Davyhurst Gold Mine

A first treatment plant at Davyhurst was built by WMC Resources in 1986 and sold on in the following year. After intermittent attempts to mine the area by a number of companies, Cons Gold purchased the mine in 1996, moved the treatment from the Bardoc Gold Mine to Davyhurst, and commenced mining. Cons Gold appointed an administrator in April 1998 and the mine was inherited by N M Rothschild & Sons. Rothschild continued processing until April 1999.[4]

The deposit was purchased in mid-2000 by Croesus Mining NL from Rothschild. Croesus made Davyhurst the first new gold mine to open in Western Australia in the new century.[5]

Within less than a year of acquiring the mine, Croesus moved from exploration to mining and opened Giles open pit operation in May 2001.[5] From 2001 until the mine closed in October 2005, it had produced 387,000 ounces of gold, while historical production for the area since 1897 was 1.15 million ounces.[6]

In November 2005, Croesus sold the mine to the Monarch Gold Mining Company for A$5 million.[2][7] In June 2006, Croesus Mining went into voluntary administration.[8]

Monarch recommenced mining at Davyhurst in June 2007 and announced its first gold pour in the following August.[9]

The Davyhurst mine was placed in care and maintenance once more on 14 June because of continued underperformance while its second operation, the Mount Ida Gold Mine, remained in production.[10] Michael Kiernan was appointed as managing director of Monarch and resigned as chairman of Territory Resources, the main creditor of Monarch, on 24 June.[11]

Monarch appointed Pitcher Partners as voluntary administrators on 10 July 2008. Two of Monarch's directors, Michael Kiernan[12] and Allan Quadrio, had already taken Croesus, the previous mine owner, into administration two years earlier.[3][8][13]

In June 2009, Stirling Resources Limited, under managing director Michael Kiernan, announced to inject funds into Monarch Gold.[3] Stirling announced, it would cover all of Monarch's debt, A$55 million and intended to return both the Mount Ida Gold Mine and Davyhurst into operation, the later within three-month of the take over. Mount Ida is scheduled to produce 48,000 ounces of gold per annum at A$450 an ounce, while Davyhurst would produce 65,000 ounces at A$850. Stirling would rename Monarch to Swan Gold Mining Limited.[14] The proposal was accepted by Monarch's creditors on 1 July 2009.

Stirling experienced considerable delays in their fund raising and had to request for extensions on the dead line for the recapitalisation of Monarch, first to 31 December 2009 and then to 31 January 2010.[15]

If reopened, the mine would be part of Swan's Carnegie Gold Project, alongside the nearby Riverina Gold Project, Mulline Project, Siberia and Lady Ida.[16]

The new owners, Swan Gold Mining, announced plans to reopen Davyhurst in May 2010 and Mt Ida in October of the same year.[17]

Gold mines in the Kalgoorlie region

Production of the mine:

• List of active gold mines in Western Australia

• The Australian Mines Handbook: 2003–2004 Edition, Louthean Media Pty Ltd, Editor: Ross Louthean
• Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistics Digest 2008 Page 34: Principal Mineral and Petroleum Producers - Gold

• MINEDEX website
• Stirling Resources Limited website
• Swan Gold Mining Limited website