AUCKLAND GOLDFIELDS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 January 1925, Page 4

AUCKLAND GOLDFIELDS

PROSPECTS REVIEWED. AUCKLAND. Jan. 4, Seven million, ounces of gold liiwe been taketi out of Auckland’s goldfields since January, 1857, the export value of the bullion being registered as at over £27,000,000. The Haiiraki mining district, which extends 200 miles from Great Barrier Island to To Puke, is the oldest goldfield in New Zealand and it is now the Dominion’s most productive auriferous centre, both in-yield and in dividends. It employs in its gold quartz mines some 1250 workers, as compared with 241 for the rest of New Zealand on similar fields in the South Island. Four hundred diggers are engaged in alluvia! gold mining and gold dredges employ 1.00 workers, but, alas! the real glory of gold mining in the Auckland field's lias departed, and there is no visible prospect of a repetition of the early history and excitement that thrilled thousands of diggers in the “sixties” and “seventies.” from the Thames field alone in IS7I the value of the bullion entered for export amounted to £1,188,708. due principally to the discovery of a rich shoot of ore in the Golden Crown property and followed into the Old Caledonia, enabling the latter company to pay £553,440 in dividends within a year.

Even the wonderful Wailii field, which still holds pride of office tor gold production, lias lost a great measure of its former fame. It is still, however, the field of hope which never deserts the gold miner. GEOLOGICAL OPTNTON. The Geological Survey branch oi the Alines Department lias noted that knowledge of the structural features or AVaihi lodes helps to sunuort, the belief that the study of the widespread faulting in the Haiiraki Peninsula will aid in the location of valuable mineral .lodes. Investigations at Wnibi. I rom a geological point ol view, tend to show that the future of “tertiary” goldfields in depth is not necessarily oblivion lor the industry, but the working oi deep mines in volcanic rocks involves serious difficulties and great expense. Last year the AVaihi field suffered a .set-back', because of the suspension of practically all mining and milling operations by the Wailii Grand duneton Gold Company that occurred about the. mdidle of the year, rendering idle close on 300 workmen. Not only did the closing down of the works temporarily affect a large number of miners and battery bauds, but it caused uneasiness among outside investors as to the future of the field at a time when, apart from the Grand Junction mines, the outlook was encouraging. It is taken for granted in the district that the large area held by the At aiiii Grand Junction Company will not lie locked up indefinitely though it' is considered unlikely that any scheme of extensive development will be undertaken lor several months.

Alcanwliilo the original holding is being tested with a States diamond drill. So far. however, the results have not disclosed any improvement in the rock at a greater depth. A second bore is now being projected aL an angle to pass through the Alain reef system. It is reported that if this operation is not productive of success sufficient to warrant an appeal to the shareholders for new capital for development, the directors intend to test the western section of the property with the drill. ’I he work of testing will occupy some months. WAIM I COM PANY’S POSITION The position ol the parent company, flic Wailii Gold Alining Co. is entirely different: indeed, the position is dis-(inc-tly reassuring, bast, year proved tn lie olio of Hie most satisfactory that the company has experienced for some time past. 'lV*re was an improvement in the average value ol the on* that was won, the tonnage treated shoved mi increase on the quantities handled ■ll several of the preceding years, and there was apparently no diminution in the quartz reserves in sight. Explotatoiv work, both laterally and in dep*li did not. however, yield the results that had been hoped for. hut on the whole the developments were good and in no small measure supported the considered opinion of the officials that there uas reason to expect that runs of profitable ore would he revealed going down. One of tin* most interesting features of reient months was the widening mil ot p;i v ore on I lie FiL'aid reel at the thirteenth level. All things co ll si(h*red there lias been no reason lor dissafislaction ovei mim developments during 1924. Over 200,0(10 tons of ore were mined during the year and the customary dividend was paid.