Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):	26° 19' 26'' South , 118° 23' 31'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):	-26.32417,118.39216
GeoHash:	G#: qek4npfd9
Locality type:	Area
Köppen climate type:	BWh : Hot deserts climate

This location is 35 kilometres north-west of Meekatharra, along the Meekatharra-Mount Clere Road. This road appears to have once gone right through the workings, but has since been moved 200 metres to the east. The workings cannot be seen from the road, and finding access tracks to it are difficult.

The area is small and compact, about 2 kilometres long by 1 kilometre wide. There are two areas of battery sands, one larger than the other, about 100 metres apart. These probably relating to the Abbotts and Black Iguana mines, both of which had 10 head batteries, in the late 1890's. The rest of the area contains shafts, diggings and mullock piles, along the Abernethy Shear Zone.

Sources refer to the spot as Abbotts, Abbotts Mine, several individually named mines (some probably the same mine but with different names over time), and later various prospecting leases. Information on the area was limited and dis-jointed due to its remote location, and that it was a prospecting field for most of its life.

It also refers to a small town which developed to service the mines, also called Abbotts. It was established in 1898, and gazetted in 1900. Named after prospector Vincent Vrauizan, who changed his name to Vincent Abbott in 1893. Little remains apart from a small cemetery.

The earliest report found was 1894, when the prospectors of Abbotts mine, sold the property, and it was floated as the Abbotts Gold Mining Company with 80 000 pounds capital. In 1896 a battery, machinery was erected, developed an open cut, and sunk the main shaft to 190 feet, cutting the reef at 180 feet.

Managing director of the company, William Bishop, was arrested in 1897, alleged to have stolen 2950 pounds from the company. Bishop was one of the first men to explore the Kimberley, owned the Black Swan mine at Cuddingwarra, as well as two mines at Mount Magnet.

An Abbotts Proprietary Gold Mines Limited was registered in 1901 with 90 000 pounds capital invested by shareholders. Two years later its is reported there had been a lot of exploration at the mine, and a small amount of ore taken. It found very low gold grades, nothing like the gold found by the prior company. Four reefs were looked at ranging from 6 inches to 4 feet wide.

The Black Iguana mine also was being operated by a company in the late 1890s, with its own 10 head battery, erected in 1896. The reef at 135 feet deep was 2 to 3 feet wide. There were at least 3 shafts, one to 180 feet, and the two others 100 feet deep. Two adjacent leases were also owned by the company, totalling 28 acres in all.

Total crushings to 1911 were found for two major mines, with little supporting information. Mount Vraniza (Vranuizan?) 13 416 tonnes of ore for 12 205 ounces, and the New Murchison King 21 356 tonnes for 24 463 ounces of gold. These mines were no longer operating at the time of the report, the latter running out of capital. This mine was also active in 1935 employing 3 men, but no more is known.

The late 1920's to 1941 saw a number of small crushings from prospectors. Richard F. Green prospected at the site for several years, and crushings were found in his name from 1929 to 1938 (PA 1287N). It was a new find, being a spur from a main reef. A couple of crushings were found for the old Crescent mine in 1930, operated by J. Dixon. A crushing was found from this location in 1910. Telfer and Radalj, McLerie and Leahy, and the Sands brothers are noted as prospectors on the field in 1935.

Western Mining Corporation held the area in the 1990's. A couple of exploration companies have looked at the site in recent years, with no major discovery announcements.

Mineral List

8 valid minerals.

References