Mt charlotte

Although the Mt Charlotte underground gold mine at Kalgoorlie in Western Australia celebrated its 50th year of operation in August 2013, it didn't come easy, as on less than three separate occasions during its operational life it had been threatened with closure.

Mt Charlotte Mine Owned by Barrick Gold and Newmont
The Mt Charlotte mine is a part of the Kalgoorlie Super Pit gold mining operation that is managed by Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) on behalf of its joint venture equal owners, Barrick Australia Pacific and Newmont Australia Pty Ltd.

Mt Charlotte Cassidy Shaft Sunk near the Original Gold Strike in 1893
The history of gold mining at Kalgoorlie began soon after gold was discovered there in 1893 at a place close to where the Mt Charlotte Cassidy Shaft was later sunk. Exploratory drilling and underground mining took place in the area on an intermittent basis by a number of different lease holders up until 1962 when GMK (Gold Mines of Kalgoorlie) acquired the Mt Charlotte mine.

Mt Charlotte Mine was First to use Mechanised Equipment Underground
The Mt Charlotte mine, during the 1960's, was the first to introduce the use of mechanised equipment into the mining industry. This innovation allowed it to begin the process of a continuous bulk underground mining method. An important factor that allowed the Mt Charlotte mine to continue with its production while many other gold mining operations throughout the Eastern Goldfields area closed from time to time because of gold price fluctuations. In 1976 the Mt Charlotte mine was the only gold mine still working in the Eastern Goldfields Region.

Mt Charlotte Mine Operated by KCGM
The present operator of the Mt Charlotte mine, KCGM, was appointed in 1989 and it is currently being worked to a depth of 1.2 kilometres and once again the only underground mine operating within the famous Kalgoorlie 'Golden Mile.' It is still producing, on average, 3,740 ounces of gold on a monthly basis.

Mt Charlotte Mine is Part of the Kalgoorlie Super Pit Operations
The present owners of the Mt Charlotte mine, Barrick and Newmont, also own the Fimiston Open Pit, otherwise known as the 'Super Pit,' the Mt Charlotte underground mine, the Gidji Roaster and the Fimiston gold processing plant. These operations, all under the management of KCGM, produce around 800,000 ounces of gold annually, far more than any other gold mining center anywhere else in Australia. The super pit itself is the largest open pit gold mine in the entire country.

KCGM was formed after entrepreneur, Alan Bond, failed in his attempt to bring all the gold mines operating with the Kalgoorlie Golden Mile under the one ownership. This ambition was eventually achieved in 1989 when KCGM was formed to manage the then assets of Homestake Gold of Australia Limited and Normandy Australia. It was the first time all the mining leases had been brought together, including that of Mt Charlotte. Up until this time the area had produced almost 50 million ounces of gold.

Mt Charlotte today is also a famous Kalgoorlie landmark only a short drive from the centre of the city. The view from the top of the hill is renown by locals and tourists alike for its startling sunsets and marvelling at the reservoir that stores fresh water for Kalgoorlie and its mining operations.

The water is pumped to the reservoir from the Mundaring Weir 566 kilometres to the south west.