Cue Shire, Western Australia, Australia

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Gold was discovered in the Cue area in 1892, then Coolgardie 1893, and Kalgoorlie 1894. Together it led to the greatest goldrush in Australia's history. By 1903, gold accounted for 83% of Western Australia's income.

The credit for the discovery of gold at Cue should probably go to an aboriginal gentleman who went by the name of Governor. He gave a 10 ounce nugget he found at Cuddingwarra, which is 12 kilometres west of Cue, to prospector Michael Fitzgerald. However Governor directed Michael to what he said was the better gold area now known as Cue. Michael found in the first week 260 ounces of gold at the former Kintore Blow site, which was located in the Cue townsite. A friend of Michael Fitzgerald was Tom Cue, who travelled 80 kilometres north to Nannine, to register the claim on his friend's behalf. Because Tom's name was registered on the claim papers, the town that developed was named Cue.

By 1900, there was 10 000 people living at Cue, compared to 328 today. The population of the town declined after the combined effects of low gold prices, men leaving to join the army for World War One, and the Great Depression. There are a number of substantial historic buildings still standing in the town.

Cue's sister town was Day Dawn, 8 kilometres south west. Within a month of the Cue discovery, a gold reef shining in the sun, was discovered at Day Dawn. The Day Dawn, Rubicon and Day Dawn West Mines started here shortly after. These were consolidated into the Great Fingall Mine in 1898, named after the company who purchased it, the Great Fingall Consolidated Gold Mining Company. The mine closed in 1918, but during this time was considered one of the largest gold mines in Australia producing 1.2 million ounces.

The closure of the mine effectively led to the abandonment of Day Dawn. By 1921 the underground mine had collapsed, and by the 1930's, the only building to remain (as is today) was the Great Fingall Company mine office.

I found this quote about Day Dawn published in 1896, and reproduced in a heritage assessment, which gives an idea of the town at the time:

' The town itself is small and unpretentiously built, but the sanitation is dreadful. There are three fairly stocked stores, and one chemist shop, albeit the chemist is taking a 'well earned rest' in hospital suffering from typhoid and the shop is closed. There are three licenced houses, and with a few dwelling houses, hessian camps, and brush humpies, the town is complete. The prominent feature is the big mine set on a hillock at the end of town. It is called Day Dawn, and is consolidated with Rubicon and Day Dawn West. The mine is both conscentiously worked and developed, but no dividend has been paid yet. It employs 200 men and has been working for two years.'

Gold mines near Cue include Victory 1 km north; Cuddingwarra, Golden Gate and Black Swan South 8 kms west north-west; Big Bell 16 kms west north-west; City of Chester 10 kms north west; Day Dawn, Rubicon, Great Fingall and Golden Crown which are virtually next to each other 8 kms south-west

Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

Actinolite Albite 'Albite-Anorthite Series' Almandine Amphibole Supergroup Andradite Ankerite 'Apatite' Arsenopyrite Babingtonite Beryl var: Emerald 'Biotite' Calcite Cassiterite Chalcocite Chalcopyrite 'Chlorite Group'

Chromite Chrysoberyl var: Alexandrite Chrysocolla 'Columbite' Columbite-(Fe) Columbite-(Mn) Corundum var: Ruby var: Sapphire Cronstedtite Cummingtonite Diopside Dolomite Epidote Fluorite Galena Goethite Gold

Hedenbergite Hematite var: Martite Ilmenite 'K Feldspar' 'Limonite' Magnetite 'Manganese' Marcasite Margarite Microcline Microlite Group 'Monazite' Muscovite var: Sericite Phlogopite Pyrite Pyrrhotite

Quartz Russellite Scheelite Siderite Simpsonite Spessartine Sphalerite Stilpnomelane Talc 'Tantalite' 'Tapiolite' Topaz 'Wolframite' 'Zinnwaldite' Zircon

69 entries listed. 50 valid minerals.

Localities in this Region

Australia Western Australia Cue Shire Coodardy Station Coodardy pegmatite field Cue Big Bell Gold Mine (Paton's Find; Murchison Bell) Callie Soak (Good Shot; Socialist) Golden Crown Gold Mine Trenton Mine Yellow Taxi Mine Glen Station Mount Mulcahy Madoonga Station

Australia Western Australia Cue Shire Madoonga Station Weld Range Beebyn deposit Madoonga deposit Meka Station Warda Warra pegmatite field Poona Aga Khan Mine Tallan Station Wattagee (Gidgee Well; Wattagee Well) Tuckabianna Eelya (Mount Eelya; Colonel; Rapier; Hollandaire)

References

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