Thompsons Mine (Thomsons; Alexandra), Alexandra, Central Otago District, Otago Region, South Island, New Zealand

Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):	45° 13' 21'' South , 169° 25' 43'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):	-45.22263,169.42868
Köppen climate type:	Cfb : Temperate oceanic climate

Old coal mine.

The historic goldfields around Alexandra are well documented. Less is known about the late 19th Century coal mines surrounding Alexandra. They were usually small, relatively short lived, and sold coal only locally. Evidence is almost entirely from adverts placed in the local newspaper by the mines, and information is limited. Little remains at the locations, and all the co-ordinates are approximate. Several streams of evidence were used to locate some of the mines to within several hundred metres.

Thompsons, Buckleys, Dairy Creek, and Clyde coal mines are listed, as enough information was found. Letts in the Manuherikia Valley probably near Letts Gully Road, Dunstan and Vincent mines at Dairy Creek, McLoughlins at Shingle Creek, Moores which may have been a shaft out the back of a pub in Clyde, and Newcastle for a time owned by the Alexandra mayor, were coal mines not listed on Mindat as not enough information was found.

Sometimes spelt Thompson, Thomson, sometimes the Alexandra Mine in the adverts. The owner was William Thompson. It appears the mine was operational for most of the 1890's, and for a large portion of that time the mine was for sale, but there were no buyers.

The property held a five bedroom house, stables, a large orchard, and fenced paddocks. In addition to coal, Thompson was manufacturing bricks and lime, indicating a clay deposit with the coal.

In 1890 a sample of coal from the mine was displayed at a New Zealand exhibition, from a 15 foot seam.

The mine was located on Manuherikia Road, placing it north of Alexandra. The geology maps show coal bearing strata along the western side of the valley, bordering the road, trending north-south, stopping at the northern outskirts of the town. White clay cliffs border the river two kilometres north of the town. It is possible the pit was at the southern end of the coal band, to be nearer the town, and reduce cartage costs. No location details could be found, and the co-ordinates are very approximate.

No minerals currently recorded for this locality.

Regional Geology

This geological map and associated information on rock units at or nearby to the coordinates given for this locality is based on relatively small scale geological maps provided by various national Geological Surveys. This does not necessarily represent the complete geology at this locality but it gives a background for the region in which it is found.

Click on geological units on the map for more information. Click here to view full-screen map on Macrostrat.org

Middle Pleistocene 0.126 - 0.781 Ma ID: 1334238	OIS10 (Middle Pleistocene) outwash deposits Age: Pleistocene (0.126 - 0.781 Ma) Description: Slightly to moderately weathered, sandy to bouldery clayey gravel in outwash terrace remnants. Comments: Middle Pleistocene river deposits. Age based on stratigraphic correlation Lithology: Major:: {gravel},Minor:: {sand, silt, clay} Reference: Heron, D.W. . Geology Map of New Zealand 1:250 000. GNS Science Geological Map 1. [13]
Miocene 5.333 - 23.03 Ma ID: 1310639	Manuherikia Group Age: Miocene (5.333 - 23.03 Ma) Stratigraphic Name: Manuherikia Group Description: Claystone and siltstone with minor sandstone and limestone; quartzose conglomerate and sandstone with minor lignite seams. Comments: Zealandia Megasequence Terrestrial and Shallow Marine Sedimentary Rocks (Neogene) Lithology: Claystone, siltstone, sandstone, limestone, conglomerate, lignite Reference: Edbrooke, S.W., Heron, D.W., Forsyth, P.J., Jongens, R. (compilers). Geology Map of New Zealand 1:1 000 000. GNS Science Geological Map 2. [12]
Triassic - Permian 201.3 - 298.9 Ma ID: 3189657	Paleozoic-Mesozoic crystalline metamorphic rocks Age: Phanerozoic (201.3 - 298.9 Ma) Stratigraphic Name: Haast Schist Comments: Caples Terrane Lithology: Metawacke; greenschist/almandine amphibolite grade metasedimentary/metavolcanic schist Reference: Chorlton, L.B. Generalized geology of the world: bedrock domains and major faults in GIS format: a small-scale world geology map with an extended geological attribute database. doi: 10.4095/223767. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 5529. [154]

Data and map coding provided by Macrostrat.org, used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License

References