Chook's Tracks
First Pegged 1875.
This Claim was five years before the Martha Hill claim at Waihi.
Leahys Reef was the largest at five to twenty five feet wide and worked to a depth of 200ft.
A 41 stamp battery was driven by a water wheel, 28ft in diameter and 8ft wide. The extra stamp was used solely for assay work.
A number of other mining companies had theirs crushed at Waitekauri, but later on put in their own plants, which brought doom to the Old Waitekauri Mining Co. around 1900.
A new Waitekauri Mining Co. was formed in 1906 with twenty stamps and running three shifts, but ended in 1911.
The Golden Cross Mine and township emerged in 1896 and was later connected to Waitekauri by five miles of tramway road.
Waitekauri crushed 16,805 tons of ore for 27,673 ounces bullion, worth £51,900.
Waitekauri Extended crushed 6,047 tons of ore for 6,080 ounces bullion, worth £6,227.
Golden Cross Mine crushed 155,184 tons for 386,331 ounces bullion, worth £389,365.
The Waitekauri Gold Mining Co. Ltd. paid dividends amounting to £84,035.
NOTE: Coeur Gold produced from their Golden Cross Mine during the nineties, 584,000 ounces gold and 1,475,000 ounces of silver.
The Golden Cross Hotel was built in 1899. It now stands in Rosemont Road, Waihi.
Waitekauri township consists of 100 sections, several hundred people, two hotels, two boarding houses shops, Post Office and schools. The school roll in 1900 was 140 pupils.
Pit sawn Kauri cost 5/- per 100 square feet.
The old Post Office stands as a Maritime Museum at Puke Bridge, Paeroa.
The old school stands at No.8 Norwood Road, Paeroa.