THE MOUNT ALPINE COPPER MINE, BRUNGLE CREEK. -
1872 - VISIT TO THE BRUNGLE COPPER MINES. - BY A PRACTICAL. MINER. September 22. - I started from Tumut at 0 in the morning for Brungle. Two hours ride brought me to Wyangle; there I visited some copper leases lately taken up. I saw a small quantity of coppor oro on tho ground, but cannot say anything as to the prospects before more work is done.
One mile further, brought me in sight of Brungle Creek, with the residence of Mr. Kiley on the right bank, and the Honeysuckle Hill stretching away for miles in a north-westerly direction. I proceeded up the creek, and got on tho top of Honeysuckle Hill, and then I could see unlimited trace of copper in all directions; the formation is greed rock (serpentino) with limestone veins, many of which bear coppor ore.
I have since been told that this ground also belongs to a Sydney company. I did not see any traces of work being done on this ground. I then proceeded northward, where I had been directed to find Kitto's copper lease. After some difficulty I droppod on it in a deep ravine. There had been some work done here. The lode has heen opened up in a kind of tunnel, I starting from a small stream, and going into a very steep hill. Here I saw some splendid oro-black oxido, copper pyrites, and steel groy ore, the latter enrry. I ing a good dow of lend. I am well pleased with the appearance of this mine. The vein is very small, but contains good ore, and the natural advantages working are great. To the right lay leases of Nowmr, and Co. I did not visit then, but proceeded up the hill again, and then north-west until I came to the McAlpin Copper Mine, the area had been prospected about four years ago by French, Kitto, and part; There is a nice bush house on the ground, and a shed over the workings, which consists of a shaft sixty 60 deep, as I have been informed, and I think it mus be fully that depth by the size of the tip. It now contains a considerable quantity of water. The lade is about five feet Wide and well formed, showing hard smooth walls. I saw here a variety of ores, arnon the best was black oxide and green carbonate. I consider this to be a most valuable mine.
It is likely that work shortly, as it belongs to Mr Dear, manager of the Phoenix Copper Company, Currawang, and I therefore in good hands. This also (M'Alpin) is surrounded by lenses south and west- De Lissa and Company, north and east Roberts, and Halloran. I had almost forgot to mention that the M'Alpin lode run! north and south, and as it is a small block (20 acres) the shaft being about the centre, the adjoining leases, particularly on the northern boundary, ought to be valuable property. On the south, the country is very much broken and will require great depth of sinking.
I then journeyed north-west through Smith's fence, keeping along the top of the hill, and still in the copper country.serpentino, limestone, &c. I was piotunne to myself the altered look of this bleak solitary hill when all the mines would be at work, and the rocks resounding with human voices, when I was started from my reverio by a shot.
I turned down the hill and found two men busily engaged clearing away the fragments of rock which the shot had thrown down. On enquiry I found one to be the discoverer and shareholder of the ground, Thomas Halloran by name. He has forty acres in two blocks, and he informed me that he spent three months on this hill before he chose his ground, and a very happy choice he made of it. There aro two lodee running north and south through his land; the lode that he was at work on was about four feet wide, nicely formed ; tho ores consisted of black oxide, grey oro, and green and blue carbonates, name of which worn exceedingly rich, in fact, would not suffer from comparison with any mine in tho colony. Near tho northern boundary of the lease the lode is fully ten feet wide. This part has not been touched yet, but the ore shows on the surface, steel-grey and carbonates being the principal sorts. I saw several smaller veins, also containing steel-grey and carbonato ores. This lease is in a promoters' company, with sufficient capital for prospecting the several lodes it contains. Mr. Halloran seems to be quite satisfied that he can make it a good paying mine with the amount of money at his command, and I am to agree with him. The ground is easily worked.only now and then that they are forced to put a shot in, and when they do, it comes down in tons, This lease is surrounded with other leases, and the presenco of the surveyor is very much required to define boundaries. I dare say that a great many of the leases would lie at work if they wore measured. Persons do not know where their gronnd is to be until then. Now, I had been over all tho copper country, and I must say I like the Honeysuckle Hill very well. It will bo a great place in a very few years. I hevo been at most of tho copper mines in New South Wales and Queensland, and I think Brungle Copper Mines will be good as any of them. - (Ref- Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1875)(about) Previous issue Wednesday 9 October 1872).
1872 - BRUNGLE COPPER MINES. (From a correspondent of the S. M Herald.) - I visited this locality on Wednesday, 2nd instant. It is fifteen miles from Tumut, about the same distance from Gundagai and about twenty miles from Jugiong, situated in a line between Jugiong and Tumut leaving Gundagai to the westward. The distance from railway communication is 140 miles, this distance will be considerably shorter when the Brungle Bridge is completed, bringing residents within fifteen miles of the main Southern road at Gundagai instead of going round by Tumut, as they are at present compelled to do.
The residents here expect to see Brungle bridge completed next year I might add, as the railway extends it will pass within thirty miles of Brungle. The first place I visited was Halloran and Wilson's lease of forty acres, I found Thomas Halloran and another man at work logging up their shaft, which was about six feet deep on one side were about two tons of fine looking ore, comprising green and blue carbonates black oxide, and steel grey the carbonates form the largest portion.
In looking down the shaft I found the vein to be about eighteen inches in width lying on the footwall, which does not underlay much. The rest of the channel is filled with a soft rock, blue and green stained, I should judge the channel to be about six feet wide The rock is easily got out with the pick and gad, I saw no traces of powder, and Halloran informs me that he does not expect to want any for fifty feet. He pointed out where he bad been at work on the lode, I saw some hundreds of tons of rock that had been unearthed and rolled down the hill. On waiting the spot I found it to be a vast cutting, here slip after slip had been turned over, all bear copper. At last a well formed lode was reached, about four feet wide, bearing splendid ores, among which were steal grey, molachite, nitrous copper.
On asking Halloran why he had not continued to sink on this spot, he said he would be absent from the mine for a few weeks and he thought the men that he left instead would succeed better in the carbonate lode. We then proceeded to another part of the ground, where we saw a lode 10 feet wide, the ores crop up for a distance of 50 yards. The place is altogether untouched.
About two miles south-east brought me to the M'Alpine copper mine, which is a lease of 20 acres. It had been worked by a joint stock company some few years ago , it is now the property of Messrs Dier, Cooper, and Moore They have been here a few days since to examine their property, and, as I am informed, are very well pleased with it. The lode shows hard smooth walls about 5 feet wide, bearing ore on the hanging walls I saw several heaps of ore Ijinglu.re, one of which-black oxide must have been very rich when it was raised but it is considerably damaged with the weather. There is a shed over the shaft, still the shift contains a good deal of surface water to judge by the size of the tip, I should say the shaft is sixty feet deep at the lowest calculation.
I stood for a moment and looked at the country in front, covered with box timber for miles. This is the finest wood for smelting purposes in the colony, and there is abundance of it here. - (Ref- The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893)(about) Previous issue Saturday 12 October 1872).
WARDENS IN CONFLICT. - GUNDAGAI, Tuesday. - Further developments have occurred lu con- ¡ ncction with the conflicting claims for possession of the Brungle copper mine, and the , case promises to develop into one of the most extraordinary in the mining history of New South Wales. Briefly the situation is: the Tumut mining warden placed W. Keefe in possesion at the property, whilst the Gundagai wardon gave possession to the property to J. M. Dodd Keefe is in possession, and refuses to give up the property. Warden Maitland will hold a special inquiry at Gundagai on the 10th inst to inquire into the conflicting applications, and to report to the Minister. Dodd is also Instituting proceedings against Keefe, alleging damage to property. - (Ref- The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)(about) Previous issue Wednesday 6 November 1907).
1907 - THE MINES DEPARTMENT BUNGLE. GUNDAGAI, Thursday. - It will be remembered that last Monday Warden Nesbitt dismissed the application of Mr. Dodds to be put in possession of a coppor mine at Brungle, a Mr. Keith having been granted permission to mine the land by the warden of the adjoining mining district. The Minister for Mines has ordered that a special Inquiry bo instituted on November 16 by the warden at Maitland. - (Ref- The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)(about) Previous issue Friday 25 October 1907).
1908 - I DISPUTED OWNERSHIP OF A MINE. GUNDAGAI, Tuesday. - The mining case, J. M. Dodds v H Keefe, re the ownership of this old copper mine at Brungle was advanced another stage to-day. The case is one of disputed ownership. Dodds secured authority from the Gundagai wardon, and Keefe from the Tumut wardon. Both claim possesion. The warden will givo his decision at the next court. - (Ref- The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)(about) Previous issue Wednesday 19 February 1908).