Factsheet 05 – How was the world’s largest mineral deposit discovered?

Australian Curriculum Links Year Subject Curriculum Links Quirky fact : 5 Geography ACHGK028, ACHGK029 Until becoming a city History ACHHK095, ACHHK097 in 1968, 7 Geography ACHGK043, ACHGK045, ACHGK047 Science ACSSU116, ACSHE121, ACSHE224 was ’s 8 Geography ACHGK056, ACHGK045, ACHGK047 youngest town! Science ACSSU153, ACSHE136, ACSHE227

Background Information John Campbell Miles was the prospector and pastoral worker who discovered the mineral deposits that established the famous Mount Isa Mine. Born in in 1883, Miles had a restless and adventurous spirit. As a boy, he ran away from school, initially to work with a bootmaker, but soon moved on, taking up a number of jobs in quick succession, including as a ploughman, miner, carter, railway navvy, wild-pig hunter and windmill repairer. In 1907, at age 24, Miles rode his bicycle 1,500 miles (2,414 kms) from to the Oaks goldfield in . His time there, though short and uneventful, would inadvertently lead to his discovery of ’s greatest mine of the 20th century. On leaving the Oaks, Miles worked as a farm labourer and spent the next decade drifting from station to station, continuing to fossick to supplement his income. In 1921, he decided to follow up on stories he had heard about gold on a cattle trail in the . Slowly travelling west he reached where he met William Simpson of the Native Bee mine, who later became his partner – it was February 1923. Miles’ next camp was on the where he prospected dark, mineralised samples before striking the Black Star lode. During this fossick Miles discovered the rich central lodes that would become the Mount Isa mineral field: the Black Star; Racecourse and Rio Grande. The find inspired a prospecting boom in the area. Among the new arrivals was William Corbould who, in January 1924, floated Limited. Simpson and Miles each received 500 shares worth nearly £330,000. Sadly, Simpson was accidently killed only a few days later, while Miles continued to prospect in the area for another year. Unable to settle down, Miles maintained his wandering lifestyle and gradually sold his shares. By 1933 he no longer held interests Mount Isa in Mount Isa Mines. Miles died in 1965 and his ashes are buried miner, Mount in under a memorial clock tower in Miles Street, Mount Isa. Isa Mine

60 Queensland Education Handbook | Australian Curriculum Factsheets Inquiry Questions

Subject Years Questions ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Geography 5/6 How is the mining community different Mineralogical Society from Outback farming communities? www.minsocnsw.org.au/ How have people influenced and managed minsocnewsletters/New%20Talks%20 21.3.09/mount%20isa.pdf this place? Australian Mining 7/8 What is special about the landform of Mount Isa, www.miningaustralia.com and what are the reasons people migrated here? REFERENCES What were the challenges for liveability Geoffrey Blainey, Mines in the Spinifex and how have they been managed? (, 1960); Australian Dictionary of Biography,Vol.10 (Melbourne, 1986). History 5/6 Who were the key people in the development of Mount Isa and what did they do? Diane Menghetti, Science 7/8 How did the mineral deposits form? Mining-Technology.com www.mining-technology.com

What science understandings are used in James Cook University mining and management of this environment? www.micrrh.jcu.edu.au/Our-Region/mount- isa.html

Outback at Isa Points of Interest www.outbackatisa.com.au Hard Times Mine at Outback at Isa FURTHER INFORMATION Explore the history of mining as experienced guides enthral you Outback at Isa with their stories of the good times and the hard times that are had Riversleigh Fossils Interpretive Centre and working deep under the earth. Mount Isa Tourist Information Centre 19 Marian Street, Mount Isa QLD 4825 Outback at Isa, 19 Marian Street, Mount Isa QLD 4825 Phone: (07) 4749 1555 or 1300 659 660 Hours: Daily showings Email: [email protected] Cost: Fees apply Phone: (07) 4749 1555 or 1300 659 660 Email: [email protected] Website: www.outbackatisa.com.au Riversleigh Fossil Centre and Isa Experience Gallery – Outback at Isa, Mount Isa Underground Hospital & Museum, Mount Isa

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Outback Queensland Education Handbook | Australian Curriculum Factsheets 61 HERN TERRITORY