6 
Wallaroo and Moonta Mines. 
Following the Burra Burra there was an even more important discovery made on 
Yorke’s Peninsula. This was the Wallaroo and Moonta group, which afterwards 
proved to be by far the richest copper mines discovered in Australia. Mining opera- 
tions have now been carried on for forty years, and a large population has always 
been supported by the continued prosperity of the parent mines of the group. These 
mines have now yielded about £10,000,000 worth of copper. About 1,800 men are 
now employed on them ; the deepest shaft at Moonta is 2,.')20ft., and at Wallaroo 
1,710ft. 
Northern Copper Mines. 
That copper-bearing ores are very widely distributed through the State w'ill be 
gathered from the fact that large payable deposits have been worked at such widely- 
distant parts as Blinman, Leigh’s Creek, Mount Gunson, Mount Lyndhurst, Mount 
Fitton, Farina, Coppertop, Y’udnamutana, &c. The localities named are shown on 
maps herewith, with the exception of Coppertopj distant about 200 miles north-west 
of Farina. The area of country, comprising many thousand.^ of square miles, which 
has as yet been scarcely prospected, should afiord a splendid field for the prospector 
and miner, especially when this young country is further developed in the direction 
of water supply and increased facilities for transit. It is encouraging to note that, 
in spite of these disabilities, the enhanced price of copper during the past few years 
has enabled prospectors in several outlying districts to work their finds at a profit 
from the start of operations, and it may be reasonably hoped that when the limit of 
profitable development is reached in the older afore-mentioned mines some of these 
newer finds may approach, if not equal, them in value and imjjortance. 
SILVER-LEAD. 
Silver and lead are also widely disseminated through the State, and amongst the 
most noteworth)' mines may be mentioned the Talisker, Ediacara, Aclare, Avondale, 
Almanda, and Eukaby(see map). The ore is frequently very productive of lead, whilst 
the silver contents, though they would be considered high in many parts of the world, 
are overshadowed by the richer ores obtained at the famous Broken Hill group, just 
over the boundary of this State. Comparatively little work is being done on our 
silver-lead mines at present, but if at any future time the ore is raised or the metals 
extracted at less cost than at present, the abundance of galena to be found in South 
Australia, and the silver ore yielding as high as 30 per cent., should prove highly 
remunerative. 
GOLD. 
The remarks regarding the wide distribution of copper apply in an even greater- 
degree to the gold, though it cannot unfortunately be said that the gold mines have 
been within measureable distance of the copper mines as regards the value of the 
yield. The returns, more especially in early years, bear no proportion to the quantity 
actually produced, the only figures available being the value as declared at the 
Customs offices for export, and no account is taken of gold used in local manu- 
factures. The major portion of the gold-bearing country to the south of Adelaide 
is on land which was alienated from the Crown in the early days, and consequently 
no returns are available. 
