MINING

Hokitika Guardian, 29 September 1928, Page 8

MINING

(Contributed,) It is always interesting to look back to the early history of gold mining in New Zealand as it an industry that caused an attraction to the, early pioneers to the colony. As far back as October, 1852, Chas. Ring found auriiferous quartz and fine gold from the Kapanga stream at Coromandel, which afterwards became the extensive goldmining operations, about 3,009 miners being attracted to the field. Following later in early 18(54, Colonel Ch.esney reported the discovery of alluvial >oid at Te Aroha in the Thames Valley. It is worthy of note to contrast me prospecting conditions of Western Australia and New Zealand. The former, barren, sandy deserts, where every knob of rock is visible for miles around rising. like a lonely island in the miserable landscape .apef tree nnd tuft’ of grass seein jt,q fhpre in the general n sadness,,of thsp>. .tbjrstjy land. How great a pleasure jo. bp .transported -to rthis charming,, lU\nd free If win: snakes'apd scorpions and ,wilcV animals. The prospector of to-dav has, cjecidedly hetteiviconditions; than, jin, years and still .there is ,the fact that nothing of any ijinportance pur mm* eral: wealth i$ . being .dpilftv . I® required' is a thorough .organisation for the purpose of systematically, prospecting- the *. hack country already reported oil lay reliable authorities. Westland holds out a good field for the woriPof a prospector.