East of the modern day mining town of Tennant Creek is the Bill Allen Lookout with plaques that commemorate the wild and woolly days of prospecting and mining in a region which saw several gold rushes . One mine was even named Eldorado and produced much gold and copper . Other very rich mines were Juno and Warrego . The town was surrounded by mines .
Jack Noble , a tough old prospector , went from rags to riches and owner of the local pub , but still looked decidedly ragged. There is a wonderful photograph of him, one-eyed and battered, hunched over a dolly pot . His partner ,Weaber, was totally blind. In May 1950, a Sydney newspaper reported that Noble, then 60, discoverer of Noble's Nob, described as the biggest gold producer in the world , was heading out west by car along the 20th parallel to The Granites , another gold bearing area in the Tanami Desert , still producing right up to recent times . Apart from finding Noble's Nob, the report said he had also discovered Weal Doria , ore from which crushed 50 ounces to the ton .
Nobles Nob regularly produced assays which exceeded 100 oz (3.2 kg) of gold per metric ton. One particularly rich area within the ore body produced over 300 oz per ton and during its existence produced over a million ounces (32 tons) of gold.
One of the many famous finds was made by Joe Kaczinski and Bill Bohning who named their claim after Kaczinski's dog, Peko. Peko Mines was established in 1949 and, during its forty-year history, it made a major contribution to the development of Tennant Creek. When this writer called on the manager at Peko Mines in the late 1970s he was invited home to lunch and discussed Australian authors .
A woman who lived through the tough , wild west days of Tennant Creek and beyond, was Mona Minahan , who told me how she had been present when a man had been shot dead in a Tennant Creek pub. Old Jack Noble she described as a rough old bushie . Mona , went to Alice Springs from Adelaide to work for the Kilgariffs , who ran the Stuart Arms Hotel . Bernie Kilgariff became a popular politician . On her own , she ran supplies out to miners and prospectors . Late in life she ran a hotel in Alice Springs and when drinkers became punchy she ordered them outside and refereed the fisticuffs .
Wolfram was also extracted from the Centre and this plaque records the fact that Chinese were brought in by the Commonwealth to mine it during WWll. If I remember correctly, Italians had also been involved in early wolfram mining . There were many characters in Tennant , including boxer, miner Al McDonald , the Maori Mayor of Tennant Creek ; spritely betting shop proprietor, Alfie Chittock ; the many unsung Aboriginal women who formed night patrols . The community sent fiery telegrams to Canberra complaining about poor services , a camel participating in a demo . There was uproar when the price of beer was put up. A former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory , Ian Tuxworth , received part of his schooling in Tennant .
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Eldorado prospector stakes out claim , soaks up golden sun .
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In the Northern Territory Police Force a posting to Tennant Creek , where the first constable was set up in a tent , used to be regarded as banishment to Siberia . For further information and many photographs there is an excellent website ... fortennantcreekers .com
Photographs by Outback Correspondent , Abbra
