Wenlock Goldfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wenlock Goldfield |
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Wenlock Gold Mine, 1930s
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| Location | Archer River, Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s–1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1892–1950s |
| Official name: Wenlock Goldfield, Batavia Goldfield, Lower Camp (Wenlock) | |
| Type | state heritage (archaeological, built) |
| Designated | 3 March 2006 |
| Reference no. | 601862 |
| Significant period | 1890s–1950s (fabric, historical) |
| Significant components | mullock heap, pathway/walkway, workings - shallow, footings, machinery/plant/equipment - mining/mineral processing, alluvial workings, mining camp/settlement site, tailings dump, trees/plantings, garden edging/balustrades/planter boxes, shaft, burial/grave |
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The Wenlock Goldfield is an old gold mining area in Queensland, Australia. It's a special place because it's listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, meaning it's important to history. People mined for gold here from 1892 until the 1950s. It was also known as the Batavia Goldfield and Lower Camp.
Contents
The History of Wenlock Goldfield
The Wenlock Goldfield, once called Batavia Goldfield, is located on the Wenlock River in Cape York Peninsula. Gold was first found here in 1892 at Retreat Creek. This led to the creation of mining camps like Bairdsville, Top Camp (Plutoville), and Lower Camp (Wenlock).
Early Gold Discoveries
Gold was found on Cape York Peninsula as early as 1876. This happened after the famous Palmer goldfield attracted many miners. By the late 1880s, a small town called Coen had formed. In 1892, the Coen Goldfield was officially declared. Soon, machines were set up to crush gold-bearing rock. This made the northern Peninsula a good base for more gold hunting. Gold was found in other places too, like Batavia (Wenlock) in 1892.
The Batavia Goldfield Begins
After William Baird found gold at Retreat Creek in 1892, a large area was named the Batavia Goldfield. In its first two years, miners found about 2,000 ounces of gold. Miners kept exploring the area. In 1906, more gold was found at a place called the Tunnel.
An Aboriginal man named Pluto discovered gold at Plutoville (Top Camp) in 1910. News of this discovery was kept quiet for a while. This allowed miners from Coen and Ebagoola to get there first. A big rush for gold didn't happen until mid-1911.
Kitty Pluto's Discovery at Lower Camp
Even though it was close to Top Camp, gold wasn't found at Lower Camp until January 1915. An Aboriginal woman named Kitty Pluto accidentally found a gold nugget. She was moving dirt from Top Camp to the Wenlock River when she made the discovery. Both Top Camp and Lower Camp were on the east bank of the Wenlock River.
Plutoville (Top Camp) remained the main mining center from 1911 to 1922. Stores and businesses were set up there. The first gold area at Lower Camp was quite small. By 1916, most miners had gone back to Plutoville or left the area.
Deep Mining and Growth
In 1922, miners tried to find more gold deeper underground at Lower Camp. They dug several shafts and found a rich gold vein about 5.4 meters deep. From then until the late 1930s, Lower Camp was very busy. It produced over 35,000 ounces of gold. The most productive areas were deeper, up to 25 meters down.
The Batavia Goldfield was the most successful goldfield in Cape York during the tough economic times of the early 1930s. It had six mines that were making money. In 1932, it produced gold worth over £9,000. The use of trucks helped a lot with moving things around. Two crushing machines were set up by the end of 1931. Two boarding houses opened at Lower Camp in 1932, and about 75 people lived there. By 1935, the population was around 160.
Mining Operations and Equipment
In 1938, a company called Larsens' Consolidated moved their crushing machine closer to their mines. This machine produced over 1,100 ounces of gold from the mines. They also bought new drills and a generator. Another crushing machine with three stamps was set up at the Golden Casket mine in 1938.
A miner named Frank White said that the three-stamp battery ran 24 hours a day. Miners would fall asleep to the rhythm of "thud - thud - thud." They imagined the sound saying "Quid - A - Minute," meaning they were making good money. In 1939, a new boiler and a large Huntington roller mill were installed at the Black Cat Amalgamated Mine.
World War II and After
In 1942, during World War II, the Australian Army took apart and removed smaller mining equipment from Wenlock. This was done to stop the Japanese army from using the mines if they invaded Australia. This was part of a "scorched earth policy." This meant destroying things that an enemy could use.
After the war, in 1946, several mines were reopened. Joseph Fisher and Sons built a road from Portland Roads to Wenlock. This road needed seven bridges. You can still see part of a bridge over Garraway Creek today.
New sheds, huts, and machinery were set up at the mines. At the Black Cat Amalgamated mine, a steam engine, rock drill sharpener, and pumps were installed. The story of the Fisher family at Wenlock Goldfields is told in a book called "Battlers in the Bush."
In 1947, Joseph Fisher and Sons bought more mines. They started working on the Black Cat Amalgamated mine again. By the end of 1947, they had crushed stone and found 239 ounces of gold. They also pumped water out of the mine and fixed the main shaft. Another group, the Wasp Syndicate, also found gold that year.
In 1948, an agreement was made between miner Frank White and the Fisher family. They would share the gold found at the "Hidden Treasure" claim.
Decline of Mining
The Wenlock was still the best gold-producing area in Cape York in 1949. However, production was lower than the year before. In April 1950, the mines flooded when the Wenlock River overflowed. They managed to pump the water out by the end of May. Gold production continued to drop in 1951, with only the Fishers and one other person mining. By 1952, there were only four miners left.
Production declined after the 1950 floods because there weren't enough good pumps. Many mines were left empty. William Stanley, the last person living there from that time, stayed until he died in 1957. People still looked for gold around the old workings. In 1964–65, a lot of gold was found from hand-picked stones. In 1986, people used excavators to rework the Top Camp area. Some large gold nuggets were found before the area was abandoned again. Sadly, all signs of the old Plutoville settlement were lost during this work.
What Remains at Wenlock Goldfield Today
Wenlock Goldfield Mining Area
The site today shows many signs of the old mining work. You can see areas where miners dug, mine shafts, and piles of waste rock (mullock dumps). There are also foundations of old buildings and machinery. One partly broken headframe, made of wood, still stands over the Golden Casket shaft. Concrete foundations show where a gold processing area used to be.
The main areas where mining equipment remains are:
- Fisher's Black Cat Amalgamated area: Here you can find several collapsed shafts, an old Marshall portable steam engine, and other boilers.
- Larsen's Consolidated area: This is next to a large area of waste from the mill. It has a partly complete Huntington mill on a heavy concrete base.
- Larsen's Deep mine: This area has small concrete mounts for machinery, a vertical boiler, and a winch.
There are also many other digging areas extending from these main spots. A newer hut and campsite are located nearby, with another large area of mill waste.
Remaining Machinery
Some of the old machines still at the site include:
- A one-cylinder portable steam engine.
- A one-cylinder horizontal suction gas engine.
- Vertical boilers.
- An old International truck chassis with its engine.
- A Colonial boiler.
- A four-cylinder diesel engine.
- A Huntington mill, made by Babcock & Wilcox.
- A gas producer.
- A two-cylinder winch.
Lower Camp Settlement Area
The Lower Camp settlement area is on the east bank of the Wenlock River. It stretches for about 1 kilometer north from the grave of Thomas Power.
The grave of Thomas Power is by the Wenlock River. It has a concrete headstone that says "In Memory of Thos Power Died 10 2 30". Thomas Power is said to have died in a gunfight in 1930.
The settlement area is covered with many large, old mango trees. You can still see signs of old campsites, piles of bottles, and fence posts. There are also many old 44-gallon drums scattered around. A path and garden edging made from upside-down beer bottles can be seen near some mango trees. About 40 meters north of this, there are six long ditch and mound features. These might be signs of old vegetable gardens that helped feed the people living in this isolated mining camp.
One concrete slab, possibly an old floor, is visible in the settlement area. It's about 6 by 4 meters and has some metal pieces nearby. You can also find pieces of corrugated iron and other building materials scattered around. An old truck body can also be seen in the Lower Camp settlement area.
Forsythe's Batavia Battery Site
Forsythe's Batavia Battery site is located about 1 kilometer northwest of the main Wenlock Lower Camp workings. It's by the river where a small creek joins it. You can identify the site by several small concrete mounts where engines used to be. No machines or buildings are left here.
Why Wenlock Goldfield is Important
Wenlock Goldfield is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because it's very important to Queensland's history.
- It shows how Queensland's history developed: Wenlock Goldfield was the most productive goldfield in Cape York during the tough economic times of the early 1930s. It's also important because Aboriginal people like Pluto, Kitty Pluto, and Friday Wilson played a big part in finding and working the gold claims. Kitty Pluto is the only woman known to have discovered a goldfield in Queensland. The removal of mining equipment by the Australian Army during World War II is also a rare example of how Australia prepared for a possible Japanese invasion.
- It shows rare parts of Queensland's heritage: The Lower Camp Goldfield has many different types of old mining equipment. Because it was so isolated, many of these machines survived. The Huntington mill found here is rare and one of the most complete in North Queensland.
- It can teach us more about history: Wenlock Goldfield can give us valuable information about Queensland's past. By studying where houses were compared to where mines were, we can learn about life in isolated mining camps in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The collection of old mining machines can also help us understand how gold was mined in the early to mid-1900s.
- It shows what a mining settlement looked like: Wenlock (Lower Camp) was the main settlement of the most productive goldfield in Cape York during the 1930s. What's left includes a lone grave, a concrete floor, pieces of old houses, garden edging made of beer bottles, and the largest group of mango trees found at a North Queensland mining camp.
- It has a special feeling: The old workings and camp remains, set within the natural bush, create a special and meaningful atmosphere. This makes the place important for its aesthetic (visual and emotional) value.
