ORES OF GOLD 49
far eastward at the level of between 1400 and 1200 feet,
descends to the lowlands of Central Australia. The plateau
Consists of pre-Paleozoic gneiss and schists invaded by
Sranites gpg acid dykes, and by basic intrusions some of
Which are now amphibolite and horablende-schist. Some
of the micq schists, chlorite schists, and slates were sedimen-
“ary rocks.
Gold wag discovered in Kimberley in North-western
Australi, in 1882 and at Yilgarn, 200 miles E. of Perth, in
188;. Active mining followed the discovery of the gold
at Coolgardie in 1892, but was delayed by the scarcity of
nr
D
-
_—
50’
-
Fra, I4.—THE ASSOCIATED NoRrTHERN Ore-Bopy, KALGOORLIE,
The Associated Northern ore-body, at Kalgoorlie (after a: The
Primary fault F1 Separates the dacite (D) from altered tuffs (¢). The
ore-body wag formed in the tuffs in connection with two subsequent
fang (F,, F,).
Water. That field proved disappointing as the gold is in
shallow, though rich patches. The mining fortune of Western
Australi, has been dependent mainly on the Golden Mile at
Boulder, Kalgoorlie, which was discovered in 1895, and has
deen claimed as the richest square mile known in mining
Ristory, The treatment of the complex ores of Kalgoorlie,
Neludipg sulphides, sulpharsenates, sulphantimonates, copper
Sulphide, and tellurides, was of exceptional difficulty, and
Vas Managed by the introduction to mining of many new
Processes, including the pebble-mji] and filter-press. The
lodes of quartz intergrown with black rock were regarded
°Y E. F. Pittman (1 898) as intrusive dykes ; but H. P. Wood.
Yard (189g) explained them as due to the ascent through
Ssures of gold-bearing solutions which impregnated the
ck on both sides, This view was confirmed (1898) by