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

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

The spelling of the mine name is correct, and should not be Kalgoorlie but Kalgurli. There was also a South Kalgurli Mine on the Golden Mile.

North Kalgurli Gold Mines registerred in 1895 around the same time as other companies were forming to develop the mines on the Golden Mile. It was however the only one to retain its identity and independence all the way to 1989, when all leases on the Golden Mile were taken over by the Superpit. Measurements are in imperial in keeping with the historic references.

Early development saw the opening of ore bodies to a depth of 500 feet. The ore bodies were generally short and rich, unlike the other major mines which tended to access one large and rich lode. North Kalgurli Gold Mines and Brookman Brothers Mining Company amalgamated in 1901 and formed the North Kalgurli Company. In 1912 the company re-organised as the North Kalgurli (1912) Limited. In 1928 it purchased neighbouring Oroya Links Company, and at this time North Kalgurli owned 147 acres in total.

Up to 1903 the North Kalgurli Mine has produced 12 578 ounces of gold, valued at 40 300 pounds in 1903 prices, treated 1300 tonnes of ore, and was making on average 1500 pounds in profit per month.

In 1909 there was a lack of capital to develop the mine further and its leases were let out to tributors. This remained the case till 1930. In these years the tributors in total only processed 160 795 tonnes of ore for 90 292 ounces of gold.

Most other major mines on the Golden Mile had already long worked the rich deep lodes. North Kalgurli had not when it operated in its early years, or by the tributors later. Much of their leases remained unexplored. When the 1930's gold mining boom hit, the company took over directly operating the mine itself, with a major resource of ore reserves intact.

It was one of the first mines on the Golden Mile to realise the value of the calc schist. The old theory was this deep ore was valueless. At its contact with the gold bearing quartz dolerite lodes above it, nearly always proved to have no gold at the contact. However further down in the calc schist the gold values were just as good.

The historic shaft was called North Shaft or North Kalgurli Shaft. There was also a Genevieve Shaft. Immediately north of the lease the company controlled the Union Jack leases and in the 1930's the Union Jack Shaft was developed. In the 1930's ore from both was trucked to its South Kalgurli Mine treatment plant. The company owned this lease but was operated as a totally separate company.

Injuries and deaths of miners was a common occurrance in the early years of mining. That this situation continued from the 1930s to 1950s at North Kalgurli can only indicate an entrenched and dis-appointing focus on safety.

The mine continued to operate in the 1960s, but must have closed sometime in the early 1970's as by 1976 there was no mining on the Golden Mile due to depressed gold prices. Mining continued in the 1980's both underground and in several small open pits accessing near surface residue ore. In 1989 North Kalgurli was taken over for the Superpit.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References