Waitahuna Heights, Clutha District, Otago Region, New Zealandi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Waitahuna Heights | Group of Hills |
| Clutha District | District |
| Otago Region | Region |
| New Zealand | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
45° 54' 33'' South , 169° 56' 14'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Locality type:
Group of Hills
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Outram | 657 (2011) | 23.4km |
| Milton | 2,009 (2011) | 23.6km |
| Balclutha | 4,441 (2011) | 38.9km |
| Stirling | 320 (2011) | 39.7km |
| Kaitangata | 851 (2011) | 41.2km |
Cinnabar was found over a wide area from Waitahuna to Waipori by alluvial gold miners, within the gravels they were mining in the late 19th Century. A cinnabar lode was searched for centred on the mountains between with no success. In 1899, a vein was discovered half a mile north-east of the highest part of the Waitahuna heights, the name given in the sources to the hills separating Waitahuna from Waipori.
W.R. Buchan writes he discovered the lode as part of a manganese oxide gossan outcrop. A hand picked sample came back after being assayed at 76% mercury, with over 50% common he claimed.
The lode showed fine cinnabar, with occasional 'bunches' of ore. The lode was 4 feet wide, dipping 28 degrees east, enclosed by crushed metamorphosed sandstone. While it appears there was no great quantity of ore, some of it was high quality.
The Waitahuna Cinnabar Company was formed, which sank shafts and drove tunnels, but it never really got past the prospecting stage. The company had eight shareholders, and John Nelson, William Crossan, and P. Miller are noted as directors.
The location is stated as half a mile north-east of the highest part of Waitahuna heights, which is assumed to be Waitahuna Hill (684 metres), at the head of a north-east flowing stream. This places the site in the headwaters of Shepherd Creek. It is a remote area, covered by a maze of forestry tracks, in heavily disturbed tree plantation sites, likely to have destroyed any old workings. The nearest civilisation is the Waipori Falls power station.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Cinnabar Formula: HgS Reference: Railton, G.T., Watters, W.A. (1990) Minerals of New Zealand. New Zealand Geological Survey Bulletin 104, 89 pages.
Buchan, W.R. (1882) The Minerals of Otago. Cinnabar, (in The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout): Vol.40.p.19, Victoria University of Wellington Library Wellington. |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Cinnabar | 2.CD.15a | HgS |
References
Sort by
Year (asc) Year (desc) Author (A-Z) Author (Z-A)Buchan, W.R. (1882) The Minerals of Otago. Cinnabar, (in The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout): Vol.40.p.19, Victoria University of Wellington Library Wellington.
Otago Witness newspaper (1901) Waitahuna Cinnabar Company (Limited), issue 2473, 07 August 1901.
Otago Witness newspaper (1903) Waitahuna Cinnabar Company, issue 2567, 27 May 1903.
Marshall, P. (1918) The Geology of the Tuapeka District, Central Otago Division. New Zealand Geological Survey, Bulletin No. 19, 79 pages.
Railton, G.T., Watters, W.A. (1990) Minerals of New Zealand. New Zealand Geological Survey Bulletin 104, 89 pages.
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