Chook's Tracks
Gold first discovered in this area in June 1891 by W.D. Tilsley and Mr Worth on what was known as the Te Ao Marama Licensed Holding.
One ton of ore was taken to the Thames School of Mines and yielded bullion worth £21.
T.H. Russell then purchased the holding for £3,000.
He constructed a sleigh track to the Waitekauri Battery from the find. One hundred tons which was sledged down yielded 450 ounces bullion worth £700.
The Komata Gold Mining Co. was formed to take over the property along with the treatment plant, formerly Brown's Battery, at Waitekauri and much work was done on the reefs including a three mile tramway to the battery.
In 1894 the Waitekauri Gold Mining Co. took over.
By 1902 it passed back to the Komata Gold Mining Co. which had completed a new battery in the Komata Valley in 1897.
From 1899 the ore crushed fell away as the battery could handle the ore faster than it could be mined.
Both the Komata Reefs and the Te Ao Marama Mine were lumped together.
This company ceased in 1913 and was sold to N.N. Adams.
After 1916 the mine was held by various parties but they did little work.
In 1932 the Golden Crown Mining Co. was formed to take it over.
At the time of going to print [Downey 1935 - E] this company was busy prospecting for "lost" reefs.
During the whole period both mines indicated that 201,636 tons of ore was crushed for 533,905 ounces of bullion worth £451,122.
The Komata Gold Mining Co. paid out dividends of £33,333 to share holders.
One mining level reached right through the range into the Durbar Mine workings.