Chateau Tanunda Gold Mine (Welch's Find), Yarri Goldfield, Menzies Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Chateau Tanunda Gold Mine (Welch's Find)	Mine
Yarri Goldfield	Ore Field
Menzies Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

Chateau Tanunda was a historic mine at Welch's Find, later better known as the Porphyry mine area. The area is 5 kilometres west of Yarri, Chateau Tanunda's exact location could not be determined, but is likely to have been swallowed up now by the Porphyry open pit, which is listed separately.

Gold was discovered here by Billy Potts (eldest son of Yarri pioneer Thomas Potts) and Bobby Welch (spelt in some sources as Welsh) in 1933. They were dollying a porphyry outcrop, in a flat un-promising area, passed over by many other prospectors in the past.

Late 1933, the deposit was let on a 12 month option to a company. The sources are unclear and confusing in this regard. Several companies and individuals were pegging leases in the immediate area at the same time. Various sources claim a particular company had taken over Welch's and Potts lease, but not all are correct, and must be referring to neighbouring leases. It would appear the end result was Welch and Potts sold the lease, with the Porphyry Company, and then Edjudina Gold Mining Company developing the lease. The following sources give alternative information for the location, all across 1933 to 1934:

1)The lease was taken over under a twelve month option for 5000 pounds by Kalgoorlie based Lake View and Star Company.

2)The lease was taken over by the Empress Gold Mines NL, who installed machinery, then went into exemption. Yarri Gold Mines NL was floated in Adelaide April 1934 for 30 000 pounds capital to acquire the Empress leases and several others including Chateau Tanunda at 96 acres. Another source states the Empress leases were 4 x 24 acres to the west and adjoining Welch and Potts original lease. This same article however confirms another source for #3.

3)Welch and Potts block was taken over by the Australian Gold Development Syndicate for 5000 pounds. They are spending 1500 pounds on development work. This also states the adjoining block to the south was taken under option by the similar named Australian Goldfields Development Syndicate.

4) Early 1934 the Chateau Tanunda Syndicate take over Welch and Potts lease.

5)The Edjudina Gold Mining Company is floated in the Eastern States in August 1934 with 129 000 capital, to take over the Chateau Tanunda, and all the options held by the Porphyry Gold Mining Company at Yarri. A plant is installed capable of crushing 3000 tonnes of ore per month, and by 1935 this company is described as conducting limited mining on the porphyry outcrop, further confirming it to be Welch's and Pott's original lease which was taken over by the Porphyry company. An airstrip is constructed with regular flights from Kalgoorlie in an early version of the fly in and out model, common at mines in Western Australia today.

Make of this as you will. There is a saying in Australia after a famous artist 'Mr Hart what a mess'. It is likely Chateau Tanunda is the same as the Porphyry mine location, this name really only used in the years after World War Two. Due to the confusion, the writer has decided to list both names separately with reference to each.

The mine at this early stage is an open cut 42 feet long by 12 feet wide, exposing the cap of the porphyry carrying gold bearing quartz stringers. Further to the west a shaft had been sunk. Government geologist T. Blatchford who examined the deposit in 1934 states it is porphyritic granite, feldspar porphyries and fine grained sediment. Gold occurs in the feldspar porphyries showing intense shearing.

References

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