• Where is the Morning Star mine located?
• When was the Morning Star mine last mined?
• What is the size of Morning Star's tenement holding?
• What is the potential Resource Target within Morning Star's tenement holding?
• What is meant by the 'Gap Zone' in the Morning Star mine & why does the 'Gap Zone' exist?
• How close are the nearest larger towns?
• How deep is the mineshaft at the Morning Star mine?
• What hours does Morning Star operate at Woods Point?
• What type of equipment is utilised at the Morning Star?
• When would mining likely start at Morning Star?
• What is the mine's life likely to be?
• Is there any open-cut mining at Morning Star?
• Is there much impact on local residents and the environment?
• What is the history of the Woods Point?
• Why was gold mostly mined in shallow workings around Woods Point apart from the Morning Star?
• What happens to the disused ground water from within the mine?
• What is the size of Morning Star's workforce?
• Will access to the mine be via decline shafts?
• Are visitors welcome to the Morning Star mine?
• What else is there to do around Woods Point?
• How far is the Morning Star mine site from Melbourne?

 

Where is the Morning Star Goldmine located?

The Morning Star Goldmine is located at the township of Woods Point which is around 3 hours drive from Melbourne in the Upper Yarra ranges. Some refer to the area as the 'lower alpine' Victoria as it's not far as the crow flies from Mount Buller ski fields. Woods Point is a small town on the main road between Marysville and Mansfield. Woods Point has about 40 residents, a large classic country pub, a small general store, a manned police station... and is the home of Morning Star Gold. Woods Point was established in 1861 when gold was first discovered in alluvial locations in the Upper Goulburn River area. For more information click here.

When was the Morning Star mine last mined?

The Morning Star was last mined for gold in late 1962. The Morning Star Goldmine and other shafts and workings on 'Morning Star Hill' operated on and off since gold was discovered in the Victorian high country in 1861. In 1959 Gold Mines of Australia (WMC Ltd) decided to down tools and head to W.A. to mine nickel due to the low gold price ($35 per ounce) & high power costs. At the time, they were mining at the 19 Level (~1,900 feet depth) and looking at re-developing the 9 Level of the mine underground but targeting at least 18 grams a tonne to cover costs. Various local groups tried in vain to keep the Morning Star Goldmine open for business after WMC departed but in the end it was too big a concern for the small local operators to maintain as power costs were high and gold was set at USD35 per ounce. Access to the highly prospective lower areas of the mine (below 18 Level) was also impossible after WMC pulled out as they immediately dismantled a large underground winder on the 19L, which ran equipment, men and ore up and down the inclined shaft from that point & deeper. WMC also removed all air quality control pumps and water pumps, effectively the mine started filling with groundwater from that time forwards.

What is the size of Morning Star’s tenement holding?

MCO's granted Mining and Exploration Licences span roughly 200km2 around Woods Point. The mining tenements primarily run to the northwest along three major geological 'shear zones' which contain numerous mafic gabbro 'dykes', which were mined historically for rich returns from predominantly shallow workings. One major fault zone is known as the 'Ross Creek Line' which famously housed both the Morning Star ore body and the Long Tunnel Mine (or Cohen's Reef), a prodigious ore body near Walhalla 60kms SE of Woods Point where 1.3 Million ounces of gold were mined from 1MT of ore in a single reef! Our company HQ is located 400 metres from the Morning Star Goldmine at 6 Bridge Street, Woods Point but our mining titles run from Matlock (11kms to the south-east of Woods Point and the site of All Nations + Loch Fyne mines), to well up and beyond Gaffney's Creek (14kms to the north-west of Woods Point, the site of and near to Rose of Denmark, Hunts & Dempsey mines and near to the Wallaby and Reliance prospects).

What is the potential Resource Target within Morning Star’s tenement holding?

The Company is currently conducting a detailed ongoing study in order to rank its key regional ore bodies (dykes) with the Morning Star mine. This is being supervised by Dr. Peter Jackson and is designed to ultimately determine an overall potential resource endowment in MCO's ~200km2 tenements and to continue developing key resource targets by priority. In July 2008, Morning Star released its maiden JORC Resource of 910,000 Ounces of Gold. This was purely for the Morning Star dyke bulge and was broken down between 2 Million Tonnes underground averaging 11.2g/t (726Kozs) and 2.6MT near surface avg 2.2g/t Au (184Kozs). MCO is confident its Regional Exploration Program adds strong growth potential to its resource ounces. Regional mafic gabbro-dykes, which were in many cases high producers of gold from shallow workings mostly above the water table, are numerous on MCO tenements. Key primary targets include All Nations, Waverly, Rose of Denmark, Hunts, Reliance, Little Comet and Wallaby mines.

What is meant by the 'Gap Zone' in the Morning Star mine & why does the 'Gap Zone' exist?

The area below Whitelaw's Reef and above the rich Achilles Zone in the Morning Star was partially developed and stoped by WMC but never mined. The main reason for this was the catastrophic January 1939 'Black Friday' bushfires, which destroyed the entire town of Woods Point and the outbreak of WWII that same year. There is a more detailed description on the 'Gap Zone' in this website under this link.

How close are the nearest larger towns?

The nearest town of consequence to Woods Point is Mansfield, 78kms to the north along the Woods Point to Mansfield Road via Gaffney's Creek and the A1 Mine Settlement (both famous gold mining towns in their day). Heading southwest, the pretty town of Marysville can be accessed along roughly 92kms of logging trails and bitumen road. Marysville was of course destroyed in the Black Saturday fires in Feb 2009 but is slowly being rejuvenated to its former beauty.

How deep is the mineshaft at the Morning Star mine?

The main mineshaft was in two parts and historically up to 940 metres deep over 24 Levels. Roughly 600 metres is a vertical shaft and at the 19L (~1,900 feet level) an inclined shaft was set up to access the lowest levels of the mine. The 4-compartment mineshaft is being totally refurbished to modern day safety and OH&S standards and a brand new winder will lift people and ore between surface and as far down as the 10L 'Plat' and 10L drives, which are 306 metres underground. Several other large and deep vertical shafts (and adits) enter the Morning Star dyke, including the Hope shaft, Alps, Hope Engine, Cherry and North Morning Star. They provide ventilation and in some cases will provide future access as the mining program expands at the Morning Star Goldmine.

What hours does Morning Star operate at Woods Point?

Morning Star Gold operates at the Morning Star mine 7 days a week from 7am until 7pm. There is full time security on-site at all times. Prior arrangement is needed to access the mine site. Visitors should call the mine office before making plans to visit the area on 03 5777 8268. As it's a working mine site and there are many operational safety issues and hazards, the company reserves the right to refuse entry to any person at any time. As the site is a gold production site, security is understandably very high and will be strengthened as mining and milling operations move towards 24/7 over 2012-13.

What type of equipment is utilised at the Morning Star?

A myriad of equipment is used at the Morning Star mine. There are two Kempe underground diamond drill rigs, three Boyles surface rigs, large air compressors to drive the underground rigs, all sorts of air-leg drills and tools for extraction of rock samples and mining, GPS equipment for surveying tenements and old workings, two independently run winches which operate the main lifts underground and various pumps to keep the ground water from encroaching on operations underground. MCO also uses earthmoving equipment and several I.T. and security focused items to make the office run efficiently from a technological standpoint. It's a fully fledged and full time operational business employing ~26 technical, admin & mining staff. Equipment and infrastructures in place at site over 2011 have expanded dramatically to include a gravity processing plant, a tailings paste-backfill plant and other geological equipment and an increases in site based accommodation and offices.

When would mining likely start at Morning Star?

Since 2004-05 works increased on opening up the vertical mineshaft for exploration. Development increased pace in 2009 and a pilot mining program was conceived at Maxwells Reef (~275 metres U/G). This was after resource drilling indicated a series of ore targets close to the main shaft and the company decided with strengthening gold prices that a move towards cash flow would be sensible. Initial mining and production at the site over 2011-12 is a good opportunity to test grade factoring theories touched on in the mid-2008 JORC statement. More recently MCO's technical team has identified additional mining targets both shallower than Maxwells and also at much the same depth elsewhere in the Morning Star dyke such as in the Kenny Zone and the new shallower zones dubbed "Donaldson Reef". There are 6 major zones of focus for the upcoming mining program and the company will continue to target shallower resources and mining targets whilst commencing 2011-12 gold production. 27,000 metres of diamond drilling in order to strengthen exploration knowledge but more importantly replenish mining reserves commences in early 2012. A special focus will be drilling from the 9L and 10L of the Morning Star down into the "Gap Zone" which has has little exploration down as far as 14 Level.

MCO has a five-legged planning process, which it is carefully following. The 1st and 2nd stages have been completed with the successful refurbishment and dewatering programs in the Morning Star mine to the 10L (~310m U/G) and extensive underground resource focused diamond-drilling of the upper 'Gap Zone' of the mine. The 3rd stage is underway with development of the 6 mining "Zones of Focus" in the Morning Star mine (Maxwell's Reef Zone, 7 Sub-Floor, Dickenson's, Perkin's, Donaldson's and Kenny zones). The next crucial 4th leg was recently completed with the construction of an onsite gravity processing plant (GPP) targeting 80,000TPA throughput. It has been commissioned over 2011 along with a paste & backfill plant to prepare tailings (waste) for underground storage. A huge range of mine infrastructures were upgraded over 2010-11 in preparation for full scale mining in 2012 and onwards (these include refurbishment of the main shaft to the 10L, a new high speed winder and a series of site surface and underground power upgrades).

Various other areas of planning are being implemented such as assessment and feasibility on a high tonnage surface mining proposal on the 2.6 Million tonnes of near surface ores grading ~2.2 g/t Au (2008 JORC). Feasibility and planning may also include a decline shaft to potentially co-exist with the mine's refurbished vertical shaft. The 6th stage is to find more ore in the scores of regional ore bodies which are being explored currently & developed. There will be an overall assessment of key regional dyke targets and their potential which will be ongoing over 2010-2013 to decide the overall resource potential on MCO's current tenements.

What is the mine’s life likely to be?

This will very much depend on ongoing proving up of gold resources. At this stage it's hoped that the Woods Point Gold Project will be able to operate as project with one production hub with many proximal ore sources but of course, mine life will be amenable with the resources identified in the coming years. The current underground resource (beneath the level of the current headframe) is 2MT @ 11.2g/t (726,000 ounces of gold). But as with all old ore bodies and underground mines, careful planning has to be done to ensure the economic viability of remnant and new ore zones.

Is there any open-cut mining at Morning Star?

Historically there were small open cut mines and sluicing in the area but not at the Morning Star. An assessment of MCO’s resources in 1998 identified an area which would suit an open cut mine if it was developed. The area is called Morning Star Hill and basically rises above the Morning Star poppet-head along the dyke towards the northwest. There is a zone 140 metres deep, which holds a large low grade JORC compliant resource of 184,000 ozs (2.61MT at 2.2 grams per tonne) which has been discussed above.

Is there much impact on local residents and the environment?

Morning Star is very sensitive to the needs and desires of locals and of course the sustainability of the local environment. Although the mine is very isolated in terms of human habitation, many tourists still use Woods Point for a variety of purposes, especially in the warmer months. MCO considers there is zero impact on residents of Woods Point from their exploration and mining activities and as the mine is underground, any future impact is considered negligible. Morning Star has an environmental policy and considers it's main impact to the environment probably as the discharge of ground water from the mine. The water is tested monthly and is potable at this point in time and well within WHO and EPA standards due to MCO's installation and commissioning of a state of the art water purification (arsenic removal) plant. Once used for milling onsite, all of the water taken from the mine will be re-used where possible and once treated has zero environmental impact, infact MCO receives credits from the local water authority for adding clean water to the Goulburn system. Morning Star has at times employed many locals - nearly half the town of Woods Point in one way or another - and supports local accommodation and services supplying fuel, food and other consumables. The positive financial impact of the business is also felt on many businesses as far away as Jamieson, Mansfield, Healesville and Marysville.

What is the history of the Woods Point?

William Gooley discovered gold at Woods Point in 1861 (150 Years prior to 2011) and for his trouble they named a local creek after him. In 1864 Gooley and his partner Colin McDougall carted in over many arduous months, a stamp battery to crush the rock and process the gold. This story sounds good - but there is another account which has been brought to life in Morning Star's microsite 'The Reefers Hotel' (www.reefershotel.com.au). Other prospectors soon followed the initial trailblazers, including a storekeeper by the name of Mrs Wood who set up business on the largest point of the spur. As the town was built around it, the site became known as Woods Point. By 1865 Woods Point was thriving with the local gold rushes and had its very own Mayor called Paddy Perkins. Perkins set up several pubs and a small brewery in the area but later followed the gold, the mining boom and the miners (to provide the beer) further west to Castlemaine and onto Toowoomba Qld, where he's credited with his brother Thomas, as the founder of Castlemaine Perkins Brewery and ultimately the XXXX beer brand.

Why was gold mostly mined in shallow workings around Woods Point apart from the Morning Star?

This was mainly due to two reasons. First was the extreme hardness of the basalt host rocks around the area. Diggings into the "oxidised zone" or shallow brittle zone was possible but much beyond that the digging became much harder for men with hand tools. Secondly was the remoteness of the area and related the lack of power to operate pumps and heavy steam driven equipment to clear mineshafts of groundwater and provide steam power. Many of the Woods Point dykes outcrop close to the river level and are close to the water table. Gold was discovered in the rivers and creeks and followed to the hard rock sources (dykes of basalt). The Morning Star is a large dyke bulge and proximal alluvials and surface workings had been carried out by many individual leaseholders during its first two decades. After a hiatus, several leaseholders formed a public company in the 1890's as the 2nd gold rush came. It was called The Morning Star Mine Co. Ltd and it was set up to begin serious shaft sinking operations into one section of the Morning Star dyke. This was the first known publicly funded mining enterprise in Australia. The collective financial clout of the stakeholders enabled a more sophisticated approach to pumping out ground water at Morning Star involving steam driven pumps. This had a devastating effect on the timber in the area at the time as photos at the turn of the 19th/20th Century reveal but you would not know it now as it's well wooded. This is notwithstanding the devastation also felt to the native fauna and flora in Jan 1939 (Black Friday Fires). The area is now well wooded mainly with Mountain/Alpine Ash.

What happens to the disused ground water from within the mine?

It is pumped from 10L sump (under 10L plat) to a series of underground dams and holding reservoirs at 9L and 5L. It is tested in several locations; most will be used for drilling or milling purposes once pumped to surface, where it is used for milling and passes through MCO's new state of the art water treatment and purification plant. Any water then discharged into the catchment is agitated and aerated against rocks at a spillway, then into a series of settlement ponds and a holding dam where it's tested again every month. The water then seeps into the catchment of Morning Star Creek, a small trout rich tributary of the Upper Goulburn River system. Stringent water testing controlled by ALS Labs (Ecowise) in Melbourne has proved that the water from the Morning Star is potable and not harmful to the catchment or humans. The main potential 'nasty' in the ground water has traditionally been arsenic (due to the presence of arseno-pyrites in the quartz bearing structures containing gold) but the arsenic is completely diluted once the water passes through the new treatment plant and before it's agitated and moved between ponds before discharge.

What is the size of Morning Star’s workforce?

Currently, MCO retains a small business office in Sydney and a number of employees + contractors at the Woods Point operations. Morning Star has spent considerable time and resources up-skilling local staff in a series of mining and exploration roles to maintain flexibility and support the local economy but growth will determine the amount of outside contractors utilises by MCO. As the presence in Woods Point grows, so will the outside influence which is welcomed in the tiny town. Currently around 26 people work for MCO all up. An org chart is available on this company website and will be updated to reflect any key changes. MCO is an equal opportunity employer and only discriminates against people who won't work hard or purposefully in a team environment. Employment applications can be emailed to:   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Will access to the mine and local ore bodies be via decline shafts?

It's certainly also possible depending on feasibility studies to access several proximal ore deposits via a single decline shaft like in the case of the Morning Star Goldmine & the Waverly or the All Nations & Loch Fyne or even the Hunts and Rose of Denmark. Again these scenarios playing out depends on the resources definition proximal to each ore body. A preliminary decline shaft has been designed and the decline portal entrance has been determined and is pictured in this website under 'Media - MCO in Pictures'. Other portal entries are being assessed. But the main existing vertical shaft at the Morning Star has been significantly strengthened and rebuilt in preparation for initial mining and gold production in 2011-12.

Are visitors welcome to the Morning Star mine?

Site visitors are always welcome provided the Company receives sufficient notice. Please contact the site on 03 5777 8268 well prior to travelling to the area and if you wish to visit the Morning Star mine site or email us at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

What else is there to do around Woods Point?

Woods Point is a popular stop-off place for all sorts of adventure seekers. There are loads of things to do including fishing and hunting (strictly in season and with permits), water sports, trail-bike riding, horse riding, 4WD, tours of old gold mining towns & relics, bushwalking and alpine sports in the colder months, not to mention bird watching and gold fossicking! The Commercial Hotel in Woods Point is the perfect place to stay a while and other accommodation is available at nearby Comet Flat at the Richmond Retreat or up the road at Brian & Heather Prothero's 'McAdam's Gap Getaway', which is a really stunning place to stay with a very friendly ambiance on weekends.

How far is the Morning Star mine site from Melbourne?

The Morning Star is a comfortable three to three and a half hour drive from most parts of Melbourne. Best to travel via the Eastern Freeway out of Melbourne, towards the Yarra Valley (Healesville then Marysville), which is very picturesque route via the famous 'Black Spur'. Tullamarine Airport is more like a 2.5hrs drive from the mine site via the Western Ring Road then Christmas Hills, Yarra Glen and Healesville. With plenty of new freeway work going on near Melbourne, please check your maps! It's easy going until just past Marysville then you start driving on wide logging trails for some 80kms to Woods Point. The easier route which is by road slightly longer is Melbourne up to Mansfield via the Hume Highway (Yea and Yarck etc.,) and then to Woods Point via Howqua, Bonnie Doon, Jamieson, Kevington etc.,