Glenorchy, Queenstown-Lakes District, Otago Region, New Zealandi

Regional Level Types
Glenorchy	- not defined -
Queenstown-Lakes District	District
Otago Region	Region
New Zealand	Country

Glenorchy is found at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu, surrounded by high snow capped peaks. From a mine perspective there is a couple of interesting locations to visit. The Mount Judah scheelite mine and battery sites can be accessed from a walking trail that leaves the main road just before reaching Glenorchy. The battery was removed in 1983 to the Goldfields Mining Centre in Kawarau Gorge near Cromwell, part of a private tourist venture. A heritage report on the scheelite mine states that if the battery is returned, it would represent the most complete historic intact scheelite mine in the world.

Much machinery, buildings, mine workings and tailings remain at both sites, the mine further up the track from the battery. Scheelite was first mined in the area in the 1880's, but the patchy near surface ore, and lack of capital hampered development.

The Glenorchy Scheelite Mining Company was formed in 1906, often referred to in newspaper articles as Reid and Lee's mine. Its timing was impeccable. Scheelite is used for armaments and ammunition, and as European powers expanded their armed forces in preparation for World War One, the price for scheelite rose 80%.

During this period the Glenorchy Scheelite Mine was the main operator in the area, but there were a number of small mines, further up the Buckler Burn Valley, and remote locations near the top of surrounding peaks. The only other major source for scheelite at the time was Colorado. Some had their own batteries, and aerial cableways to get the ore down off the mountains. The Glenorchy Scheelite Company took over many of the leases. There is a dominance of gold and coal mines in New Zealand, so the field is important simply because it is different. The smaller mines can be accessed by continuing on the track past the Mount Judah Mine. Some like Bonnie Jean are relatively easy to get to. Others high on the snow bound peaks require mini expeditions. The local farmer may block access.

By 1921, much of the field was idle, when the scheelite prices crashed. The 1930's, leading up to World War Two saw prices rise again, and the scheelite field was taken over by the New Zealand government. The Mines Department was unable to find any new major lodes, and left in 1946. Mining continued spasmodically on the tribute system until the 1970s.

Gold was found on Chinaman's Flat between Glenorchy and the scheelite mine, and small parties hydro sluiced along the Buckler Burn until the World War One years. It was never a rich field however. The Invincible gold mine is found eighteen kilometres north of Glenorchy, and contains a buddle, waterwheel relics, tailings, mine workings, and a unique seven berdan pan arrangement on display.

Quartz and scheelite lodes are variably laminated and/or massive quartz veins, and clay selvages at the boundaries of lode and planar undisturbed schist.

The lodes range from a few centimetres to 6 metres thick. Scheelite is found as random discontinuous veins and lenses in quartz, which may also contain minor calcite, pyrite, arsenopyrite, rutile, sphene, kaolinite, and wall rock schist fragments.

The major lodes cut across the schistosity at a high angle, while minor lodes and shear zones join footwalls and hanging walls at a low angle, forming altogether a network of mineralised veins. Hydrothermal alteration has occurred within 2 metres of the lodes, forming albite, and chlorite-calcite.

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