Einasleigh Copper Mine and Smelter facts for kids

The Einasleigh Copper Mine and Smelter is a historic mining site in Einasleigh, Australia. It's located in the Shire of Etheridge in Queensland. This important site was active from 1867 to 1922. It was also known as the Lynd Copper Mine and the New Einasleigh Copper Mine. Today, it is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register as a protected historical place.

Discovering Copper in Einasleigh

The Einasleigh Mine and Smelter is found in Etheridge Shire. This is about 360 kilometres (220 mi) from Cairns. The mining area covers about 4 hectares (9.9 acres). It sits 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) north of Einasleigh Township. The site is on the west bank of the Copperfield River. It is also near where the Copperfield River meets the Einasleigh River.

In 1867, Richard Daintree found copper here. This was when Australia's copper industry was just starting. He bought 120 acres (49 ha) of land. Miners dug up copper from the river bank. They sent 31-long-ton (31 t) of ore to smelters. This ore contained 22% copper, plus silver and gold.

At first, the mine was called the Lynd Copper Mine. Daintree thought the nearby river was the Lynd River.

Early Mining Efforts

The Lynd Mine was a small operation. In 1867, a shaft was dug 30 feet (9.1 m) deep. Miners found a wide copper vein. Daintree and his partner William Hann worked the mine for a few years. But by 1898, the site was empty.

By 1900, the mine was active again. William Woodhead bought the land. He started a public company called Einasleigh Freehold Copper Mines Ltd. A new shaft was dug 61 metres (200 ft) deep. They built a headframe and a tall boiler stack. New machinery, including a furnace, was brought from Mareeba.

The smelter started in 1901. But it soon closed down. The ore was hard to process. Also, transport and fuel costs were too high. Before 1910, fuel came by camel trains.

The Chillagoe Company Takes Over

The mine reopened in 1906. It was now called the New Einasleigh Copper Mine. This was part of the Chillagoe Company. More levels were dug in the mine. By 1908, 50 men worked there. In 1909, 105 men were employed. They produced 10,913 long tons (11,088 t) of ore.

The mine's remote location made it difficult. Supplies came from Townsville (462 kilometres (287 mi) away). Or they came from Cairns (192 kilometres (119 mi) by rail to Almaden). Then, bullock teams carted them 190 kilometres (120 mi) to the mine. Coke for smelting was very expensive. Smelting stopped even after producing copper.

The Chillagoe Company needed more ore. So, in 1907, they started building a railway. This railway would connect to the Etheridge mining area. It would bring ore from Einasleigh to Chillagoe. The railway opened in 1910.

Railway Boosts Production

The new Etheridge Railway opened in 1910. It passed by the Einasleigh Mine. This allowed daily transport of ore to Chillagoe. The mine grew bigger. New offices and houses were built. The main shaft was extended to 119 metres (390 ft). Eighty-seven men worked underground. Thirty men worked above ground.

New machinery was installed. A large plant was built to process 150 long tons (150 t) of ore daily.

By 1911, ore production was lower than expected. The Chillagoe Company bought the mine. They installed a new machine called an Elmore flotation unit. This machine helped separate copper from rock. Before this, miners had to pick out the valuable ore by hand.

The flotation process uses water and oils. Ore is ground into powder. It's put into tanks with a special solution. Air is pumped in, creating a froth. Copper particles stick to the bubbles and float. The worthless rock sinks. This method makes mining more efficient.

Even with the new unit, the mine struggled. The quality of ore went down. The Chillagoe Company had to lower train costs by 50%. This helped keep the mine running. By 1913, Einasleigh Mine was the main copper supplier for the Chillagoe Smelters.

Miners kept digging deeper. They worked on different levels of the mine. Some areas, like the "Big Stope," had high copper content. The Chillagoe Smelters and Einasleigh Mine closed in February 1914.

Government Takes Over

In 1919, the Queensland Government took over the Chillagoe Smelter. They also reopened the Einasleigh Mine. This cost £100,000. By December, the mine was producing a lot of copper. It supplied three-quarters of the copper needed by the Chillagoe Smelters.

By 1920, 100 men worked at the mine. They produced 450 to 500 long tons (460 to 510 t) of copper ore each week. But metal prices dropped in 1920. The mine's copper reserves were also running low. So, the mine closed in 1922.

Many state-owned mines were losing money then. The Chillagoe Smelter closed in 1927. It reopened in 1929 to help with unemployment. Mining in the Etheridge area generally declined after this. The Einasleigh Mine was not reopened until the 1970s. Its reserves had been heavily used up in the 1920s.

Modern Exploration in the 1970s

In the early 1970s, a company called Combined Mining and Exploration N.L. started work at Einasleigh. They wanted to restart mining. By the end of 1970, the mine had produced a lot of ore. This included 8,107 long tons (8,237 t) of copper. It also produced silver and gold. At most, 16 employees worked there.

The company worked for 13 months, from October 1970 to November 1971. They fixed up the mine and explored for more ore. New safety rules meant they had to upgrade the site. They reused old foundations for new buildings.

In 1971, they installed new equipment. They built a concrete floor for the power house. A workshop and storage area were completed. They also adapted an old building into a washroom. They spread soil and rock around the site. This made the working surface safer.

In February 1971, a steel tripod was put over the main shaft. In March, a small railway was built. It ran between the main shaft and the river bank. A trolley was used on this railway.

In June 1971, a new steel headframe was built. The air winch was moved. They added more timber to the mine shaft entrance. This was to prevent rocks from falling. An old pulley was replaced with a new one. Ladders and timber in the shafts were fixed. Many metal parts were replaced because they had rusted.

From March to November 1971, they pumped water out of the mine. They went down to 700 feet (210 m). Water samples showed very little copper. Two drill holes failed to find more ore. So, mining operations stopped.

In 2006, Copper Strike Ltd leased the area. They planned a new mine. In 2011, Copper Strike sold the project to Kagara Limited. Kagara then sold it to Snow Peak Mining in 2013. Snow Peak Mining is still exploring the area today.

What You Can See Today

The Einasleigh Copper Mine site shows signs of different time periods. You can see very old workings. There are also traces from the 1970s exploration. Concrete engine mounts and a slag "floor" remain. There are also old ore piles and steel-framed sheds. You can even see where change rooms and toilets were in the 1970s.

Beyond the main mine, there are signs of the 1970s work camp. You can find a concrete slab floor and a power pole. These are next to an old concrete fountain.

On the open ground, you can see remains of a stone-walled building. It might have been an explosives storage building. It had a corrugated iron roof until the 1960s.

The mine had a railway line. There are few signs of it today. This is because the tracks were removed. An airstrip was built nearby. Also, grass fires and people taking sleepers caused damage. But you can still see some "dog spikes." These were used to hold the railway line in place.

Inside Copperfield Gorge, you can find old pump foundations. There are also boiler mounts and pipe holders. These probably supplied water to the mill and railway station.

Main Shaft Area

The main shaft was originally a three-part shaft. It had a manway and two sections for skips (small carts). It was likely about 6 by 18 feet (1.8 by 5.5 m). Parts of the shaft collapsed over time. So, the opening is now much larger. There is a concrete collar around the shaft. The shaft is blocked about 9 metres (30 ft) below ground.

Parts of the steel headframe from 1971 are still there. It's a simple structure above the shaft. A fence has been put around the shaft for safety.

You can also see traces of the original headframe's foundations. Two large sheave wheels are nearby. These wheels were part of the winding system.

Winding Engine and Crusher

The old winding house can be identified by its foundations. A chimney nearby was likely part of this building. Photographs from around 1910 show a steel chimney here. The chimney is no longer standing.

The concrete bases for the primary crusher are just north of the main shaft.

Blacksmith Shop and Stone Magazine

The original blacksmith's workshop had a 7-by-7-metre (23 ft × 23 ft) concrete floor. It was later updated in the 1970s. This building now has a steel frame and corrugated iron. It is used for storing hay.

A stone building is located near a cliff top. It's thought to be an explosives magazine. The walls are about a meter high. They are 600 to 750 millimetres (24 to 30 in) thick. The inside space is about 2 by 2.9 metres (6 ft 7 in × 9 ft 6 in). There was an 850 millimetres (33 in) wide doorway.

Mill and Smelter Remains

The old mill is north of the main shaft. It's now just a series of engine mounting blocks and a concrete floor. Part of a broken corrugated iron shed is also there.

The base of the mill chimney is a ring of clay bricks. It has a diameter of 3,600 millimetres (140 in).

The smelter area has been changed by later drilling and mining. But some parts of the smelter remain. You can see parts of a poured slag floor. This smooth floor helped move hot slag quickly. Old drums are scattered nearby.

Other Features

The former assay laboratory was southwest of the main shaft. An old stone chimney and bricks are still there. You can also find scattered crucibles and other materials.

The south shaft is on the riverbank. It seems to have collapsed about 25 metres (82 ft) down. The timber collar is still there. It suggests it was a two-part shaft.

A small shaft is 25 metres (82 ft) north of the main shaft. Its purpose is not clear. It might have been for ventilation or supplies. It is fenced off.

The fountain was likely built in the early 1900s. It's next to a caravan parking area from the 1970s. The fountain is 1,100 millimetres (43 in) high and 1,600 millimetres (63 in) wide. It has pipes that suggest it was a low-pressure water system.

A large stone building is 350 metres (1,150 ft) northwest of the main shaft. It was probably the main explosives magazine. It had a corrugated iron roof until the 1960s. The floor is 3.7 by 4 metres (12 ft × 13 ft). The walls are about 500 millimetres (20 in) thick.

A single multitubular boiler lies in the bushes. It is about 1.7 metres (5 ft 7 in) in diameter and 4.06 metres (13.3 ft) long. Its original location is unknown.

You can find an old survey mark on a large tree. It reads 'MHL 1893'. This mark is inside a small set of cattle yards. These yards were built around 1920 to 1940.

An eastern shaft is on the other side of Copperfield Gorge. It is about 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) square. It has water at 8 metres (26 ft) deep.

Why Einasleigh Mine is Important

The Einasleigh Copper Mine and Smelter is important to Queensland's history. It was the first base metal mine in Queensland. It was also the first mine in the rich North Queensland mining area. It was the only copper smelter in the Etheridge mining field.

This mine was one of only three base metal mines owned by the State. It was vital for the Chillagoe Smelters. The Etheridge Railway was built mainly to connect Einasleigh Mine to the Chillagoe Smelters.

Even though parts of the surface have been changed, the site can still teach us a lot. It helps us understand early mining and smelting. It might also show special ways miners worked under rivers.

The Einasleigh Mine shows how copper was extracted in a remote area. The slag dump, furnace mount, and old tools are important. The stone magazine and stone hut are also notable.

The mine is why Einasleigh township exists. It is very important to the local community.

The mine is also linked to Richard Daintree. He was an important explorer and photographer in Queensland. It is also important for its connection to the Chillagoe Company. The railway to Einasleigh helped solve the ore shortage at Chillagoe.

Images for kids

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  Einasleigh copper mine, c 1896 - 1925