Bulong – The I.O.U – ghost town

Bulong

The twenty miles of mail road that leads eastward from Kalgoorlie to Bulong is famous for one of the finest views in this part of the world. The prospector of Bulong was John Mohar, who brought in gold from there to Coolgardie in 1893. The location was known only to a select few until 1894 when a great rush took place.

Lake Yindarlgooda Bulong – SLWA Photo J J Dwyer

Bulong is chiefly famous for its valuable (geologically remarkable, if not unique) line of lode, the Queen Margaret line. This foundation has been eclipsed by the near presence of the brilliant Kalgoorlie belt, which, however, holds few better auriferous lodes. In October of last year, a deep lead was discovered by Corry and party, the writer being the first visitor allowed below. Here at 106 ft several pieces of gold, the largest piece weighing 37oz, were discovered in green puggy wash. Soon, over 1,000 men were at work sinking, with a result that the output of gold from Bulong was raised by about 500oz. a month for some time.

The Government has purchased the 20 head battery of the old Bulong Tramway and Ore Reduction Company as a public crushing plant. The utility of this action to the local public has been marked, and the place is now rapidly coming to the front as a reefing district, owing to the exertions of the ‘small man’ who previously owing to the costliness of crushing could not find a satisfactory way of disposing of his ore when raised.

The famous Margaret lode which has been opened up to the 600ft, in the Queen Margaret Mine is very rich in places and is generally patchy. The lode consists of varying widths of decomposed kaolin, full of small secretion veins of quartz which butt up against the hanging wall which consists of a remarkable body of organic origin, chiefly graphite. The black mass is in places as much as 18ft. thick, when the face is covered with a ferruginous deposit, it is very rich in gold which is carried back into the vein mass of the footwall, a varying distance which determines the so-called width of the lode.

The 600ft. level has so far proved drier and poorer than above, but the 500ft level has given some good gold. As this is written, the Margaret Central main shaft is nearing the lode at 400ft. This company, and the Margaret South where a battery is being erected by Manners Brothers- Engineers, have unquestionably a magnificent future before them. The Margaret No.1 South having made the tributors wealthy men, is now being reworked by the company, who have been placed in a good financial position by the sale of forfeited shares, and the exertions of the tributors.

Queen Margaret Mine, Bulong 1897

Further Reading – Wealth for the Willing – A history of the Jones fami;ly of Hampton Hill by Pamela Rawjkowski and Elizabeth Tuettemann.

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