Vulcan Mine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vulcan Mine |
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Vulcan Mine and Headframe, 2015
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| Location | Mareeba Mining District, Irvinebank, Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | c. 1889 - 1930s |
| Official name: Vulcan Mine and Headframe | |
| Type | state heritage (built, archaeological) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600681 |
| Significant period | 1889-1930s (fabric, historical) |
| Significant components | headframe, shaft, tank - reservoir, adit |
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The Vulcan Mine is a very old mine located in Irvinebank, Queensland, Australia. It's a special place because it's listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. This means it's an important part of history that needs to be protected. The mine was built around 1889 and was active until the 1930s.
Discovering the Vulcan Mine
The Vulcan Mine is famous for its tin deposits. In September 1888, a group of Italian woodcutters and miners found the tin lode. Their names were Harry Maranta, Alexander Leone, Battista Leone, and Giuseppe Lampatta.
Early Mining and Ownership
When they first started mining in 1889, the ore they dug up was very rich. About 20% of it was pure tin! In the early days, there was a lot of competition. The original miners were worried that a powerful mining pioneer named John Moffat would try to take over their mine.
While Moffat was away, a group of local miners decided to buy the Vulcan Mine from the Italians. They paid £2,100 for it. On December 13, 1890, they created a company called the Vulcan Tin Mining Company Limited. This company was quite successful. In January 1891, it became the first mining company in the Walsh and Tinaroo areas to pay money back to its shareholders.
Moffat's Influence and Growth
John Moffat still wanted control. He secretly bought shares in the Vulcan company through other people. Within seven months, he owned 40% of the company! Moffat also tried to combine the Vulcan company with his own Irvinebank Mining Company. However, talks were difficult because Moffat kept the costs of his Loudoun Mill a secret.
In March 1892, a new company, the Vulcan Tin Mining Company NL, was formed. It had more money to invest. The mine continued to produce a lot of tin. In the 1890s, it was the only mine in the area that could consistently pay its workers.
New Technology at the Mine
Moffat was always looking for new ways to improve mining. In 1893, he installed a powerful new winding engine. This was the first of its kind in the Walsh and Tinaroo fields. It used a large boiler to power the engine, which had big drums to pull things up and down the mine shaft. There were two cages that miners used to go down the 92-metre (302 ft) deep shaft.
With Moffat's help, the Vulcan Mine became a very important part of his mining business. Over the next 15 years, the mine produced 9,000 tons of black tin. This was worth a lot of money!
Deepest Mine in the Southern Hemisphere
The Vulcan Mine became known for how deep it was. By 1903, people were calling it one of the deepest mines in the southern hemisphere. It was also known as Queensland's best tin mine. By 1905, the mine shaft was over 305 metres (1,001 ft) deep. The old engine couldn't pull ore from that depth anymore. So, a new, more powerful engine was ordered from Walker's foundry in Maryborough. This new engine could pull ore from 610 metres (2,000 ft) deep!
Between 1903 and 1912, the original wooden structure above the mine shaft was replaced. A strong steel headframe was built, standing 18.3 metres (60 ft) high.
Challenges and Changes
Around 1907, the amount of tin found in the ore started to drop. There were also strikes by workers and tin prices fell. This made things difficult for the Vulcan company. Even though the mine was struggling, Moffat's strong control over the mining area helped the Vulcan company keep going. Other companies, like Stannary Hills, had to close their operations.
In 1913, a special aerial tramway was built. This tramway carried ore from the mine directly to the Loudoun mill. By 1915, the mine was 445 metres (1,460 ft) deep, and new ways to travel between the surface and the working areas were added. Production improved by 1918, but the company didn't pay any dividends for three years in a row.
In 1921, new chimney stacks were put in at the mine. In 1929, a company called Whitworth Finance and Mining Corporation Limited started to fix up the mine's surface buildings. They also planned to pump water out of the mine, which suggests it hadn't been working for some years. However, the Whitworth Corporation failed, and the mine likely closed in the early 1930s.
In 1947, North Broken Hill Limited tried to lease the old Vulcan mine area. Later, in 1981, Don Walker bought the mine. Today, the mine is not active for mining, but it has become a local tourist attraction.
What the Mine Looks Like Today
The Vulcan Mine site is built on a narrow flat area cut into a steep hillside. The most noticeable thing you see is the tall steel headframe standing over the main mine shaft.
Near the headframe, you can still see the brick foundations of the old boiler house and chimney. There are also stone and brick foundations where a pump and air compressor used to be. You can even find large concrete foundations for a winding engine, with the words "Vulcan T M Co. 1906" carved into them.
Above the headframe, built into the hill, is a round, beehive-shaped brick tank that was used to hold water underground. Near this tank, there's a tunnel called an adit that goes through the hill.
The steel headframe itself has an inscription on its base plate: "Engineering Supply Co of Aust Ltd Brisbane".
Why Vulcan Mine is Important
The Vulcan Mine is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register for several reasons:
A Key Part of Queensland's History
The Vulcan Mine and its headframe are important because they show how mining developed in Queensland. It was a mine where local people could own shares, and it supplied tin ore to the main mill in Irvinebank. It was the most productive tin mine in North Queensland.
Unique and Rare Features
The steel headframe at Vulcan Mine is one of the very few that still stands from before World War I. Also, the beehive-shaped brick underground water tank is now rare in North Queensland.
Amazing Technical Achievements
The Vulcan Mine is Australia's deepest tin mine, reaching 464 metres (1,522 ft) down. It also has one of the largest headframes still standing, showing advanced engineering for its time.
Strong Community Connections
The mine's early development involved Italian miners. There were also big strikes at the Vulcan and nearby mines in 1907. These strikes led to important changes in how mines were managed in Irvinebank. The mine also played a role in the history of the Labor movement.
Linked to Important People
The Vulcan Mine is connected to important people in Queensland's history. William McCormack and Edward Theodore both worked as underground miners at Vulcan. Edward Theodore later became the Premier of Queensland and the Treasurer of Australia. He also helped start the Amalgamated Workers Association at Irvinebank, which later joined with the Australian Workers Union.
