Glassford Creek Smelter Sites facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Glassford Creek Smelter Sites
Glassford Creek Smelter Sites, 2005
Location	Glassford State Forest, off Many Peaks Road, Many Peaks, Gladstone Region, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1900 - 1914 (early 20th century)
Built	c. 1903
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Glassford Creek Smelter Sites, Glassford Creek Copper Smelters
Type	state heritage (archaeological, built)
Designated	4 July 2006
Reference no.	602389
Significant period	1900s (fabric) 1903 -1908 (Smelter use) 1893-1921 (historical mining in area).
Significant components	slag pile/slag heap, chimney/chimney stack, mullock heap, mounting block/stand, pit - machinery, flue, wall/s - retaining, machinery/plant/equipment - mining/mineral processing, formation - tramway, smelter
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

The Glassford Creek Smelter Sites are the old remains of a place where metal was melted down, called a smelter. You can find them in the Glassford State Forest, near Many Peaks in Queensland, Australia. These smelters were built around 1903. They are also known as the Glassford Creek Copper Smelters. This historical site was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2006 because it's an important part of the state's history.

Discovering Copper at Glassford Creek

The story of Glassford Creek began in 1893. That's when a large amount of copper ore was found there. At first, people mined for silver, then for gold in 1896. After that, they focused on copper.

The two most important mining spots were the Blue Bag Mine and the Lady Inez Mine. Most of the metal found in the area came from these two mines. The Blue Bag Mine was the biggest producer.

Early Mining and Gold Processing

In 1897, a special machine called a ten-head battery was set up. This machine crushed 560 long tons (570 t) of ore. From this, miners got 166 ounces (4,700 g) of gold.

However, when they started finding copper sulphides, the gold crushing stopped. Copper sulphides made the gold extraction process difficult. Miners then switched to looking for copper instead. Maps from 1897 suggest the gold battery was near where the copper smelters would later be built.

Building the Copper Smelters

In 1900, the Boompa Copper Company planned to build reverberatory smelters. These smelters were finished in 1903. They were used until 1908.

Later, water-jacket furnaces were also built, but they weren't ready until 1906. The ore that was mined went through a rock-breaker. Then, it was sorted by hand before going into the smelter.

The Smelters Close Down

The Boompa Copper Company closed down in 1908. In 1915, the water-jacket smelter was taken apart. People even recovered some copper from the bottoms of the old furnaces. They found 8 long tons (8.1 t) of copper matte.

This recovery showed that the company's original methods might not have been very good. The smelters might have been poorly managed or built. From this salvage, they got 1 long ton (1.0 t) 11 cwt of copper, 80 ounces (2,300 g) of gold, and 113 ounces (3,200 g) of silver.

Changes at the Blue Bag Mine

The Blue Bag Mine first operated as an open pit. This means they dug from the surface. But as the pit got deeper, it became dangerous. So, miners started digging shafts and tunnels from the bottom of the pit to reach the ore.

The number of people living in Glassford changed a lot with the mines' success. For example, in early 1907, Glassford had 346 people. But by the end of that year, just before the company closed, only 40 people remained.

Later Mining Attempts

In 1916, Hunting and Clark took over the Blue Bag Mine. They dug a new shaft. They sent 227 long tons (231 t) of ore for treatment. This gave them 22 long tons (22 t) of copper, 119 ounces (3,400 g) of gold, and 155 ounces (4,400 g) of silver.

At the end of 1916, the mine was sold. There were about 25,000 long tons (25,000 t) of ore still in piles near the smelters. In 1918, WA Doyle asked for help to restart the smelters. But experts said there wasn't enough ore left to make it worthwhile.

Some mining continued at the Blue Bag and Lady Inez Mines after 1920. The ore was sent to Chillagoe for processing. Plans for a new plant and powerhouse didn't happen, and mining stopped in 1921. By 1941, all the buildings in Glassford village were gone. Most of the mining equipment was moved, leaving only parts of the water-jacket furnace.

What the Smelter Sites Look Like Today

You can reach the Glassford mines and smelters by a track from the Monto-Many Peaks Road. The smelters are about 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) along this track from the last farm. After the farm, the road becomes a four-wheel drive track. It crosses Glassford Creek several times.

Smelter Site One

At Smelter Site 1, there's a standing chimney about 18 metres (59 ft) tall. The area is very overgrown with plants. The collapsed brick remains of the smelter are hard to see. It seems this was the site of the reverberatory furnaces.

Next to the smelter and chimney are at least six pits. There might be more, but they are covered by old galvanised iron from a collapsed building. The six visible pits are in two rows of three. Each pit is two metres wide, and their lengths range from 1 to 2.5 metres (3 ft 3 in to 8 ft 2 in).

Near the pits are the remains of posts and roof trusses from a 7-by-7.5-metre (23 by 25 ft) building. A three-hopper feed bin, possibly a type of ore separator, is near the chimney. A small pile of waste material, called a slagheap, covers an area 29 by 20 metres (95 by 66 ft). About 66 metres (217 ft) southwest is a flat area. This area might have been used for sorting or storing ore.

Smelter Site Two

Smelter Site 2 has a standing chimney. It's connected by a stone base to a brick structure that supported a water-jacket furnace. This structure is 9 metres (30 ft) long, 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) wide, and 3 metres (9.8 ft) tall. It has two sections with a sloping floor. Part of its front wall has fallen down.

Near the smelter are the foundations for engines. A large boiler with a tall chimney has fallen off one of these foundations. The slagheap here covers 48 by 32 metres (157 by 105 ft). It looks like a paved area because the melted waste, called slag, was poured into molds. Old railway rails were used to create these molds.

Behind the smelter and engine sites is a stone retaining wall, up to 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) high. Above this wall is a flat area. This area was likely used for sorting or treating ore. To the east of the smelter is a 28-metre (92 ft) long pile of waste rock, called mullock. Further east is a larger area of mullock and ore that has been cut through. A track, noted in 1941 as a tramway, leads east to the Blue Bag Mine. There are also areas on the hill above Smelter 2 with mullock around them. These might be filled-in mine shafts.

Why These Sites Are Important

The Glassford Creek Smelter Sites were added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2006. They are important for several reasons:

Showing Queensland's History

The remains of the Glassford Creek smelter show a common pattern for small copper mining areas in Queensland. First, people prospected for minerals. Then, larger companies developed the mines for a short time. After that, smaller mining operations often took over, recovering valuable materials that earlier miners missed.

Rare Historical Evidence

The Glassford Creek Smelters Sites are very well preserved for their age. They offer rare and important evidence of copper mining from that time. It's uncommon to find such a large-scale example still in this condition.

Learning About Mining Technology

These sites can help us learn more about the mining technology used in Queensland's past. By studying the remains, we can understand how miners operated during that period.

Connecting with the Community

The local community in the Boyne Valley sees the Glassford Creek Smelter Sites as a significant part of their history. They value these sites as a historical asset. They connect people to the past and offer educational opportunities.