ROAD TO LITHIUM LODGEThis is a story of George Henry Nolan spanning four decades between 1920 and 1960. His eldest brother Joe had controlled the family purse strings and lost his father's fortune, amassed on the diamond diggings in South Africa, to the smooth operators on the Bikita Tinfields in 1932. George chose to go it alone. His story is also the tale of the many colourful characters he met along the road from wattle and daub to Lithium Lodge. Life in the mining camps and Jo-burg slums in the early days was tough, but, at times both hilarious and tragic. Prospecting in unexplored wild malaria infested country a health risk. His struggle with the incompetence and prejudice of the Ministry were endless. In the fifties he proved the economic value of the world's largest petalite deposit. He then had to deal with the chicanery of the metal brokers, the lithium corporations and mining magnates. George had to learn fast the complicated art to straddle the ropes of big business. |
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African Al Hayat amblygonite arrived asked assay Barclays Bank Beachley beacon Beardmore beryl Bikita tin Bikita Tinfields blocks of claims bloody bottle broke bugger camp Celliers Chaddock chap concentrates Corning Corning Glass course crystals decided deposit diamond drink Duleb farm feet foot Fort Victoria gang George gold gravel Gwelo half hand Hayat hell Holdsworth Hutton inquired Jimmy Jimmy Miller Joe Nolan Johannesburg Kantor knew Koestlich later Lawrie lepidolite lithium lithium oxide look lorry Mdara miles mill Miller mineral mining months morning never night old Charlie old Jack old Pluck Osborne outcrop panners pegging pegmatite petalite picked Polly pounds produced prospector Ranga reef replied returned Rhodesia rich River road rondavel rotary pan Salisbury sample scheelite shaft spodumene tantalite told tons took vanette Victoria walked wattle and daub week Welsford