Introduction
The Hercules mine is situated on the side of Mt Hamilton (1,075m), part of a belt of Cambrian rocks known as the Mt Read volcanics, and is about 7km south of Rosebery in western Tasmania. It comprises a number of predominantly zinc sulphide lenses, and mineralisation occurs over a total length of 1,000m with a vertical depth of more than 250m.

The Mineralogical Society of Tasmania was privileged to be able to visit this historic mine on Sunday 23rd February, 1997.

History
The southern section of the deposit was discovered in 1891 and was originally known as the Mt Read mine, with the Hercules section 300m north, discovered in 1894. Initially, both were worked separately with production commencing in 1900 after the haulage to Williamsford and the rail link from Williamsford to Zeehan were completed. Ore was transported to the Tasmanian smelters at Zeehan. It was difficult, even in the early years, to ensure the success of the mine. Twelvetrees reported that low metal prices and an increased production from the Broken Hill mines (New South Wales) would make it difficult to make a profit.

The two properties were subsequently amalgamated under the name Hercules and purchased in 1920 by the Electrolytic Zinc Company (now known as Pasminco Rosebery). Adits were constructed at seven levels into the mountain, the lowest being at 682 metres. The ore was conveyed to Rosebery by aerial ropeway. The ropeway was 6.4 km long with 65 towers, most of which are still standing, and 194 buckets. The Hercules ore was mixed with ores from Rosebery, Tullah and later, Que River, for the EZ smelters (now Pasminco Hobart) at Risdon in Hobart.

Pasminco still hold the lease over the Hercules but no work had been undertaken for a number of years. Mancala, an Australian company that specialises in the operation of small, sub-economic (by the standards of the day) orebodies, are now operating the mine under a sub-licence agreement which allows them to work the number six and seven levels of the mine over a two year period. Mancala recently finished a similar operation at the Anchor tin mine at Lottah in northeast Tasmania (refer Newsletter number 17, May 1996).

The Hercules, as was the case with many west coast mines, required ingenious methods to overcome the typical obstacles of height, steep terrain and inclement weather. Here, a self acting haulage connected the workings with the northeast Dundas tramway at the township of Williamsford. This haulage was one mile (1.6km) long and 1,642 feet (550m) high with a maximum gradient of 1 in 5. In the early part of this century, permission to ride the haulage could be obtained from the mine management. This was noted as a "unique experience"; surely an understatement.

Minerals

Minerals Reported from the Hercules and Mt Read Mines:
adamite, ankerite, anthophyllite, arsenopyrite, barite, bismite, bismuth, bismuthinite, boulangerite, bournonite, cerussite, chalcopyrite, chlorite, cinnabar, copper, cubanite, dundasite, fluorite, galena, gibbsite, goethite, gold, hematite, hydrocerussite, mimetite, proustite, pyrargyrite, pyrite, pyromorphite, pyrrhotite, quartz, rhodochrosite, silver, sphalerite, stibnite, tenorite, tetrahedrite

The preceding list of minerals has been compiled from available literature, from specimens residing in the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery collection, and in the collections of members of the Mineralogical Society of Tasmania. It is included here as a starting point for anyone contemplating a more comprehensive article and is not intended to be a complete list.

The Catalogue of the Minerals of Tasmania notes that the finest Tasmanian examples of wire silver occurred here associated with cerussite, and that the report of hydrocerussite has since found to be cerussite. In the 1980s, very nice specimens of boulangerite with rhodochrosite and quartz, and specimens of pale (silver-rich?) gold in fluorite made their way onto the collector's market. Some of the curved crystals of boulangerite form complete rings.

A specimen of adamite from Mt Read resides in the Tasmanian Museum (catalogue no. 634). There appears to be some confusion as to its validity, possibly because of the wording in the catalogue. Under the heading of mimetite, the catalogue states:
"Small crystals of the variety (campylite) have been recorded from the Brittania mine, Zeehan and from near Williamsford on Mt Read. The varietal name petterdite was applied to an alleged white to pale grey mimetite from the same mine but this has found to be adamite".

The reference here to petterdite should only relate to the Brittania mine, where this "variety" was first noted. In fact, the only reference to adamite in Tasmania is from that mine. The specimen in the Museum would need be tested to determine if it is mimetite or adamite.

The Field Trip
Originally, this trip was scheduled for a Sunday in January but was cancelled following a tragic fatal accident in the mine where one of the mine workers fell while working a stope.

The February trip was arranged at fairly short notice but was still able to attract a reasonable number of Society members from around the State. We also had the pleasure of the company of a Queensland Society member, Wolf Ehrenberg, who was in Tassie on holiday.

Our host for the day, Martin ????, gave us an impromptu overview of the history, workings, and Mancala's operation, before we headed up from the offices (on level 7 ????) in four-wheel drive vehicles. Other than walking, this is the only way to travel. Having said that, there was one employee who apparently used to climb the haulage every morning, arriving at the top fit and raring to go!

We first visited the Level 4 open cut perched about 950m up the side of the mountain. They say that on a clear day, (which, by the way, didn't include the day of this trip!!) the conical form of Mt Bischoff at Waratah and the mine workings can be seen from these, the upper workings of the Hercules mine.

In the Level 4 open cut, the following minerals were found: ore specimens of sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, and pyrite, secondary copper, lead, and perhaps zinc-copper minerals, as yet unidentified, small white to grey crystals of mimetite and aragonite in quartz, chlorite (chamosite?), and chalcophanite.

On the next level up, the remains of a cellular quartz gossan outcrop is still accessible, if you can find it, if you can find the other fellow collectors that you can hear, if you can find your own feet (the mist was getting thicker!!). The minerals found here included white "straw" cerussite, white and yellowish spherical tufts of dundasite with gibbsite, and white iron stained quartz crystals.

On one slope, Eleanor Phelan and Margaret Adams were enjoying themselves collecting discarded crucibles. The condition of these rival ones found many years ago at the Tasmanian Smelters in Zeehan.

We finally began our journey back down with the distant sound of hammers still ringing. Would we need to send out search parties? The quartz crystals being sought must have been something else.

The mist cleared as we descended. We checked out the dumps at the mine office, and down near the entrance to the mine at Williamsford, looking for some vestiges of cavities in the ore specimens, which included sphalerite, galena, rhodochrosite, purple fluorite and pyrite. We didn't find any.

One last thing. Although it is up to the individual to decide how to label their own specimens, many people like to ensure that the locality information is as accurate as possible, particularly for historical reasons. The rules specified for labelling specimens for mineral competitions set down by the Australian Federation of Lapidary & Allied Crafts Associations (AFLACA) state that a specimen label should contain, for Australian specimens, the local area or mineral province, the name of the mine or quarry (optional), and the State. In many instances, such labelling includes the name of the town that is nearest to the mine (eg: Waratah for Mt Bischoff). The reason that I mention this is that many Hercules mine specimens are often labelled Williamsford. These should, perhaps, be labelled Mt Read, not after the mountain, but because there was a township of that name which may have been closer to the mine than Williamsford, and which was the highest township on the west coast at nearly 1,000m. It is interesting to note that a significant number of specimens in the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery are labelled Mt Read.

References
Anon (1970), Catalogue of the Minerals of Tasmania, Geological Survey Record No. 9, Tasmania Department of Mines.
Burton, C.C.J. (1975), Hercules and Farrell Orebodies, Rosebery District, in Economic Geology of Australia and Papua New Guinea, 1. Metals, Australasian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy.
Haupt, J. (1988), Minerals of Western Tasmania in Australia! Mineralogical Record, Vol 19 No. 6.
How, D. (1992), Historic Mines of Western Tasmania, a Walking Guide.
Jennings, I.B., Noldart, A.J. & Williams, E. (1967), Geology and Mineral Resources of Tasmania, Geological Survey Bulletin No. 50, Tasmania Department of Mines.
Judd, H.W. (1908), Pictorial Guide to the West Coast of Tasmania, Facsimile Edition, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart, 1976.
Lancaster, K.E. (1980), Minerals and Gemstones of Tasmania.
Twelvetrees, W.H. (1903), The Progress of the Mineral Industry of Tasmania for the Quarter Ending 31st December, 1902.
Twelvetrees, W.H. (1905), The Progress of the Mineral Industry of Tasmania for the Quarter Ending 31st December, 1904.