Hatches Creek wolfram field

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Hatches Creek wolfram field was an active wolfram, also known as tungsten, mining centre between 1915 and 1957 and mining activities recommenced in 2019. It is located on the Barkly Tableland in the Northern Territory and it is 375 kms north-east of Alice Springs.[1]

It is on the lands of the Alyawarre, Kaytetye and Warumungu peoples and their rights to this land have upheld by a successful Native Title Claim.[2][3]

There is a nearby homeland, called Hatches Creek, where an Aboriginal family group lives.[4]

History

Wolfram was first discovered the Hatches Creek during an 1896 - 1906 expedition by Allan Arthur Davidson but the discovery raised little interest.

As wolfram prices rose in the early 20th century interest increased and, in 1915, the first mining leases being registered by Thomas Hanlon and Richard Edwin Warne (Mineral leases 222 - 230) who would later forfeit them in 1918.[5][6] Development of the mining field was slow due to the remoteness of the area and reduced prices. By 1920 the area was largely abandoned.[7]

Mining revived in the 1930s and in 1937 NT Administrator Aubrey Abbott visited the field and found 60 men at work there; this number had increased to between 150-200 by the following year. In 1938 a visiting journalist from Walkabout wrote of it:[8]

The field is not without its romance; some of the adventures have gone out there practically broke and returned to civilization with small fortunes, while others have gone out there with money and have been glad to cadge a ride back to Alice Springs on a motor-lorry.

— B Pickhaver, Hatches Creek, Walkabout (1 June 1938)

This increased population at the field led to difficulties obtaining water and the nearby Kangaroo Waterhole almost dried up and many of the miners experienced dysentery and other stomach disorders.[9] One of the residents and miners' during this period was Gloria Ouida Lee who worked alongside her husband Fred 'Lofty' Purdy.[10]

During World War II wolfram became increasingly important and the mining area was taken over by the government under the National Security Regulations in 1942 when Australia was essentially cut-off from overseas supplies.[9] The main exporters had been America, Japan, Great Britain and Germany who stopped exporting it; this is as one of the primary uses for wolfram was to extract tantalum which was used in the manufacture of spinnerets for the silk trade and for electric light filaments.[11]

Because of the War of the miner's on the field were called up for military service and most of the miners remaining were ineligible to be called for military service because of age or physical infirmity.[9] To address this, in November 1943, 500 indentured Chinese labourers from Nauru were sent there to mine.[12]

These labourers were evacuated from Nauru (via Townsville), where they had been working on a phosphate mine due to a possible invasion by the Japanese. In Australia they were called the Native Labor Company (Chinese) and other miners in this group were sent to Wauchope (a small town near Karlu Karlu) where wolfram mining was also taking place.[12] Existing miners on the wolfram field were not happy when they arrived and accused them of throwing them off their mines. They also claimed that there had been an 83% reduction in wolfram production following the disruption of their arrival and where accused of adopting a go-slow form of passive resistance.[7][13][14][15]

Ultimately the Consul for China, Mr TM Chen (who was based in Brisbane), intervened and, after visiting the site, believed that the labourers were being kept in shocking conditions although, in response to this it was argued that their condition of living was comparable to other miners working there.[16][17][18] It was also alleged that they were not receiving wages, that food and water were being denied and strike actions banned.[7] The Chinese labourers were withdrawn by late 1944 as 'requirements for wolfram had been met".[9]

During the war years Darby Jampijinpa Ross also worked on the field before starting work as part of a Native Labour Gang based from Alice Springs.[19]

Mining continued at Hatches Creek after the war and, in 1952, there were plans to established a township there.[20][21] These plans never eventuated but, in 1953, both a Hatches Creek Miners' Association was formed, led by Simon Rieff, a school was opened and local advocated for a hospital.[22][23][24] Despite this mining continued to wain in the region and in 1954 it was reported that only 61 people remained there and predictions were made that it would become a "ghost centre" and by 1957 it was considered closed.[25][26][1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Hatches Creek – Tungsten Mining". Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Northern Territory of Australia v Alyawarr, Kaytetye, Warumungu, Wakaya Native Title Claim Group [2005] FCAFC 135 | AIATSIS corporate website". aiatsis.gov.au. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  3. ^ "The Alyawarr, Kaytetye, Warumungu, Wakay Native Title Claim Group v Northern Territory of Australia (2004) 207 ALR 539; [2004] FCA 472". ATNS - Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements project. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Hatches Creek Family Outstation". bushtel.nt.gov.au. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  5. ^ Library & Archives NT (1888 - 1941). "NTRS 4208 Office copies of Mineral Leases (F489)". Archives Navigator. Retrieved 2024-07-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Library & Archives NT (1918–1923). "NTRS 2843 Indentures of mineral leases, Central Australia register (F349)". Territory Stories. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b c "Hatches Creek Wolfram Field, Hatches Creek, Barkly Region, Northern Territory, Australia". mindat.org. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  8. ^ Pickhaver, B (1 June 1938), "Hatches Creek (1 June 1938)", Walkabout (magazine), 4 (8), Australian National Travel Association: 57, ISSN 0043-0064
  9. ^ a b c d Jones, Timothy (1987). "Pegging the Northern Territory : the history of mining in the Northern Territory of Australia, 1873-1946". Territory Stories. hdl:10070/716182. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  10. ^ Petrick, Jose (1996), The history of Alice Springs through landmarks and street names (3rd ed.), J. Petrick, ISBN 978-0-646-30256-0
  11. ^ Laytha, Edgar (1 February 1942), "Tungsten - metal of war", Walkabout (magazine), 8 (4), Australian National Travel Association: 17, ISSN 0043-0064
  12. ^ a b "The Native Labour Company". www.ozatwar.com. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Chinese labour protest". The Sun (Sydney). No. 10672. New South Wales, Australia. 21 March 1944. p. 3 (Supplement to the Sun). Retrieved 8 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^ "White labor supplanted by Chinese". Daily Mercury. Vol. 78, no. 70. Queensland, Australia. 22 March 1944. p. 2. Retrieved 8 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "Chinese labor not success". Border Morning Mail. Vol. XL, no. 12057. New South Wales. 22 March 1944. p. 2. Retrieved 8 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ "Chinese labour: life on wolfram mines". The West Australian. Vol. 60, no. 18, 006. Western Australia. 25 March 1944. p. 3. Retrieved 8 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^ "Chinese miners exploited Brisbane Consul alleges". Daily Mirror. No. 895. New South Wales, Australia. 25 March 1944. p. 4 (War News Edition). Retrieved 8 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ^ "Chinese Say Penalised at N.T. Mines". The Courier-mail. No. 3291. Queensland, Australia. 24 March 1944. p. 3. Retrieved 8 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^ Campbell, Liam; Ross, Darby Jampijinpa, 1905-2005; Duncan, Scott; Australian Broadcasting Corporation; Warlpiri Media Association (2006), Darby : one hundred years of life in a changing culture, ABC Books for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation ; Alice Springs, N.T. : Warlpiri Media Association, ISBN 978-0-7333-1925-9{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ "Town Site for Hatches Creek". Centralian Advocate. Vol. V, no. 251. Northern Territory, Australia. 28 March 1952. p. 1. Retrieved 9 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^ "Town lands available for leasing: Situation - Hatches Creek". Commonwealth Of Australia Gazette. No. 57. Australia, Australia. 17 September 1953. p. 2572. Retrieved 9 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ^ Sharp, Jim (2 October 1953). "Hatches Creek Miners' Association". Centralian Advocate. Vol. VII, no. 330. Northern Territory, Australia. p. 7. Retrieved 9 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. ^ "School opening at Hatches Creek". Centralian Advocate. Vol. VI, no. 296. Northern Territory, Australia. 6 February 1953. p. 1. Retrieved 9 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. ^ "Hospital Needed at Hatches Creek". Centralian Advocate. Vol. V, no. 251. Northern Territory, Australia. 28 March 1952. p. 1. Retrieved 9 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  25. ^ "Wolfram jobs end". The Herald. No. 23, 644. Victoria, Australia. 6 March 1953. p. 10. Retrieved 9 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  26. ^ "Hatches Creek slump continues". Centralian Advocate. Vol. VII, no. 353. Northern Territory, Australia. 12 March 1954. p. 1. Retrieved 9 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
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