East Rand Mine
Gold mine in Gauteng province near Johannesburg, South Africa
East Rand Proprietary Mines (ERPM) is a 125-year-old underground gold mining operation on the Witwatersrand Basin at Boksburg, to the east of Johannesburg. The mine employed 3,850 people. It was the deepest mine in the world until 2008 at 3,585 metres, slightly more than the TauTona mine, also in South Africa, which was 3,581 metres at the time (in 2008 the TauTona mine completed a digging project that extended the depth of the mine by several hundred metres.)
The mine closed in 2008. Historical gold production between 1896 and 2008 was 1,300 tonnes (43,000,000 ozt) recovered gold grade of 8.1g/t (95% plant recovery).
High grade gold deposits remain with existing in situ resources (SAMREC compliant) of 63,000,000 troy ounces (2,000 t), including;
- Measured & Indicated resource of 13,600,000 troy ounces (420 t) at 6.7g/t.
- Inferred resources of 50,000,000 troy ounces (1,600 t) at 4.92 g/t.
The Cason mine dump was once the world's highest man made hills. This dump is currently being recycled. It is now a shadow of its former self and will probably disappear in the future.
Production
Recent production figures:
History
The ERPM engineered many mining techniques which are still in place today, including "Long Wall Mining".
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “East Rand Mine” as gold mine in Gauteng province near Johannesburg, South Africa. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as gold mine in Gauteng province near Johannesburg, South Africa. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 7, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5329218. Authority coordinates are -26.100, 28.320. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2008 and 1896.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “East Rand Mine”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow East Rand Mine primary sources, East Rand Mine archive and East research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “East Rand Mine”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “East Rand Mine” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.