Gold continued

Introduction Prospecting for gold Underground mining 1900-1972 Sons of Gwalia gold mine 1900-1960 Open cut mining

Corporate underground gold mining continued

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s gold extraction continued in existing mines. The introduction of more portable one-man drills, the use of tungsten carbide-tipped bits and a new type of explosive, the introduction of electric locomotives and diesel dump vehicles underground, saw gold production levels maintained in spite of a shrinking work force. During this period the profitability of Kalgoorlie's gold mines declined, while production from areas outside the Golden Mile decreased. The Sons of Gwalia, for example, closed in 1963. During the 1970s there were a further series of amalgamations and mine closures in the Western Australian gold mining industry. By the end of that decade only Central Norseman and Mt Charlotte gold mines remained in production.