Thackaringa
At Thackaringa was a little bush hotel kept by John Stokie. John had heard many tales from the prospectors and the men who travelled the stock routes from Menindee and Wilcannia.
Paddy Green a prospector ,had established a store at Menindee. When low water made river navigation impossible his stores were dispatched from Adelaide by rail to Terowie and he carted them overland with wagon teams.
Julius Charles Nickel a tank sinker had been working in the Thackaringa area.
Nickel had some prospecting experience, but his knowledge of minerals was not extensive.
While fossicking among the outcrops adjacent to the hotel he unearthed a heavy,sparkling cube-like specimen. Knowing that John Stokie had a superior knowledge of minerals, he showed his find to the publican,who immediately identified it as galena.
Stokie tried to make a proposition to work the site with Nickel, and to bring his mate from Menindee with the assurance that he would finance the show.
Nickel would not enter into any deal with Stokie and decided to depart with his find to consult mining authorities in Adelaide.
As soon as the big German had departed, Stokie made a search for the outcrop which he found with little difficulty.
He relayed word to Paddy Green at Menindee, who made all possible speed to Thackaringa,having chartered one of Mr.W.Maiden's best transport teams.
After inspecting the find, fifteen blocks were pegged and Paddy returned to Menindee to register the blocks on the miner's conditional purchase system.
They interested the Police Magistrate at Wilcannia, Mr. Gower, and the blocks were registered in the three names.
The company was called the Pioneer Mining Co.
Thirty six tons of ore were raised and sent to England for assay and treatment.
This parcel did not reach its destination as the sailing ship met with heavy weather and the parcel of ore was amongst the cargo that was jettisoned.
Another parcel was dispatched, and although it was two years before the results were known, it was certainly encouraging The parcel assayed about 35oz.of silver per ton and 60% lead. When the news leaked out that the Pioneer held a fortune in silver it started another rush to the district. Companies were quickly formed and in a short space of time several mines were operating which included the Great Vugh, Bald Hill, Bonanza, Comstock, Lily and Lily extended, Thackaringa, Gypsy Girl, Hercules, Gypsy Boy, Alberta, Gypsy Queens, Greens, Goat Hill, Lady Brassey, Outward Bound, Devlin's Claim, Homeward Bound and Maggi Secret. The smaller mines gradually petered out and prospectors and investors were turning their attention northward, where rich silver discoveries in the Apolyon Valley had created another boom. Although the Pioneer Silver Mining Company only operated until 1892,after general operations ceased small parties and prospectors extracted ore with varied success until 1925. Today as you pass the area on your way to Cockburn still can be seen the old boiler with its smokestack sticking up, also the old slag heap still remains, a few people realise that we are looking at what is actually the starting point which led to the discovery of the main Broken Hill lode.
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