Windarra Nickel Mine
The Windarra Nickel Mine was a surface and underground nickel mine near Laverton, Western Australia. The deposit was discovered in 1969 with the mine opened in 1974 by WMC Resources. Mining cased in 1991. Mining was carried out at two locations, South Windarra, 16 km west of Laverton, and Mount Windarra, 22 km north-west of Laverton. The process plant for the ore was located at Mount Windarra but has since been dismantled. The discovery of nickel at Windarra triggered the 1969–70 Poseidon bubble. History The Windarra nickel deposit was discovered in April 1969 and a high-grade nickel deposit was subsequently confirmed through drilling and announced to the stock market by Poseidon Limited. Poseidon's shares rose dramatically on this announcement, from below one Australian dollar to a height of A$280 per share. Poseidon however found it difficult to finance and develop the project. It purchased two smaller mining companies and thereby acquired a process plant and work force in Kalgoorlie but found it impractical to transport the ore from Laverton to there. Apart from the transportation issue, Poseidon also faced a falling nickel price during 1970, a less than expected grade and amount of nickel deposit at Windarra and increasing difficulties