12 
shaft was repaired and a trial crushing taken from a south drive at a depth 
of 180 feet from surface, 20 tons yielding 5 dwt. of gold per ton. Early in 1909 
the Pyrenees Proprietary Gold Mining Company (the present) commenced 
operations. With varying success and a shoit cessation, work continued 
to the present date, on the quartz reefs below water-level. The workings now 
consist of a main shaft 94 feet westerly from the former No. 5 south shaft, 
sunk to a depth of 435 feet, having three compartments to a depth of 325 feet 
and four below’. Levels were opened out at 250 ft., 325 ft., and 425 ft. below 
the sill, and drives chiefly southerly, extended along the line of lode. Two 
distinct reefs have been exploited.' Of these the eastern formation has 
been worked from the 250 ft. level upwards and has connected with shallow 
shafts of the early miners. The western formation, on which the 350 ft. level 
has been driven, lies about 30 feet west of the eastern body. Extensive 
stoping above the 350 ft. level reaches to some height above the 250 ft. level, 
and for a length of over 300 feet. At the 425 ft. level the position of the 
western formation had not been found, and the present survey was 
carried out to locate it. 
The structure of the mine reveals a series of west-dipping beds of alternate 
sandstones and slates, all highly metamorphosed (apparently regionally), with 
laminated quartz lodes varying from a thread up to several feet in thickness 
and conforming in strike and dip to the enclosing strata. Occasionally the 
quartz gives out completely leaving only a track or “ back.” At the bottom 
level (425 ft.) a crushed lode track up to a foot wide was driven on for 
nearly 700 feet without any sign of quartz making in it. The general dip of 
the strata is from 55° to 60° W. with a strike of N. 35° W. (magnetic). Nodular 
and graphitic slates are common and appear to predominate over the sand¬ 
stones in the belt mined. 
Intersecting the strata with a decidedly southerly dip are a number of dykes 
which, where they cut the quartz reefs, appear to play an important part in 
the metalliferous character of the stone. While these dykes are commonly 
nearly horizontal they are at times found interlaminated with the lodes. In 
composition the dykes appear to belong to the diorite or lamprophyre series 
and are similar to those in the Maryborough district where their presence in 
association with auriferous quartz has been noted by Mr. A. M. Howitt. 1 
Slipping on bedding planes is common apart from the backs noted above. 
On these slip-planes slicken-sided or grooved surfaces were noticed. A roll 
occurs in the strata which produces a marked effect in the width of the lode. 
This roll is exposed in a cross-cut 150 feet south of the shaft at the 250 ft. 
level (Fig. 1), while in the 325 ft. level the roll shows up in the stopes on the 
western lode at 530 ieet south of the shaft. 
Notes on the Mine Workings. 
No. 1 (250 ft.) level .—The plat was opened on the east side of the shaft. 
A cross-cut was put out 20 feet east to the drive and was connected with the 
old No. 5 shaft. On the south side of the cross-cut a shallow stope below the 
level is reputed to have given payable stone as well as a patch of gold at the 
intersection of a cross-spur 30 feet south, where the drive turns westerly 
and at 15 feet meets the eastern reef referred to above. Eighty feet south 
of main cross-cut stopes on the eastern reef are exposed above the level 
for over 100 feet. The formation below the level under these stopes 
does not appear to have been tested. One hundred and forty feet 
* The Maryborough Gold-field, by A. M. Howitt. Mem. Geol. Surv, Viet., No. 11, 1913. 
