New Talisman Gold Mines (“NTL”) announced today that founding Director Peter Atkinson has retired as a Director of NTL’s wholly owned subsidiaries Coromandel Gold and Northland Minerals. Peter stepped down as a Director of the parent company (NTL) in 2012 and his engagement as resource consent/access consultant ceased at the end of April 2014.
New Talisman Gold Mines Ltd, (previously Heritage Gold NZ limited), was listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange in 1986 and on the Australian Stock Exchange in 1987 just before the global stock market crash. Junior mining companies with their focus on exploring and proving up minerals within defined geological provinces were a well-supported feature of the Australian Stock Exchange at that time, but were a rarity on the NZ exchange. So Peter’s decision to float a public company to fund the exploration of three prospective areas in the Coromandel was a pioneering step back then.
Peter performed a variety of important roles with the company over the last quarter of a century – from Chairman to consultant. “It is a tribute to Peter’s careful stewardship throughout this entire period that the Company is in good stead today and within arm’s reach of its vision of becoming an established gold producer,” Chairman Murray Mckee said.
Recalling some of the difficult times when it was almost impossible to raise finance for mineral exploration, Murray acknowledged Peter’s willingness to innovate and recalled an example of the Company floating two hi-tech stocks, in order to raise funds for mineral exploration.
Murray also highlighted Peter’s more recent contribution in managing the Talisman project resource consent and access arrangements with the district council, regional council, Department of Conservation and other stakeholders.
“Peter retains a significant shareholding in the company and I know he will continue to follow its progress with close interest”, Murray observed. “He has agreed to make himself available to assist the company in the future if required and I am sure all former and current Directors and staff join with me in thanking Peter for his outstanding contribution over the years and in wishing him well for the future” Murray concluded.