Fischerton Water Race facts for kids

The Fischerton Water Race is a very old and special water channel in Queensland, Australia. It's like a long, man-made river. It was built in 1894 to help miners find tin. This amazing structure was designed by an engineer named George Bell. Today, it is protected as a heritage site. This means it is an important part of history. It shows us how mining used to be done in Queensland.

A Look Back: The History of the Water Race

Tin was first found in Queensland in 1872. Later, in 1875, more tin was discovered in North Queensland. At first, gold was more important to miners. But by the 1880s, people started looking for other metals. These included lead, copper, and tin. It was hard to mine these metals far from the coast. Transporting them was very expensive.

Some of the first people to mine tin in North Queensland were Chinese prospectors. They started looking for tin around 1876-1877. By 1878, many Chinese miners were exploring tin deposits. This happened as gold became harder to find.

Tin was discovered on the remote Tate River in 1878. Small groups of miners worked there for over ten years. They washed the tin from the river. But it was too far from big processing plants. This made it hard to develop the area more.

The Town of Fischerton

By 1893, a town was officially planned near the Tate River. It was named Fischerton after Mr. H. Fischer, who owned the land. People also called it the Tate Tin Mines. When the school opened in 1894, the town had grown. There were 260 men, 14 women, and 14 children living there.

Building the Water Race

In 1894, a company from Brisbane decided to build a water race. This was a long channel to carry water. It stretched about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the Tate River. The water was needed for mining near the town.

An engineer named George Bell oversaw the building of the race. It was a huge project!

• About 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) of the race was dug out of the ground.
• About 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) was built with dry stone walls.
• There were 100 metres (330 ft) of wooden flumes (channels).
• About 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) of solid rock had to be blasted away.

The race ended at a large dam. This dam had a 60 metres (200 ft) long wall. The whole project cost about £7,000. It was finished on October 13, 1894. The workers celebrated with a big dinner and a party.

Challenges and Changes

Just a few months after it was finished, floods badly damaged the race. This caused big money problems for the company. Another company, the Irvinebank Mining Company, took over. They continued to use the race for sluicing. Sluicing is a method where water washes away dirt to find minerals.

The Irvinebank Company bought tin from many small miners. This helped the miners get quick money. It also encouraged them to keep working. The Tate Tin Mines usually produced about 30 long tons (30 t) of tin each year.

By 1914, tin mining was slowing down. The Tate River, which had supplied tin for almost 30 years, was not producing much. The Irvinebank Company kept working there until 1920. Over 25 years, they extracted about 3,556 long tons (3,613 t) of tin. But it was often barely profitable.

What the Water Race Looks Like Today

The remains of the water race follow the Tate River. It runs for about 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi). At its western end, you can still see signs of old mining. There are pieces of iron channels, timber walls, and concrete slabs.

Most of the race is built with stone walls. Some of these walls are up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) high. They hold a shallow, clay-lined channel. Many walls are made of rough stones. But some sections have carefully cut stones. These stones create a smooth surface. In other parts, the race is just a low ditch dug into the earth. These sections can be up to 500 metres (1,600 ft) long.

Damage and Changes Over Time

The race is crossed by roads and small creeks. Heavy water flows from these creeks have damaged parts of the race. About 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) from its western end, the race crosses a large creek. This creek used to be dammed. The race was built over the dam wall. But the dam has broken, and the race has collapsed there.

Some parts of the race are also damaged by strong water flows from underground pipes. Not much of the race remains in these areas. The eastern end of the race is also damaged. This is because the Tate River has changed its path over time. Much of the race here is now in the riverbed. However, you can still see large sections of stone wall. Some stones were even set in place with concrete. Other parts of the race were blasted out of the solid rock.

Why the Water Race is Important

The Fischerton Water Race was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2003. This means it is a very important historical site.

• It shows how Queensland's history developed.

The water race helps us understand tin mining in the late 1800s. It shows the huge effort and money put into mining metals in remote areas. It also shows how mining depended on seasonal rains.

• It is a rare and special example.

This water race is unique. It is the longest stone-built water race found in North Queensland. It is also unusual because of its size. Some parts are over 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) high. The whole race is about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) long.

• It shows important features of its type.

Water races were common in mining areas. But the Fischerton Water Race is a great example. It was built very well, and much of it is still intact after 100 years. It is also more complex than typical water races.

• It shows great skill and achievement.

The design of the race was very complex. It needed careful planning for its curves and slopes. The stone walls show amazing skill. Miners shaped and fitted local stones to create flat surfaces. Some sections near the Tate River even show early use of concrete to hold stones in place. Large parts were also blasted out of solid rock.