A small dredge worked the beach sands for gold on Gillespies Beach, South Westland, in the 1930s and 1940s. Significant levels of radioactivity were found in the dredge-sand concentrates. During the Second World War this seemed to be the best chance of finding uranium in New Zealand, but subsequent testing showed that the uranium content was too low to be of economic value.
Using this item
Alexander Turnbull Library, Thelma Kent Collection (PAColl-3052)
Reference:
1/2-009157; F
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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