Great Western Minerals Group Announces Management Appointments at Steenkampskraal Rare Earth Project

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SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN--(Marketwire - 06/22/11) - Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. (OTCQX: GWMGF)(TSX-V:GWG - News) ("GWMG" or the "Company") is pleased to announce appointments to two key management positions at the Company's Steenkampskraal Rare Earth project in South Africa.

Appointed to the position as Solvent Extraction ("Sx") Plant Superintendent is Mr. Witker Zimba. His primary responsibilities will include the development and operation of GWMG's Sx plant. Mr. Zimba has extensive experience in flotation, electro wining and solvent extraction plants, having worked previously for Nkana Smelter in Kitwe, Zambia and Konkola Copper Mines in Chingola, Zambia. Mr. Zimba holds a Master's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Beijing Chemical Technology. His professional affiliations include the Engineering Institute of Zambia and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. Mr. Zimba's duties with GWMG will begin on June 27, 2011.

Appointed to the position as Plant Metallurgist is Mr. Thabo Khoboko. His primary responsibilities will focus on the operation of the Rare Earth processing plant at Steenkampskraal, from run of mine ("ROM") crushing through to Rare Earth chloride production. Mr. Khoboko has previously worked with companies such as Bateman Engineering and Lesotho Meteorological Services and holds a Bachelor of Technology Degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Pretoria. His duties with GWMG will begin on July 04, 2011.

"The appointment of these two highly qualified individuals to their respective positions with GWMG represents yet another concrete step in the development of our Company's Steenkampskraal Rare Earth project", said Jim Engdahl, President. "Under the direction of Steenkampskraal Project Director Vincent Mora, Mr. Zimba and Mr. Khoboko will provide resources which will ensure the processing plant and the separation plant are developed on time and on budget and subsequently operated in a highly effective manner."

Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. is an integrated Rare Earths processor. Its specialty alloys are used in the battery, magnet and aerospace industries. Produced at the Company's wholly owned subsidiaries Less Common Metals Limited in Birkenhead, U.K. and Great Western Technologies Inc. in Troy, Michigan, these alloys contain aluminium, nickel, cobalt and Rare Earth Elements. As part of the Company's vertical integration strategy, GWMG has signed an Off-take Agreement for 100% of the Rare Earth Elements to be produced at the former producing Steenkampskraal Mine in South Africa and holds 93.1% equity ownership in Rare Earth Extraction Co. Limited, the owner of the Steenkampskraal Mine. In addition to a planned exploration program at Steenkampskraal, GWMG also holds interests in five Rare Earth exploration and development properties in North America.

Email inquiries should be made to info@gwmg.ca and the company website is located at www.gwmg.ca. Inquiries by direct mail should be addressed to Great Western Minerals Group Ltd., 219 Robin Crescent, Saskatoon, SK S7L 6M8.

Certain information set out in this News Release constitutes forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements (often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "expect", "may", "could", "anticipate" or "will" and similar expressions) may describe expectations, opinions or guidance that are not statements of fact and which may be based upon information provided by third parties. Forward-looking statements are based upon the opinions, expectations and estimates of management of GWMG as at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or outcomes to differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. Those factors include, but are not limited to, the results of the exploration program, a resource estimate and commencement of production at Steenkampskraal, satisfaction of the conditions precedent with respect to GWMG's offtake agreement, receipt of all required approvals (including those relating to the commencement of production at the Steenkampskraal mine) and risks, uncertainties and other factors that are beyond the control of GWMG, risks associated with the industry in general, commodity prices and exchange rate changes, operational risks associated with exploration, development and production operations, delays or changes in plans, risks associated with the uncertainty of reserve or resource estimates, health and safety risks and the uncertainty of estimates and projections of production, costs and expenses. In light of the risks and uncertainties associated with forward-looking statements, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking information. Although GWMG believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements set out in this press release or incorporated herein by reference are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. The forward-looking statements of GWMG contained in this News Release, or incorporated herein by reference, are expressly qualified, in their entirety, by this cautionary statement and the risk factors contained in GWMG's current annual information form available at www.sedar.com.

CUSIP: 39141Y 10 3

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Contacts:
Great Western Minerals Group Ltd.
Dwight Percy
Manager of Investor Relations
(306) 659-4500
info@gwmg.ca
www.gwmg.ca