Waiotahi Mine, Waiotahi Creek, Thames, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato Region, New Zealandi

Regional Level Types
Waiotahi Mine	Mine
Waiotahi Creek	Creek
Thames	Town
Thames-Coromandel District	District
Waikato Region	Region
New Zealand	Country

The Thames mining area involved exploitation of well defined quartz veins with local bonanza gold concentrations.

Many mine excavations are now exposed as underground workings, shallow tunnels, or quarries, although these are commonly dry. Groundwater drains from the host rock-mass and is chemically affected by that rock, so that surface seepages reflect the chemistry of the immediate host rock. Water issuing from pyritic altered rock near mineralised zones on Una Hill and Waiotahi mine is acidic, with pH as low as 2.
Metal Distribution in historic mine wastes, Coromandel Peninsula. Craw & Chappell, NZJGG, 2000.

Various mines in the Waiotahi area produced in excess of 500,000 ounces of gold (McMahon, 1986)

When gold was discovered at the Shotover claim in 1868, it soon became apparent other nearby areas were likely gold bearing. These areas were controlled by Maori tribes who were reticent about allowing hundreds of miners onto their land. Early pictures of gold mining areas around Thames show a scorched earth scene, prove this fear was valid. Two sons of a chief who opposed mining, had been arrested after assaulting a trespassing miner. They were fined, but unable to pay, were due for two months imprisonment. The chief, Aperahama Te Reiroa approached government agent James McKay for a loan. At the time McKay was trying to convince the Maoris to open the Waiotahi block for gold mining, and offered to pay the fine, on the proviso the land was opened for development.

The country rock is pyroxene andesite, highly propylitised altered in the upper levels, however there was a belt of dark hard un-altered andesite in the southern portion of the lease.

The Waiotahi lode (sometimes called the Waiotahi-Cambria lode) was 12 feet wide, trending north-east to south-west, and dipping north-west by up to 45 degrees. Smaller branch veins have a steeper dip, and specimen stone was found where veins intersect. The gold is associated with considerable quantities of crystallised stibnite, encrusted in turn by dark ruby coloured pyrargyrite. Pyrite is abundant, black, often decomposed in the upper levels, forming stalactites with manganese oxides and gypsum from the roof and walls of the tunnels, some described as hanging in long threads from the roof to the floor. There is no reason why these should not still be there, in areas not collapsed, however accessing it is another matter. The lode contains irregular solid pyrite bands, and other un-named sulphide minerals. The quartz in the upper levels show comb structures, and cavities with quartz drusy linings, sometimes filled with clay.

In 1904, long after other gold bonanzas had been exhausted in other mines in the area, a large patch of gold was found at the junction of the No. 1, No. 2 reefs and Specimen Leader, where the reefs changed dip to almost vertical. Gold was so plentiful it had to be cut out in places with a chisel. Half a million pounds in dividends was issued in six months. The patch was described as a lensoidal pipe, 107 feet long by 32 feet by 4 feet in cross-section. It was unusual compared to other Thames bonanzas, as the gold was found in boulder like fragments of specimen stone in cavenous veinstone. Gold was also liberally found in the surrounding wall rock to 4 feet. The good times did not last long, as the rest of the veins were average grades.

The original prospectors were Parnell and Tournley (surnames) the claim registered in April 1868. The mine was located near the mouth of the Waiotahi Stream valley, bounded by the Kuranui-Caledonian to the east, the New Moanataiari to the south, Victoria to the west. The lease in 1908 contained the old claims Waiotahi, Imperial City, Cure, Manukau, and part of the Golden Crown.

The Waiotahi Gold Mining Company operated the mine from 1873, and had conducted considerable development since 1877. The total produced by 1908 had been 97 704 tonnes of ore producing 241 690 ounces of gold. The first mine manager was J.H. Burnside.

The size of the lease operated by the Waiotahi Gold Mining Company in 1896 was reported at 22 acres. It is stated as a steady earner, paying dividends. The mine was accessed from the Waiotahi shaft with three levels (Fraser states seven levels in 1908), and the Mary Ann shaft with two levels. In 1895 as an example, 2194 tonnes of ore was extracted producing 2321 ounces of gold.

The twenty year old, 20 stamp mill was replaced in 1905 by a new 20 stamp battery. The new Waiotahi battery closed in 1907. The tailings generated by the battery now has houses built across it along the present foreshore.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References