While in relatively close proximity to Kalgoorlie, the Mount Monger goldfield had seen no systematic exploration approach in the past. Mining had been carried out in the area from the early 1900s, mostly by small mining companies, gold having been found there in 1896.[2] Approximately 400,000 ounces have been mined in the Mount Monger area, with old workings in the area reaching a depth of 80 metres.[3]
The current Daisy Milano mine has been in operation since 1990. Originally it was an underground operation, with a shaft haulage system, but, under the ownership of Ridgeview Nominees Pty Limited, a decline was established in 2001.[4] In May 2002, an underground miner was killed at the facility, having been found unconscious on an underground access road, next to an open electrical switch box.[5]
The mine was placed in care and maintenance in March 2007 by then-owner Perilya Limited, with the intention of selling it.[6][7] Perilya themselves had purchased the operations in January 2005 for A$3.2 million,[8] but suffered from a lack of own production facilities, having to cart its ore long distances to other company’s plants, such as Harmony's Jubilee or Coolgardie, 100 km away from the mine.[9]
Mining at Daisy Milano resumed in December 2007 and the first gold pour was carried out in April 2008.[11] In the June quarter of 2009, Silver Lake also carried out open pit mining 1 km north of the underground operation, at Christmas Flat.[14] Daisy Milano's ore was processed in the Silver Lake-owned Lakewood gold processing facility, which is located 5 km south east of Kalgoorlie and capable of processing 300,000 tonnes per annum.[15] Silver Lake purchased the facility in November 2007 for A$2.4 million.[11]
On 10 June 2021, Paul Tamati Ereka Martin died after becoming unconscious at the Daisy Milano underground operation.[16][17]
Daisy Milano is now the western-most of four operations which are part of Silver Lake's Mount Monger operation, with all ore being processed at the company's Randalls Gold Processing Facility, located at the Randalls Gold Mine. Apart from the Daisy Milano underground operation, ore is also sourced from Mount Belches underground and Aldiss open pit operations.[18]
^[1] Production figure is for the combined Mount Monger Operations, which consist of the Daisy Milano and Mount Belches underground and Aldiss open pit operations.
References
^ ab"2023 Annual Report"(PDF). clients.weblink.com.au. Silver Lake Resources. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
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