We had the privilege of sitting down with legendary explorationist Ed Eshuys, widely credited with the Plutonic, Bronzewing and Jundee gold discoveries.
Ed takes us inside the second-last hole that lit up Bronzewing, how CSIRO’s laterite science helped crack Plutonic, why he drills diamond holes early to capture the third dimension, and the capital-strategy mindset that separates luck from repeatable success.
We also dig into St Barbara, Sons of Gwalia, the “surface vs shaft” decision, and the De Grey/Hemi sliding-doors moment (don’t stop your aircore 1–2 metres short!).
What we cover:
• The “go-for-broke” drilling philosophy—and why effective testing beats ‘busyness’
• CSIRO laterite nodules → Plutonic: from 1 g/t signs to 30 g/t and the first 30 holes
• Bronzewing’s 64th hole and stepping 200 m north to confirm discovery
• Jundee: proving scale along 8 km strike with wide-spaced diamond
• Capital is impatient: pairing funding with strategy so geology can win
• Surface vs shaft at Gwalia: $300/m looked crazy—until it was ~$30/oz added
• De Grey / Hemi: effective drilling, search lanes, and not stopping short
• Building mines, towns, and long-term value in WA vs sovereign risk abroad
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TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) - Introduction & Ed Eshuys’ Legendary Discoveries
(01:50) - The Sweetest Discovery: Bronzewing
(04:00) - The Drilling Approach & “Go-for-broke” Strategy
(07:00) - CSIRO, Laterite Sampling & Plutonic Discovery
(12:10) - The Bronzewing & Jundee Deals with Mark Creasy
(19:50) - Jundee: From Oxide to High-Grade at Depth
(23:40) - The 1990s Gold Market & Capital-Intellect Partnership
(28:30) - “Swiss Cheese” Drilling & Resource Definition
(31:40) - New Hampton Goldfields: Ambitions & Takeover
(38:50) - St Barbara: Sons of Gwalia Assets & Turnaround
(44:10) - DGO Gold, Hemi, and the Discovery Model
(50:00) - South Australia: Copper Exploration & New Ventures
(56:10) - Discovery vs. Exploration: Philosophy & Lessons
(1:08:00) - Reflections, Australian Focus & Closing Thoughts
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