World's Most Under-Hyped Tungsten project - Molyhil, page-232

The historic map below shows the Molyhil Mine (centered) in proximity to the old Jervois stock route (red lines).

The Jervois Stock Route evolved over thousands of years as an ancient Indigenous trade and travel pathway, and was later formally mapped and gazetted as a travelling stock route in the Northern Territory during the 20th century.

Mostly cattle and mobs of horses were moved along the Jervois stock route through the Jervois Range from the Territory into Queensland. It was Tom Hanlon with a man named Mudge, moving Waler horses through the Jervois Range and Tobermory, who noticed copper staining on rocks. This led to various mines being set up on Jinka, and Jervois in particular, becoming a busy area. Hanlon himself took up a mining lease there in 1929 and 40 other mining leases were taken up and pegged out by other keen miners that year.



In 2021 Jinka and Jervois were granted native title under control of the Ingkekure Aboriginal Corporation. The area covers some 5,000 square kilometres, including 60 kilometres of the old stock route which was the dividing line between the two stations. The route was found to have crossed sacred land, including the Two Eaglehawks Dreaming, and other places of Aboriginal cultural significance. Consequently the stock route was closed to protect this Aboriginal heritage.

The Jervois Copper Project, owned by KGL Resources, holds mining leases over parts of the two stations. Copper, lead, zinc, gold and silver, and various other minerals have been discovered there. Some noted as forming very pretty crystals. The Jervois Project remains the largest and most advanced high-grade copper project in the Northern Territory with first production scheduled for 2027.

Today the Jervois Homestead covering 2,750 square kilometres is a stopover on the Plenty Highway approximately 380 km north-east of Alice Springs. It was sold in 1980 to the Broad family who now run 12,000 head of cattle and a camping area with eco huts for travellers, showers, toilets, airstrip and shop. They get about 20 visitors a day in winter en-route to Kings Canyon and Uluru.