‘lmportant’ Gold Discovery Could

A Cautious Official Announcement

‘lmportant’ Gold Discovery Could Change Solomons’ Economic Outlook

Announcement of gold discoveries at Gold Ridge, Guadal canal, BSIP, virtually ignored by the Press in Australia, could be of economic significance to that Cinderella territory, and to the British Commonwealth.

A press statement was issued on April 2 by the Western Pacific High Commissioner. It said: “Gold lodes believed to be of some importance, have been discovered at

Gold Ridge.

“They are the source of the con centrations of alluvial gold in the

Tsarivonga, Sorvohio, and Metapona

Rivers, on the northern side of the central mountains of Guadalcanal.

They are a ‘tricky’ type of deposit,

with surface indications resembling

closely those of Fiji.

“The three Government Geologists of the Survey visited Gold Ridge with an equipped labour force on March 14. 1955.

Plans were based on previous prospecting activities and geological investigations.

“A tunnel was started at Kuper’s Creek on the site of a 1950 sample which indicated values in excess of 2\b oz of gold to the ton. Before the end of the first day’s work it was apparent that a long-sought-after lode had been struck.

“Free gold was visible in hand speci mens.

“Once recognised, the form of the lode and its surface indications were studied; and it was possible to move immediately to other parts of the field and identifv surface indications observed in 1950 as being of two other similar lode bodies.

The geological environment favours the occurrence of other lodes.

“Samples have been taken, and until these are assayed the tenor of the lode bodies cannot be known. Considerable development work will be necessary in order to ascertain their extent.

“Surface prospecting is virtually im possible near the ridge crest, owing to deep weathering and leaching of the ore bodies. Diamond drilling is recommended, “After being abandoned for some years the area has recently been granted, under prospecting license, to the Balasuna Syndicate (J. A. Johnstone, manager), the pre-war holders, who were responsible for earlier mining activity in this area.

“Twenty.two miles to the south-east of Honiara. Gold Ridge is a steep-sided spur, which rises 1.200 feet in its l\b miles of length from the confluence of the Sorvohio and Tsarivonga Rivers. From the now dilapidated house erected by the Theodore interests on the summit, just outside the southern boundary of the leases, a mag nificent panorama of the northern coastal plains can be enjoyed. It was from here that coast-watchers observed the move ments of Japanese forces, and the battle 1942°“ f ° ,,oWed the Ame rican landings, in That ends the official statement, but some further details are avail able from Mr. Grover, who came

to Sydney immediately following the

March discovery, and was inter viewed on April 7.

He said that the field is in some respects fortunately placed, because an American war-time road exists as far as the Tinahula River, several miles from Gold Ridge. Beyond that, a road would have to be built over difficult country. At present, all materials must be carried by native porters. The entire area is covered with dense rain forest.

Mr. Grover said that the Kuper’s Creek strike was on a steeply-diplode of the reticulated quartz veinlet type, with numerous veins containing free gold, and it obviously is the source of the free gold sluiced from the creek in pre-war years.

The second lode, in the south of the field—which had been visible for years but unrecognised as an ore body—showed no signs of free gold: but the ground below it had been thoroughly sluiced in the past, and pits and tunnels driven in search of it then had narrowly missed it.

The third lode mentioned is at least 15 feet wide, and some rich but limited concentrations of gold were found in surface outcrops there.

The three lodes, said Mr. Grover, when plotted on the topographical map, assumed immediate import ance, and explained several features which had been unexplained since 1950—in particular, the rich gold concentrations on Williamson’s pre war lease.

Tirst indications suggest that these three bodies are extensive; but considerable underground develop mental work is needed to confirm the extent and richness of the ore.

The Geological Survey will carry out future sampling as the lease-hold ers develop further the tunnels and cross-cuts which the Survey started.

Honiara would be the port of access to the field, said Mr. Grover.

No immediate labour problem should be encountered, as it should be pos sible to obtain labourers from the southern coastal villages.

First Seen 400 Years Ago

THE history of gold in the Solomons goes back to the dis covery of alluvial deposits by miners with Mendana’s expedition.

on May 19, 1568, believed to have been at the mouth of the Metapona River (in the headwaters of which is Gold Ridge).

But the recent history begins in 1930, when a Mr. Kajewski, an Aus tralian botanist, known to the natives as “Mr. Leaf” (and now be lieved to be living in Queensland) discovered gold. As a result, Gold Ridge and the rivers below it became the scene of active prospecting on a fairly large scale between 1935-54, with several small mines operating.

Several syndicates were engaged in sluicing on the Ridge, but efforts to locate the lodes were unsuccessful.

The Balasuna Syndicate (Aus tralian, known as the “Silent Six ’), soent a lot of money on develop mental work, channelling water from a river some miles away. They sluiced some areas and drove three tunnels into the ridge, as well as excavating numerous pits and trenches.

Then came the war, and the field was abandoned.

The Theodore interests, associated with the phenomenally successful Emperor and Loloma gold mines, Fiji, went to the area in 1941, to prospect some hundreds of square miles of central Guadalcanal, sur rounding these existing known gold fields—which were specifically ex cluded from the Theodore agree ment, but in which the latter showed great interest.

After the war, some prospectors returned, but they were discouraged by labour and other problems, and some of the pre-war prospectors were now too old for the hard con ditions.

The Theodore group also returned to the same pre-war areas (which excluded Gold Ridge). They pro posed to spend at least £lO,OOO per year for five years—under agreed conditions. But trouble arose over the so-called “one-mineral rule,” a post-war development of the min ing laws of all British Colonial Territories, which has since been re moved. Under its terms, the com pany had the right to prospect for one specified mineral rights to others found in the process of ex ploitation might not be granted. No big mining organisation would accept this. After a personal appeal by Mr. Theordore to the Secretary of State in London had failed, the Fiji group withdrew from the Solomons in May, 1946. (See PIM, January, 1947, p. 8).

In 1948, the Balasuna Syndicate was the sole remaining prospecting organisation. It interested Mr. E. R.

Hudson, of Broken Hill, in the area, and Mr. J. C. Grover and Mr.

H. J. C. Conolly were engaged to make a geological survey. Certain aspects were reported encouraging, and in 1949 Mr. Grover and Dr.

Owen Jones were sent to make further geological investigations, to ascertain whether the whole mass of the Ridge was a large low-grade

proposition. The answer was negative, but the field was further narrowed. Mr. Hudson then with drew and the lease lapsed for 5 years.

Mr. Grover was engaged by the British Government in 1950 and narrowed the field still further dur ing nine weeks’ work.

In 1952, Anglo Oriental (Malaya) Ltd. took a prospecting license covering the field, but later can celled it.

As there was no further interest at the end of 1954 by outsiders it was decided by the Senior Geologist that the Geological Survey team, which had numbered three geologists since the end of 1953, should spend two weeks in further investigating Mr. Grover’s 1950 recommendations to the Government. As a result of this action the present announce ment has been made.