The South Australian Mining History Group
Quarterly Meeting:
Thurs 23 February, 2017
Damien on Fisher, Fullarton
6.15pm for dinner at 7.00pm
Mining Heritage in Mexico
Presentation by
Greg Drew
Abstract
When the Spanish arrived on the shores of Mexico in 1519, the Aztecs, the dominant
tribe, had established a city of 200 000 people on the site now known as Mexico City.
The Aztecs had become very proficient in the melting, soldering and casting of precious
metals from the abundant supply of silver and gold in neighbouring regions.
Aztec domination of Mexico ended in 1521 with the establishment of New Spain and,
within a few years, the Spanish began to locate the sources of Aztec wealth. Mexico was
to become the world's greatest untapped treasure vault. Prospectors spread out
searching for deposits of metallic riches, and many bonanzas of incredible wealth were
discovered including:
• Guanajuato — silver was discovered here in 1550 and for 250 years its mines produced
30-40% of world silver.
• Zacatecas — silver mining commenced in 1548.
• Pachuca — discovered in 1552, this became one of the world's great precious metal
mining districts.
• Taxco — the first mining town in the Americas was established here in 1531.
The richest deposits sustained opulent cities such as Taxco, Guanajuato and Zacatecas,
which have since developed other economic activities after mining declined. A few mining
towns retain the atmosphere associated with mining. Real Del Monte near Pachuca, which
developed around the mines in an irregular fashion, is now protected by Mexican law.
Mexico led the world in silver production for centuries but after independence from
Spain in 1821, English capital was required to revitalise the industry, and with it came the
steam engine and Cornish miners. By 1850, most mines had been acquired by Mexican
companies but during the first half of the 20th century, investment came mainly from the
United States until nationalisation of mines in the late 1940s. This talk traces the
history of mining in Mexico through its mining heritage and highlights the remaining
Cornish enginehouses at Fresnillo, Pachuca and Real Del Monte and their similarity to
South Australia examples.
Greg Drew
Greg Drew is a leading historian of South Australia’s mining history, a widely respected
mining expert and experienced author. He was a Senior Geologist in the State
Government’s former Department of Mines & Energy, and in that role was responsible for
much of the heritage interpretation at mining sites throughout South Australia and at
Broken Hill. He has published widely on mining history, including his definitive Cornish
Beam Engines in South Australia Mines. His definitive work on the history of the Kapunda
Mine will be published in mid-2017.
Today, he is a member of the Board of the Mining History Association of America and
convenor of the South Australian Mining History Group.