Underground gold prospecting techniques in late 19th Century – early 20th Century North Queensland

Abstract

Before WW1, underground miners could call on a range of ideas to help them decide where to mine next. These ranged from the scientific, in the form of geological theories, to the decidedly unscientific. Most operated on the basis of previous experience, with variable results. The major technological solution apart from exploratory workings was the diamond drill, which suffered from a number of drawbacks. An examination of techniques in use on the Croydon goldfield shows that local experience and familiarity with ore-bodies were the most useful methods for underground prospecting for gold.