44 Oct 2021 OceanaGold WNP Project, Waihi - Archaeological / Heritage Assessment Recorded Historic Heritage The mining of claims within the United Silverton Amaranth Mine area, including Winner mine were initially held by small companies. All claims were then acquired by Waihi Gold Mining Company in 1887 (excluding Silverton Mine which was added to the company in 1889) and placed under a wholly owned subsidiary named Union-Waihi Gold Mining Company that who continued to work the claims until 1902 when mining ceased. The Winner Hill Claim was prospected prior to 1889 (Morgan 1924; McAra 1978). During 1885 – 1902 only about £100,000 worth of bullion had been produced from these mines, almost half of which came from the Silverton Mine, which had mainly been worked independently by the Silverton Gold Mining Company (McAra 1988:49-51). The years 1902 – 1910 were the boom years of mining at Waihi but by the 1920s and 1930s ore reserves were on the decline. This, in combination with other factors led in 1952 to the cessation of mining in the area (McAra 198826-27). Later prospecting took place on Union, Winner and Gladstone Hills from the 1970s until 1999, with most drill holes excavated after 1987 (Phillips 2000:9). An archaeological survey of the proposed Gladstone Pit project area was carried out in 2000 as part of a field survey of Silverton Hill, Winner Hill and Gladstone Hill (Phillips 2000). As a result of this assessment a more recent survey of historic heritage sites has been carried out. The accompanying report Oceana Gold Project Martha, Waihi: Part 1 Historical and Archaeological Background provides a detailed summary of the history of mining in this area and previous archaeological investigations within the project area and nearby (Brown et al. 2018). Further research and modelling has been carried out by Buxton-Blue (Resource Development Geologist for Oceana Gold) to identify pre-1900 historic workings within Gladstone Hill and Winner Hill as part of the proposed Gladstone Pit. There are five recorded archaeological sites either within or in close proximity to the proposed Gladstone Pit, WUG Portal and associated infrastructure, and two of these sites are scheduled HDP heritage sites – Gladstone Battery and gold mining complex (T13/821; HAU245 Cat C), Winner Hill gold mining complex (T13/820), Silverton Hill goldmining complex (T13/919, the Lower Level Water Race (T13/817) and a tramway (T13/818; HAU246). Table 3 summarises these recorded historic heritage sites and Figure 38 shows the location of these sites. During 2000 Phillips undertook field survey and subsurface testing over Winner, Gladstone and Silverton Hills. She was informed that traditionally burials were placed in caves on Gladstone Hill. Phillips did not identify any archaeological features of Maori origin, but concluded that there was potential for such features to survive on unmodified areas on the high points of Union Hill, Winner Hill and Gladstone Hill. However, further recent archaeological survey did not identify any archaeological features of Maori origin on Gladstone Hill and within the proposed Gladstone Pit. These areas clearly having been affected by numerous drill hole collar shafts excavated as part of modern gold prospecting, mainly between 1987-99, particularly over Gladstone Hill where over 30 shafts were dug (Phillips 2000:22).
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