached the rest of the world. The company striked a new lode at the 181 ft level at the Idaho Mine in May 1934 when sinking a new shaft to a depth of 240ft. Together with a gold mining boom in the region at the time, it led to shares in Imperial sky-rocketing. However, the poor results from the neighbouring Aberdare open pit, and rising costs from its building and exploration programme at Idaho saw the company suffer losses.

In November 1936 it offered its holdings in the southern portion of the Golden Mile to tributors. These holdings were Idaho lease 23 acres, South Star Deep 16 acres, Aberdare lease 194 acres. All adjoin each other.

One source states the tributors purchased Idaho and Aberdare in 1936. After 1940 it was known as South Star, and owned by the former tributors S.J. Saunders and party. In 1942 it was the only mine on the field treating its own ore via a new treatment plant. The mine was described at the time as being surrounded by huge buildings and poppet legs of properties owned by big English companies towering above it. Other sources state both Idaho and Aberdare was purchased by Lakeview Consols (Lake View and Star) in 1940, and as such information on Idaho and Aberdare is incorporated into this mine after this date.

Gold specimens are seen from the Idaho Mine both in private collections and Australian Museums. It is assumed they come from before 1990, when the Superpit took over the entire area.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References