There's (was) gold in them thar hills! Traditional Cache
Rusty410: Unable to maintain
There's (was) gold in them thar hills!
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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A quick, plain, straight-forward, cache-is-at-coordinates site. Enjoy the view.
For a better view of the minesite go to near the original cache site (destroyed in a fire a few months ago) of S 20 15.302, E 146 15.651. Cache has been moved to a spot where it should be less susceptible to fire.
Looking south from here you can see the hills of the Mt Leyshon Mine. Before mining operations, Mt Leyshon was a pyramid-shaped hill some 200 m above the surrounding rolling plains. Currently, rehabilitation continues and entry to the mine site is prohibited. As mentioned before, the view is better closer to the mine.
Prospectors operating out of Ravenswood had made discoveries of gold in the area in 1871. Mossman, Fraser and Clarke (who made major gold finds in Charters Towers in 1872) also visited this area. In the late 1880s, small-scale hard-rock mining operations commenced and continued sporadically until the beginning of WWI. 40,000 ounces of gold were produced during this time.
During WWII, tailings were re-treated and a further 5,900 ounces were produced. In the 1960s and 1970s, renewed exploration showed more low-grade gold mineralization. Further exploration through the 1980s led to a decision by Pan Australian Mining Ltd (subsequently Mt Leyshon Gold Mines Ltd) to establish the large-scale, open-cut mine. (Information from T.H. Orr and L.A. Orr, Orr and Associates)
The original
At time of placement cache contained geocache note, notebook, pencil, Mt Leyshon mug for FTF and a few tradeable items.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)
Treasures
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