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Prospecting for Gold

First edition
Author	Ion Idriess
Language	English
Genre	non-fiction
Publisher	Angus and Robertson
Publication date	1931
Publication place	Australia

Prospecting for Gold is a 1931 nonfiction book by Ion Idriess. It is a guide on how to prospect for gold.

Background

Idriess was doing odd jobs when he wrote the book. He says he was inspired to do so because it was the Great Depression, and he thought many unemployed people were interested in gold prospecting. He wrote the book relatively quickly and it was soon picked up for publication.

Reception

It was the first of Idriess' books to sell a decent amount. The author later recalled, " People bought that prospecting book, and I made enough money out of it to pay rent to my Darlinghurst landlady, buy a new pair of shoes, and get some tucker." He was launched as a professional writer.

In 1939 it was reported the book sold just over twelve thousand copies in Australasia, "a world's record for a semi-technical book."

Cyaniding for Gold

Cyaniding for Gold is a 1939 book by Idriess. It is a follow-up to Prospecting for Gold.

It focuses on the cyaniding process. It included a chapter on mining-engineer E. W. O'Brien's air-slaked lime discovery. According to the Adelaide Mail:

The pen that has written so many fine books of the Australian out back here makes a valuable contribution in a simple and detailed account intended especially for the working miner and small syndicate. The process is practically explained from A to Z, whether the reader can invest only £20 in a plant, or a syndicate or company can afford £2,000. Most of the material has been gathered from plants working profitably today, and from the experience of practical men well known in the Australasian cyaniding world, while numerous illustrations and diagrams further assist the reader. The result is a book that should be particularly valuable, even to non technical readers.

Fortunes in Minerals

Fortunes in Minerals is a 1941 book by Idriess about mining.

Opals and Sapphires

Opals and Sapphires: How to Work, Mine, Class, Cut, Polish, and Sell Them is a 1967 book by Ion Idriess.

References

1. "PROSPECTING FOR GOLD". The Central Queensland Herald. Vol. 2, no. 61. Queensland, Australia. 26 February 1931. p. 39. Retrieved 16 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
2. "PROSPECTING FOR GOLD". Cairns Post. No. 9079. Queensland, Australia. 5 March 1931. p. 10. Retrieved 16 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
3. "Author of Twenty-two Books And Still Going Strong". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 33, 223. New South Wales, Australia. 17 June 1944. p. 7. Retrieved 20 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
4. "WRITING AND TRAVEL". The West Australian. Vol. XLIX, no. 9, 794. Western Australia. 18 November 1933. p. 14. Retrieved 17 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
5. "Lure of Gold". North West Champion. Vol. 27, no. 69. New South Wales, Australia. 11 September 1939. p. 3. Retrieved 20 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
6. "CYANIDING FOR GOLD". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 29, 201. Victoria, Australia. 26 March 1940. p. 9. Retrieved 20 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
7. "Lure of Gold". North West Champion. Vol. 27, no. 69. New South Wales, Australia. 11 September 1939. p. 3. Retrieved 20 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
8. "BOOKS RIGHT FROM THE PRESS". The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser. No. 1446. New South Wales, Australia. 1 September 1939. p. 7 (FINAL EDITION). Retrieved 20 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
9. "Delightful Story Of Sark". The Mail (Adelaide). Vol. 28, no. 1, 431. South Australia. 28 October 1939. p. 13 (Magazine). Retrieved 20 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
10. "FORTUNES IN MINERALS". Cairns Post. No. 12, 333. Queensland, Australia. 1 September 1941. p. 1. Retrieved 20 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
11. "Advertising". The Canberra Times. Vol. 42, no. 11, 843. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 11 November 1967. p. 12. Retrieved 20 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.

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