Black Rabbit Gold Mine (Richmond; Spargo and Riches), Ora Banda Goldfield, Kalgoorlie-Boulder Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Black Rabbit Gold Mine (Richmond; Spargo and Riches)	Mine
Ora Banda Goldfield	Ore Field
Kalgoorlie-Boulder Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

The lease was mentioned in passing as the Black Rabbit from the early Twentieth Century, but drew little attention.

This changed in 1931, when Leslie Gordon Riches and Frank W. Spargo discovered rich gold at the site. They had been shown around the area by James Correll, the Siberia publican, and chose the Black Rabbit area to explore.

It all ended up in court in a long winded rambling case which will be summarised here. The party had been prospecting at Kunanalling further south. They consisted of Spargo and Riches, as well as Spargo's two brothers Randolph Cecil Spargo, Les V. Spargo, and Bailey.

They had approached the managing director of Kalgoorlie Brewery and Ice Company, James Hurtle Cummins, who was known to support prospectors. The prospecting party was broke, and he agreed to supply them with food, clothes and petrol, for a 50% interest in any future gold they may find. It was a verbal agreement. H.L. Barnard and Leonard William Stearne, Kalgoorlie businessmen, later also came in as partners.

For various reasons, members of the party left temporarily, and Frank Spargo and Les Riches continued at the mine. When they returned they were told nothing much had been found, however the amount of development conducted indicated otherwise, and gold was found on the dump. They later confessed to finding very rich gold, but had decided not to tell the other partners for fear word would get out. It came to pass word did get out, and soon hundreds of men had arrived at the site, with leases pegged for miles.

It appears Frank and Riches wished to keep the mine to themselves, while the other members sought jurisdiction in the court to honour
the verbal agreement. This they won. Rich crushings were seen until 1935.

More trouble arrived in 1934. Robert Laurence Green had taken a neighbouring lease and approached Riches for help. He sank a shaft for them, in return for 25 pounds. Green stated the agreement was 20 pounds which had been paid, while Riches stated he had received no money. The court awarded Riches 20 pounds.

The sources call the find at the time 'Spargo and Riches'. One source states the prospectors had named it the Richmond mine. P.A. 1654W. The Mines Inspector visited at the end of 1931, and gives some brief information. The lode was not well defined, and no gold could be seen in the workings. However, a 15 tonne sample taken from the dump crushed rich gold. At the western boundary are bands of jasper and quartz porphyry on the surface, the porphyry containing auriferous quartz seams.

The inspector states the find is not far from the old Carnage mine Mindat locality, which is not helpful. Maps place it west of the Theil mine to the north of Carnage, but no mining could be seen at the spot. It is most likely an area of activity seen 2 kilometres west north-west of the Carnage mine but needs confirmation.

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