president s address. 575 



Copper. 



The Copper Mining industry of New South Wales has already 

 attained an important position. The value of the Copper 

 produced in 1882 was £324,727, bringing the total production 

 up to £3,538,285. 



The largest mine in the Colony is the Great Cobar, which is 

 distant 497 miles west of Sydney. The lode traverses Silurian 

 schists, and is variable in width up to 70 feet or more. It has 

 been worked to a depth of 324 feet, The ores consist of yellow 

 and gray sulphides, red oxide, and green and blue carbonates, 

 with some native copper. Some very fine specimens of fibrous 

 malachite have been obtained. The out-put from the mine for 

 1882 produced 1805 tons of fine copper valued at £126,350. 



In the same district, but nearer to the Great Western 

 Railway, is the Nymagee Copper mine, where a rich lode from 

 2 to 30 feet wide also occurs in the Silurian formation. The 

 returns from the mine for the year 1882 gave 1444 tons of fine 

 copper valued at £80,000. 



About 60 miles to the east, and 90 miles to the south of Cobar, 

 are situated respectively the Girilambone mine and the Mount 

 Hope mine which are being developed. Five other copper lodes 

 in the Cobar district have been lately taken up The out-put of 

 of copper from the Beranga Copper mine, near Eockley, for 1882 

 was 465 tons, and from the Frogmore mine 118 tons. Other 

 lodes have been worked at Peelwood, Cadia, Tamworth, and in 

 numerous other widely separated portions of the Colony ; but 

 chiefly owing to the difficulties of transit, and the low market 

 value of the metal, as well as to other causes, they have not been 

 extensively worked. We have therefore evidence of the great 

 extent of our copper resources. 



Silver. 



Silver mining in New South Wales is still in its infancy, owing 



to the fact that until lately proper appliances for the treatment of 



the argentiferous ores had not been introduced : and it is only at 



the Boorook mines, through the enterprise of Messrs Hall and 



