Chapter 10
I 1. Introduction
II 2. The Role Of Technology
III 3. Some Highlights Of Australian Minerals Technology
i Gold
ii Copper
iii Lead-zinc-silver
iv Technology in iron ore mining
v Iron and steel technology
vi Nickel
vii Mineral sands
viii Bauxite, alumina, aluminium
IV 4. Other Technological Achievements (in brief)
V 5. Export Of Technology
VI 6. Education And Research
VII 7. The Scientific Societies
VIII 8. Conclusion
References
Index
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Gold
Gold has been mined in every State and Territory of Australia, and the orebodies have presented a wide variety of geological and geographical settings which have fascinated the prospectors and geologists and challenged the engineers and metallurgists. Truly memorable have been the great nuggets of central Victoria -the world's largest of 70 kg was found in 1869 at Moliagul; the saddle reefs of Bendigo which were mined to the extraordinary depth of 1300 m in the 1860s; the fabulous gossan of Mount Morgan discovered in 1882 which amongst other things was to finance the discovery of the great Persian oilfields in the early 1900s. These discoveries in eastern Australia in the first 30 years of the gold era which had seen production rise to 100 tonnes in 1856 and decline to 40 tonnes in 1880, were to be surpassed by the discoveries in Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie in the early 1890s which led up to the all time national record of 120 tonnes in 1903. Production declined swiftly from that peak and fell as low as 10 tonnes in 1930; it revived to 50 tonnes in 1940 under the stimulus of currency devaluation but declined during the Second World War to 20 tonnes, revived in the post-war period to 30 tonnes but declined again to 15 tonnes in 1980. Then began a strong revival due to increased gold prices supported by new metallurgical technology; output in 1986 was 75 tonnes and further increase is projected as many new mines and treatment of residues from older mines come into operation.Although a number of these operations may be shortlived, being based on limited shallow deposits and on residues from earlier mining, the very low grades which have now become economic should ensure continuing exploration and development. Grades below 2 gm per tonne are currently being treated. In addition, new base metal deposits carrying gold values, such as the Roxby Downs copper-uranium project, will supplement the overall production.
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Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering |  |
© 1988 Print Edition page 738, Online Edition 2000
Published by Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, using the Web Academic Resource Publisher
http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/704.html