Mad Mick missing or dead ?

[Chriso1988]

Hey guys , Im currently traveling AUS and we passed the Warrego fossicking area so pulled in for a few days to have a swing. While researching the area I came across the story of Mad Mick, I had to keep this quiet from the missus or no doubt the detecting would be off and wed be out of there quicker than she cracks the whip.
This is the info I found from Mindat.org

Now to Mad Mick, if the rest of this is not enough. The story goes (or local folklore), Mad Mick was of eastern European descent. He had poor English, so sounded agitated when he spoke, probably trying to make people understand him, so was named Mad Mick. His penchant for shooting at people may have also been a factor.

In the 1980's Mad Mick (real name unknown) was working for Peko Wallsend, when he decided to take out a lease at Moonlight Rockhole. He worked alone for ten years, and discouraged visitors, by firing shots in their direction when approached. The body of a man was found near his camp, then Mad Mick dis-appeared leaving his 4WD and shack untouched. A six day police search failed to find him, and remains missing to this day. The location has generated some silly ghost stories

Anyone have any other general info on this? I noticed a lot of older graffiti there in the abandoned huts, one bearly legible piece read who killed Mad Mick

The main question I have atm is was he still there when the body was found then disappeared, or was the body his and then it was assumed he was on the run ?

Im not interested in solving this mystery just curious on anyone elses knowledge or experience there and also enjoy learning alternative history of the places Ive visited.

 

[7.62marksman]

all i can find on him says the same as you have put up
so he may still be out there watching his claim
http://www.paranormal.com.au/public/index.php?topic=11338.0

 

[Chriso1988]

I found another site Haunted.com.au thats gives abit more details aswell .

MAD MICK'S MINE
Tennant Creek, NT
BUILT: 1970s.

HISTORY: Tennant Creek was little more than a base for a telegraph station until 1932, when an Aboriginal boy known only as Frank found gold in hills to the south.
A gold rush followed and, by 1935, about 200 mines had been established.
Today, many of the older leases have been sold to mining giant Peko-Wallsend or abandoned.
One of these mines is known as Mad Mick's Mine.
THE GHOST: Tennant Creek Visitor Information Centre worker Nigel Skelton recalls the giant police search for Mad Mick in 1984, about a year after Nigel moved to the area.
"The story has it that Mad Mick used to mine for Peko-Wallsend at the Warrego Mine (about 50km west of Tennant Creek), until one day he found a decent lump of gold," Nigel says.
After finding the gold, he took out a miner's lease, and started working his small deposit on his own.
The man kept to himself, and locals knew little about him other than that he was probably of Eastern European origins.
He was nicknamed Mad Mick because his English was hard to understand and, when he became agitated, he'd talk fast and loud in his native language.
He worked alone for nearly 10 years, not seeing anyone for weeks at a time.
He disliked having visitors and more than once fired warning shots at passing cars he felt were too near his mine.
In the 1980s, a man mysteriously disappeared near Mad Mick's Mine while attending a barbecue, and his body was found nearby a few years later.
"I know this story is true," Nigel says. "My neighbour, Ted Wilson, was at that very barbecue."
Soon after, one of Mad Mick's old workmates at the Warrego Mine mentioned that no-one had been fired at for a couple of weeks, and Mad Mick hadn't been to Warrego for supplies.
The authorities were notified and a search was organised.
"Police searched six days for Mad Mick and they found nothing except his four-wheel drive," Nigel says.
From then on, the area was known as Mad Mick's Mine and, intrigued, Nigel would often tell tourists the tale.
"We get a lot of amateur prospectors come in and they camp on the old sites," he explains.
He would ask the tourists to "find Mad Mick and send him home". But he didn't expect the tales they brought back.
"Some complained of eerie wailing noises and a raucous clanking of the iron on Mad Mick's old roof in the night."
One night, Nigel stayed there and he also heard strange wailing sounds.
"But it was just two cows having an argument. There are lots of strange noises that come from abandoned mines and shafts.
"They sound spooky, but can be easily explained," he says.
Despite his scepticism, Nigel remains intrigued by the mystery of Mad Mick's disappearance.

 

[Jaros]

It would be an idea to take a touring bus full of fossickers out to have a look and just hope "Mick" hasn't picked up a Gattling Gun from Ebay.

 

[Smoky bandit]

HES STILL AROUND :Y: ....WATCHING AND WAITING :Y:

 

[Jaros]

BWah, ha, ha ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------HAH!!

 

[jahan]

The best info would be to watch Wolf Creek but don`t let your Mrs watch or it will probably be the end of the trip.

 

[Chriso1988]

Haha she wasnt impressed when I told her the tale :lol:
Weve seen wolf creek :lol: she wasnt a fan ! Especially that we lived and prospected in the Kimberly close to the real Wolf Creek .

 

[Jaros]

It's the wild west out there after dark!!

 

[Peko]

If you say hello to mick on the way in he usually rewards you with some gold, a friend of the family was mates with old mick, he use to go to warrego once a week to get supplies and one week he didn't turn up, that is when they knew something was wrong as you said his car was found but no trace of him was to be seen, our family friend said that he may have been hiding out after the war but no one ever knew if that was the truth but in those days a lot of the miners there were drifters,hiding from someone or something.

 

[Brother]

HES STILL AROUND :Y: ....WATCHING AND WAITING :Y: https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/7289/1527734457_img_20180531_30994.jpg

Sh..t, that looks like the Cow cocky boofhead I had a run in with the other day!

Cool story/legend. Don't mess with the mad one's! :lol:

 

[Jaros]

You can them by the non-whites in their eyes!! :N:

 

[BlueRicardo]

I realise this thread's gone a bit cold but I went there (to Mad Mick's Mine) with the Warrego Surveyor in winter '78 when I worked at Warrego. The surveyor at the time was a guy from Rockhampton called Kevin and the two of us were young bucks full of bravado, and on this occasion beer.

One evening - it was dark, right - we drove out from Warrego club having drunk a bit and took some mining gear, we went underground by climbing down the shaft about 50-60m and then explored the workings at the bottom, which were very small and haphazard, as you might expect. Some looked very suspect and we decided not to go in - down one we found hoses and a tiny Toyo rockdrill laid up against the level wall.

It was pretty spooky and we got out pronto, stayed the night in the car, and then cleared off at daylight. The pictures on the various websites don't show MMM - this is it

We never found any evidence of visible gold anywhere, not in the workings nor in the sheds - and his basher was there but had not been lived in for some time. Warrego had a whole load of Eastern Europeans there in the late '70s - mainly Yugoslavs.

HTH put some meat on the bones.