Thames (NZ): Victoria Gold Mining Company Drilling on the Foreshore 1903

The previous post was on the Kuranui-Caledonian Drilling 1903; there is another 'drilling' photograph in the Auckland Libraries Sir George Grey Collection.

The Description given for the photo is: 

BORING FOR GOLD IN THE THAMES DEEP LEVELS: THE VICTORIA GOLD MINING COMPANY'S OPERATIONS ON THE FORESHORE

Source: Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19031210-2-5

So what was happening? Here are some items from the newspapers about the drilling.

New Zealand Herald 28 October 1903: The Victoria Gold Mining Company was given permission to work the Favourite Special foreshore quartz claim. As a result the company had made a contract with the Goldfields Diamond Drilling Company for boring upon the claim to a depth of 3000 feet (with option of stopping at 1000 feet). The drilling was due to start at the beginning of November.

New Zealand Herald 6 November 1903: The derrick to be used for the drilling process had been moved into place. The structure was fifty foot high.

New Zealand Herald 9 November 1903: The drilling machine was due to arrive, the largest machine in the Australian colonies - capable of reaching a depth of 3000 feet.

NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 9 NOVEMBER 1903

New Zealand Herald 19 November 1903: Typical Thames weather, there had been a significant squall and the derrick structure over the bore hole was blown over! The damage was minimal and it was quickly re-erected.

New Zealand Herald 24 November 1903: A start was made with the borehole "by means of a calyx bit, and a depth  of 30ft was attained. In this instance the size of the casing used at the start is 7in in diameter, leaving the inside diameter of the hole at 6 1/2in."

By the 26th the depth was 50 feet, the 27th 80 feet - they had passed through clay and gravel.

New Zealand Herald 30 November 1903: Well the challenges were great, a log was encountered, they then started a new hole and another log was met preventing drilling. The use of gelignite shattered the log and drilling proceeded, reaching 87 feet in total. The following days more logs were hit!

New Zealand Herald 7 December 1903: The borehole was 165 feet deep. The decision was made to change to a diamond bit.

New Zealand Herald 17 December 1903: The depth was now 303 feet. The had now reached rubbly quartz, small boulders and clay.

A new year and the report from the New Zealand Herald 22 January 1904, a large boulder was now the problem. The expense of the operation was mounting! Nothing was easy on the Thames Goldfield.