Mulga Queen – the early days

MINING IN THE NORTH ERLISTOUN DISTRICT
THE MULGA QUEEN

The Mulga Queen was discovered one year and nine months ago (1903) and is now equipped with a 10-head mill and cyanide plant. In fact, there was a 5-head mill at work on the mine 10 weeks after its discovery. Up to date, the crushings total about 9000 tons for 9000 oz., and the six owners of the property have taken out a profit of over £17,000. The main shaft is down a vertical depth of 180ft., and yields a very fair supply of fresh water, suitable for domestic and milling purposes. The reef in the property has an average width of 2ft. At the 100ft. level it has been driven on without a break for a length of 1150ft., while at the No. 2 level, it has been proved for a distance of 350 ft.

The mine, situated in the North Erlistoun district, is 100 miles north of Laverton. and carriage from the latter township runs into £7 per ton by waggon and £5 per ton by camel. The Famous Blue GM, two and a half miles from the Mulga Queen is held by Mr A. E. Morgans, who has erected a Huntingdon mill on the property in order to make it as self-supporting as possible while prospecting is being carried on. The Famous GM, one and a half miles further north, has just been taken over under option, by an Adelaide syndicate at £3000. The reef is 3ft. wide, and the prospectors’ crushings (picked stone) have averaged over 5 oz. per ton. The Riccibonie Reward GM, four miles and a half northeast of the Mulga Queen, promises to be one of the best mines in the district. The crushings, taken from a 2ft. reef, have averaged 2 oz. over the plates. The stone has been crushed at the Duketon battery, 12 miles away. This mill, according to Mr. Thomas, is one of the finest in the State but appears to have exhausted the claims around Duketon, and is in for a slack time.

Mulga Queen Townsite 1910  (P. Overrlack – photographer)

Mr. Thomas recently paid a visit to the alluvial and reefing country at Gregory Hills, 56 miles north-east of Duketon, and on the south end of Lake Wells. “Alluvial was first discovered in this locality,” says Mr Thomas, in 1893 by Harry Swinser, but he was unable to stay there owing to a shortage of water.”

He told Bob he had wages at dry-blowing but had not discovered anything rich. There are seven distinct lines of reef running through the country, and you can nap gold from most of them. There is no water on the road out, and consequently, the place is a bad one for men to rush to. I have great faith in its future, however, and while in Perth intend to interview the Mines Department with a view to having some provision made for a better water supply.”

Group of  Employees at the Mulga Queen Gold Mine. Photo P Overlack

Mulga Queen Hotel  – Photo P Overlack

The name of Mulga Queen was not gazetted as a town and many of the residents of the area were listed as being in Mulga Queen via Duketon. The 1905 – 1906 Western Australian Post Office directories show a population in the area of 52 people. Only four of them were women, three were single and one was married, all the others were miners (but a few have no occupation listed).
You can view the full list here –   Mulga Queen POD 1905-6.