Coolgarra Battery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coolgarra Battery |
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Coolgarra Battery
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| Location | Coolgarra Station, Silver Valley, Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1896 - 1901 |
| Official name: Coolgarra Battery, Coolgarra Old Furnace | |
| Type | state heritage (archaeological, built) |
| Designated | 25 August 2000 |
| Reference no. | 601791 |
| Significant period | 1896-1901 (fabric) 1901-1910, 1918-1928 (historical) |
| Significant components | machinery/plant/equipment - mining/mineral processing, road/roadway, chute/s, mounting block/stand, flue, chimney/chimney stack, mullock heap, wall/s - retaining, terracing |
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The Coolgarra Battery is a historic mining site in Queensland, Australia. It's like a big machine that used to crush rocks to get valuable tin metal out of them. It was built between 1896 and 1901. Today, it's protected as a special heritage site because it shows us how mining used to be done in Queensland. It's also known as the Coolgarra Old Furnace.
Contents
History of Coolgarra Battery
The Coolgarra Battery is located on Derwent Creek, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) northeast of Mount Garnet. It was built in 1901 by John Moffat's Irvinebank Company. This battery was very modern for its time. It was designed to save effort and use the best technology available.
Why Coolgarra Was Chosen
The battery was built here to serve the nearby tin mining areas. Its location was perfect because Derwent Creek provided lots of water. Water was essential for running the battery.
Early Tin Discoveries
In 1882, a prospector named James Venture Mulligan found tin in the area. This discovery led to many people rushing to the district to find tin. Miners dug many shafts, even though deep underground mining hadn't started yet. Mining companies became very interested in the area.
The Rise of Coolgarra Town
The rush of miners and investors helped the town of Coolgarra grow. It became a busy tin mining center. In 1884, Coolgarra was officially surveyed. As tin prices went up, more investors joined in.
The Beaconsfield Company
In 1883, the Beaconsfield Tin Mining Company was formed. They planned to build a battery to crush their own ore and also for other miners. However, their machinery was delayed. The Beaconsfield battery didn't start crushing until March 1884. This first attempt was not successful. During this time, Coolgarra miners sent their ore to John Moffat's batteries in Herberton and Watsonville.
John Moffat's Battery
By 1896, John Moffat's Irvinebank Mining Company started building their own battery at Coolgarra. This was on Derwent Creek. They made big plans for crushing and processing plants. Most of the machinery was ready by the end of 1900. The Irvinebank Company's battery began crushing tin in 1901. It was built on the side of a very steep valley. It is thought to be the steepest battery site in North Queensland.
Special Design Features
The design of the battery included many levels, or "benches." It also had one of the largest stone retaining walls ever built at a North Queensland mining site. This wall was needed to support the different levels. The Irvinebank battery also had two large log crate dams for water.
Mining Operations and Decline
A special tramline was built from the Alhambra mine to the battery. The Alhambra was the biggest mine in the area. Loaded ore trucks rolled down the tramline to the mill. Horses pulled the empty trucks back up the hill.
Peak and Slowdown
Coolgarra's tin production increased from 1901 to 1903. The Alhambra mine alone produced a lot of tin. The community grew to about 250 people by 1903. However, by October 1903, work slowed down. The mines started producing lower quality ore.
End of Operations
In 1904, people hoped for a brighter future for Coolgarra. In 1906, the battery was working three shifts a day, which was a good sign. But the larger mines began to slow down. The Irvinebank Company stopped being involved with the Coolgarra battery in 1906. It continued to operate until about 1910. By 1912, the battery was taken apart and moved away. This made it hard for miners and led to the decline of the area.
Later Attempts and Final Closure
After heavy storms in 1916, a large dam collapsed. Only a few miners stayed in the area. There was a small comeback in 1918 when Bill Craven built another battery. He used the old foundations of the Irvinebank Company's battery. This new battery worked until about 1928. After that, nothing major happened in the area. The original Coolgarra town site was later dug up and almost completely removed in the late 1970s.
What Remains at Coolgarra Battery
The Coolgarra Battery site is in a steep valley northeast of Mount Garnet. Derwent Creek flows through the valley, but it sometimes dries up.
Key Features
The site has several levels, or "benches," that go down the side of the valley.
- Chimney: A tall, red brick chimney with a brick flue is a main feature. This is one of only two brick chimneys left in the Herberton area.
- Flue: The flue is a channel that carried smoke from the boiler house to the chimney.
- Road and Ramp: An old road curves above a pile of waste rock called a "mullock heap." Below the mullock heap is an earth ramp supported by wooden posts.
- Ore Bin: Below the ramp, you can see the wooden frame of an ore bin. This is where the crushed rock was stored.
- Retaining Walls: A stone wall supports the level where the stamp battery used to be. Another very long stone wall, originally over 110 meters (360 feet) long, supported the main level where the boiler house was. About 70 meters (230 feet) of this wall still stands.
- Foundations: You can see concrete bases where the engine and stamper machines once stood.
- Other Remains: Below the main wall, there are more earth levels where the concentration plant and other buildings were. The body of an old boiler lies near the creek. There's also a lot of old iron pieces, like tanks and wheels, scattered around. An iron chute runs down one side of the site, below a pile of ore.
Why Coolgarra Battery is Important
The Coolgarra Battery was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on August 25, 2000. This means it's recognized as a very important historical site.
Showing Queensland's History
The Coolgarra Battery helps us understand how mining developed in Queensland. It shows how people processed ore in difficult, faraway places.
Rare and Unique Features
The Coolgarra Battery is special because:
- It's the steepest battery site ever recorded in North Queensland.
- It has one of the largest and longest stone retaining walls connected to a North Queensland mining site.
- The site has one of only two brick chimneys still standing in the Herberton area.
