CINNABAR MINING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5383, 4 February 1929, Page 3

CINNABAR MINING.

EXPLOITATION OF DEPOSITS.

MERCURY NEAR MACKAYTOWN.

A metal industry. which hitherto has had little attention in New Zealand is being commenced by a subsidiary company to the British Chemical industries, Limited, a combine; of several powerful British industrial concerns, including, Brunner, Mond and Company, a huge chemical fiun, and Nobels Limited, the; well-known manufacturers of explosives, with a capital of £56,000,000. Last year the British Chemical Industries, Limited! ear-marked £7,000,000 for in Britain’s oversea Dominions. The subsidiary company, after exhaustive investigations by Mr H. H. Goodwin, an engineer of the parent company, with .many years’ experience; if quick-silver mining and treatment in Turkey, Spain, and other parts off the world, purchased, on behalf of his pinciples, an area near Kaiko'he in the Auckland district, carrying cinnabar ore from which mercury is obtained by, distillation. The erection of the necessary plant was put in handscyne months ago and is now well forward, and production of mercury on a scaß not hitherto; attempted in New Zealand Should follow in a few months. OTHER DEPOSITS. It is interesting to note that a small deposit of cinnabar or. mercury ore occurs on the Rahu Road above Mackaytown, and this are was worked o ; n a small scale about 25 years ago, Mr H. Fletcher, an ex-student of the Waihi School of Mines, being the metallurgist." However, the deposit proved too small to be profitably worked. Of more recent years a cctapany known as the New Zealand Quick Silver Mines, Limited, was formed to wqrk deposits of cinnabar near Puhipuhi, North Auckland. This company produced a fair amount of quic.k-silver, but owing to the fall in the price of the eptaimodity operations were suspended. Lately the value of quick-silver, has appreciated considerably and now stands at about £23 for a 751 b bottle, which puts quite a different aspect on cinnabar ore propositions. Although cinnabar ore occurs in small deposits in several parts of New Zealand, nowhere else has an attempt been made to work them. Mr A. J. Walker, formerly mine manager of the Grand Junction mine, left Waihi last week-end for Raikoihe to take up an important position with the British chemical Industries, Limited, sub'sidary company.