King mine, near Mashaba, Zimbabwe

The King mine lay in the Mashaba Hills of Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, about 4 miles from Gath's mine, according to Asbestos, the industry's trade journal.^4,7 The sources differ on its start: A. G. Pryce-Williams wrote in the journal in 1923 that in 1911 "King Mine, Mashaba, commenced production," while a 1948 article said work began on the mine after it was "registered by Edward Frankis on March 11, 1912," and W. E. Sinclair wrote in 1960 that claims were pegged in 1912 "on what was later to be the King Mine."^1,4,8 Pryce-Williams said that in 1914 "the King Mine was floated for £140,000," and the 1948 article said the first shipments "were made in 1914 and totalled 425 tons, valued at £7,622."^1,4

Owners and output

An American visitor, in an unsigned 1923 article for which the journal took no responsibility, wrote that the mine had been "bought not so long ago by the Edmund Davis group," and described "a large quarry eating into the side of the kopje with considerable underground workings also," with "not more than 1% recovery of fibre."¹ The journal's production tables credit the King mine, under the Rhodesia and General Asbestos Corporation, with 258.24 tons (2000 lbs.) in September 1929.⁵ In 1937 the journal wrote that "King and King A mines in the Mashaba Hills produce 15 per cent of the total output, but the product is mainly shingle fibre."⁷ The 1948 article said the mine, "after several changes, also became the property of Turner & Newall."⁴ Sinclair named "Gaths and Kings controlled by the Rhodesia & General Asbestos Corp." as the most important mines of the Mashaba district in 1952, and wrote that in 1958 "one-third" of the group's output "came from the original Mashaba Mines, Gaths and King."^8,9

The new mill

In March 1972 the journal reported that Rhodesian and General Asbestos Corporation was replacing the mill at the King mine, financed, according to press reports, "by blocked funds, at a value of about £12 million," with "more than 300 artisans and a large number of African workers" expected to be employed.¹⁰ In December 1972 it said the company had "replaced the existing mill," making the King Mine "the main asbestos producer in the R&G Group."¹¹ Other reports date the new mill to 1973: the U.S. Bureau of Mines' Minerals Yearbook for 1980 says the King Mine "has a new (1973) mill," and the journal in 1981 wrote that Gaths and King, "where a new mill was opened in 1973, are crushing 180,000 tonnes a month from underground and old dumps."^12,13 In 1976 the journal reported "some £11-million" spent "on a new asbestos mill at the King Mine in Mashaba and for improvements at the other three facilities."¹⁴ By 1980 the yearbook named African Associated Mines as the operator and said its mines were "remilling considerable old dump material."¹²

The documents report this mine producing asbestos fiber for sale.⁴

Location

Output the documents report

Figures as printed, in the units each document uses (short tons before about 1990, metric tons after, in most U.S. chapters). Some are a year's output, some a daily rate or a capacity, some a company's total rather than this mine's alone; the statement for that year below says which.

Year	Figure	Source
1914	425 tons	4
1929	258.2 tons (2000 lbs.)	5
1934	280.4 tons (2000 lbs.)	6

Year by year

Every statement about this mine in the documents, in each document's own words, by the year it is about.

1911

• Opened: “in that year King Mine, Mashaba, commenced production”, said by A. G. Pryce-Williams, B. Sc., as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 14¹

1912

• Exploration: “in 1912 further claims were pegged on what was later to be the King Mine. Production followed on both these properties”, said by W. E. Sinclair, as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 4⁸
• Opened: “work was started on the King Mine, this having been registered by Edward Frankis on March 11, 1912” (Edward Frankis), p. 8⁴

1914

• Ownership: “the King Mine was floated for £140,000”, said by A. G. Pryce-Williams, B. Sc., as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 14¹
• Output: “The first shipments from the King property were made in 1914 and totalled 425 tons”, p. 8⁴

1923

• Reserves: “not more than 1% recovery of fibre”, p. 31¹
• Description: “a large quarry eating into the side of the kopje with considerable underground workings”, p. 31¹
• Ownership: “bought not so long ago by the Edmund Davis group” (Edmund Davis group), p. 31¹

1927

• Description: “The Mashaba Asbestos Mines (King and Gath) ... one of the show places for tourists”, p. 45¹⁵

1929

• Output: “258.24 tons (2000 lbs.) in September 1929” (Rho. & Gen. Asb. Corp. Ltd.), p. 45⁵

1931

• Worked: “Rhodesian white asbestos, product of the "KINGS" mine”, said by Raw Asbestos Distributors Ltd., p. 35²

1934

• Output: “Gath's & King (Rho. & Gen. Asb. Corp. Ltd.): 280.35 tons (2000 lbs.), October 1934” (Rho. & Gen. Asb. Corp. Ltd.), p. 32⁶

1937

• Output: “King and King A mines in the Mashaba Hills produce 15 per cent of the total output, mainly shingle fibre”, p. 10⁷

1945

• Worked: “Gath's & King (Rho. & Gen. Asb. Corp Ltd.)” (Rho. & Gen. Asb. Corp Ltd.), as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 44³

1948

• Ownership: “eventually, after several changes, also became the property of Turner & Newall” (Turner & Newall), p. 8⁴

1952

• Worked: “Kings controlled by the Rhodesia & General Asbestos Corp.” (Rhodesia & General Asbestos Corp.), said by W. E. Sinclair, M.I.M.M. (Consulting Mining Engineer), as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 12⁹

1958

• Worked: “One-third of this total came from the original Mashaba Mines, Gaths and King” (Rhodesian General Asbestos Corporation Limited (Turner Newall Limited)), said by W. E. Sinclair, as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 10⁸

1972

• Workforce: “more than 300 artisans and a large number of African workers will be employed at the site” (Rhodesian and General Asbestos Corporation), p. 30¹⁰
• Mill: “is replacing the existing mill at the King Asbestos Mine at Mashaba” (Rhodesian and General Asbestos Corporation; Turner & Newall Ltd.), p. 30¹⁰
• Mill: “replaced the existing mill at the King Asbestos Mine, Mashaba” (Rhodesian & General Asbestos Corporation; Turner & Newall), p. 14¹¹

1973

• Mill: “Near Mashaba, the King Mine has a new (1973) mill” (African Associated Mines (Pvt.) Ltd. (AAM)), p. 9¹²
• Mill: “Gaths and King, where a new mill was opened in 1973, are crushing 180,000 tonnes a month” (African Associates Mines), p. 33¹³

1975

• Worked: “operates the Shabanie, Gaths, Temeraire and King Mines in the Shabanie region” (Rhodesian and General Asbestos Corporation), p. 42¹⁶

1976

• Mill: “RGA has spent some £11-million on a new asbestos mill at the King Mine in Mashaba” (Rhodesian and General Asbestos Corporation), p. 40¹⁴

1980

• Worked: “Near Mashaba, the King Mine” (African Associated Mines (Pvt.) Ltd. (AAM)), p. 9¹²
• Description: “presently remilling considerable old dump material for the now recoverable fibers” (African Associated Mines (Pvt.) Ltd. (AAM)), p. 9¹²

Other names

Documents call this mine “King Mine”, “King Mine, Mashaba”, “King pit”, “Kings”, “King A”, “King Asbestos Mine”.

See also

• Mashaba Mine in the Lexicon
• All asbestos mines

References

1. Asbestos Magazine, 1923, March 1923 (March 1, 1923), pp. 14, 31.
2. Asbestos Magazine, 1931, January 1931 (January 1, 1931), p. 35.
3. Asbestos Magazine, 1945, October 1945 (October 1, 1945), p. 44.
4. Asbestos Magazine, 1948, August 1948 (August 1, 1948), p. 8.
5. Asbestos Magazine, 1930, January 1930 (January 1, 1930), p. 45.
6. Asbestos Magazine, 1935, January 1935 (January 1, 1935), p. 32.
7. Asbestos Magazine, 1937, July 1937 (July 1, 1937), p. 10.
8. Asbestos Magazine, 1960, April 1960 (April 1, 1960), pp. 4, 10.
9. Asbestos Magazine, 1953, September 1953 (September 1, 1953), p. 12.
10. Asbestos Magazine, 1972, March 1972 (March 1, 1972), p. 30.
11. Asbestos Magazine, 1972, December 1972 (December 1, 1972), p. 14.
12. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1980 (January 1, 1981), p. 9.
13. Asbestos Magazine, 1981, January 1981 (January 1, 1981), p. 33.
14. Asbestos Magazine, 1976, December 1976 (December 1, 1976), p. 40.
15. Asbestos Magazine, 1928, January 1928 (January 1, 1928), p. 45.
16. Asbestos Magazine, 1975, December 1975 (December 1, 1975), p. 42.