1931. WESTERN AUSTRALIA. REPOBT OF THE FOR THE YEAR 1930. Pt·esented to both Houses of Parliament by His E.xcellency's Command; [FIRST SESSION OF THE FOURTEENTH PARLIAMENT.] PEl'tTH: lW AUTHORITY: l!'ltED. WM. Sl~IPSON, GOVlmNhmNT PHIN'l'ER. 1931. y 1000/31 STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA. Report of the Departn1ent of ~lines for the State of Western Australia for the Year 1930. To the Hon. the Jllllniste1· for Mines. Sir, 1 have the honour to submit the Annual Report of the Department for the year 1930, together with reports ·boom the officers controlling the various sub-departments, and eompnmt:ive tallies fur- nishing statistics relative to the :Mining Industry of the State. I have, etc., Department of Mines, M. J. CALANCHINI, Perth, 31st March, 1931. Under Secretary for Mines. DIVISION I. The Hon. the JJ!Jiuister for JJ!lines. I have the honour to submit for your information of ()1, principally due to smaller numbers being em­ a report on the .Mining Industry for the year 1930. ployed in mining for Tin, Lead, Tantalite and Gyp­ The value of the mineral output of the State for s tnn. Coal mining showed an increase. In gold the year was £2,191,:39:3, being £103,500 greater than mining there was an increase of 344. that for 1he tn·m·ious year. All minerals, excepting The average value of gold produced per man em­ _g·olrl, showed decreases. ployed on gold mines was £il02. 58 in 1929, and The ntlue of the Gold Yield was £1,768,623, being· f-114. 8.) in 1030. 80.70 per cent. of the total output. The average tonnage raised per man was 150. 64 The valne of the Coal output was £394,758; Tin, tons, and in the previous year 157.02 tons. Exam­ U O,G08; Lead, .C5,i582; Asbestos, £4,728; Silver, inations nncler the j)l'O\'ision,s of the Miner's Phthisis f:l, 7-18: Gypsnm, £1,990; and Tantalite, £1,254. Act of persons employed in mines were carried out The dividenrls pairl hy mining companies amounted nt K algoorlie and outlying centres. 1o .Cll,2il0, and in the preceding year £65,607. In the J:Dast J\[urchison Field there was a decrease 'l'he total r!iddends paid to the end of 19cl0 of 1,:n:l flne ounces. amonnted to £28,826,£537. ll! the Black Range District n few prospectors were operating in the ym·ions centres, hut nothing To the same date, the total mineral production was of impor(~mc·c wns reported . .C175,288,()07", and the total gold production £162,- 704,2()8. In the Lawlers District there 1ras a small increase. Apart from one or two ernshings the production GOLD. eamc from trcahnent of accumulated s::mds ancl slimes. The gold yield shows an increase, being 3}) .10:3 line ounces greater than in 1020, which was 16,2:32 fn the \\'i!nna District there was a decrease, but fine ounces less than in 1028. with tlw commencement of ore treatment by the \Viluna Golr1 :\fines, Ltd., early in the N cw Y car it The <Werage value per ton of ore treated in the is anticipnterl 1hat the gold output will rnn into big State as a whole has risen from 50 shillings in 1029 figures. to :)4. 9:) shillings in 19:10; and in the East Cool­ gm·die Golclfleld, which produced oyer 78 per cent. In the on1-lying centres there was not much change. of the State's reported yield, it rose from 62.48 The lVInrchison Field had a decrease of 2,il0l fine shillings to (iO. 7i5 shillings. onnees. Comparing the tonnage of ore treated in 1929 and Jn the Meekatharra District there was a decrease, 1 HclO, there was an inr:rcasc of 1G,044 tonf\ in the and the hulk of the production was from the Mecka­ latter year, during which 645,:344 tons were treated. tlwrra r·entrc. From the outlying centres, although prospecting was netive, nothing noteworthy was re­ There were increases in [•~ast Coolgarclie, North ported. Coolgardie, Yi!g-arn, Coolgan1ie, E:a.st :Mnchison and from the State generally of 21,74-1-, 8,18S, 5,570, 590, Tn the Cue District there was an increase. 147 and 22 tons respcctinly. All the others treated The greatrst improvement was in the Cue centre, less tonnage, the lnrgest decreases being in Broar1 wlwrr several goor1 crnshings were recorded. Tn the Arrow, J\Inrchison, Yalgoo mHl Mount :\Iargm·<'t, ol· YHrions othrr centres prospecting wns actiYc, anr1 the 10,000, -U7:l, 1,-1-51 and J ,402 tons ref\pecti,·ely. outlook is promising. Tlwrr were increases in the production from Cool­ In the Day Dawn District there was a small de- gan1ic, Dnndas, East Coolga]'(]ie, Mol)nt J\fargaret, Nor1'!1 Coolgnn1ic mid Yilgnm; the others reporte<l A j· Da)· Dawn there were seYeral crnshiugs from <lerreases. varions prospecting areas all(] also from !he ":'l[onntain View." At J\fainland the owners of: 'rhe <WI'CHgl' ltt>ld nnc1Pr Mining I;ease for all !hr ":'l[ainlanr1 Consob" treated some ore and thrn minerals is 53,105 acres, lH'ing· n dl•t·n•ns<• ol' :)51 <·loscd r1owu, af:ter 11·hich they acquired the "Eureka,'' acres when emnparcrl with ] 92!l. to whieh tlwy han remond thrir plant. At Lakt'~ The nn'a lens('<] for Golrl Mining is lesser hy :n .\ nstin on!~- a littlr fos>;icking iB in evidence. nrrrs, and for otlwr minerals h~· 520 acres. In the :\fount }[agnet District there was also a The aren helrl unrler Prospeeting Areas is il5,61S small <lcnPase. acres, including 1U,-+-+O acres for Coal. 'rhis is a A~ hitherto, most of the production was from tlw decrease of ] ,.i"L/ acrPs on the area held in 1020, the nPighhonrhoorJ of nft. J\Iaguet itself. area held for Coal being- lesser hy 8,8DO aH<'s, an<l for At Lennom·ille prospects had not improved. At other mineral~ greater hy 7,4:3:1 aeres. .l\[o~·agec onl~· tiYo prospectors were working·, hut at 'rhe numlwr of men ('ngaged in all elasses of Payucsvi!le tlH'n• WPrP several pm·tieR operating mining was 5,442; an increase ol' 283 on the nmulwr with, so far, rery poor rcsultR. employed in 1920. The number of men engaged in 'rhc Peak Hill ]<'ield hatl a small rlccrease of 11 mining for minerals other than g-old showed a decrpase fine ounces. 3 i\Iore than half of the output came from the Tn the J\Ienzies ecntre a good deal of attention was \'isinity of l'eak Hill, nnd the centre known as :Mur­ r-oncPntraled o:1 nuious old holdings. Several small pliy's \\'ell contributed a large proportion of the 1hseoverics were made and a number of payable halnnce. At the other centre there was wry little trushings reported. 'l.'he Goongarrie and Mount Ida activity, excepting at Jimble Bar, where ore treat­ ('entrP~ remained very quiet. ment was begun in December. In the Ularring district there were a few pros­ No work was <lone on the J\Ianganese deposits at pectors working in the vicinity of Davyhurst, and Horseshoe during the year. practically the only production was from the treat­ ment of sands on the "Golden Pole" and at the The Y algoo l<'ield had a decrease of 420 fine ::\[ulline State Battery. ounces. At Riverina work ceased on the "Riverina South," At Goodingnow the Lake View J\Iine, which ha,; and there is little likelihood of a resumption at been a regular producer for many years, shmYecl a present. considerable reduction in output. In the Y erilla District a discoyery at a locality At Noongal a rich discovery was reported in June, about 12 miles South-Easterly from Edjudina, since and the prospectors who, in addition to a rich cru ...;h­ named Patrieia, was reported in April. ing, recovered a large quantity of gold by dallying·, were granted a Heward Lease. Many Leases and Prospecting Areas were taken up and there was considerable mining activity. Apart In the various other centres, as well as in the from the original find not much gold was reported. neightbourhood of Yalgoo, a great many prospector" llilsewhere in the district a good deal of prospecting are at work. was going on. The Mount M:argaret l~ield had an increase of In the Niagara District mining was Yery quiet, G,GSG fine ounces. a llf1 11 othing of any note was recorded. In both the Mount Margaret and J\Iount J\Iorgaus Districts there were redncerl outputs, and practically 'fhe North-Fast Coolgardie Goldfield recorded a no chang·c inrlieating any improYement, although a de:-re:1sc of 150 fine ounces. good many prospedors were out. In the 1\.anowna District there was no change In the ::\1 onnt J\Ialcolm District there was a sub­ from the preYious year. A few prospectors were stantinl incrcase entirely due to the Sons of Gwalia operating, bnt Yery few payable crushings were re­ Mine, which is once agnin a most promising pro­ ported. position, well nw1wgerl nnd being actively deYeloperl. in the K urnalpi District mining was almost at a A fair amount of prospceting was in evidenct! ,;t::mrh·.till, only a few men being at work tlmmghout the r1istrict. The Boarrl Arrow Field had a decrease of G,291 'The Coolgardie Field har1 an increase of 2ti8 fine line om1ces.