Richmond Mine and Battery, historic site in Queensland, Australia
Richmond Mine and Battery is a historic site in Queensland containing the remains of a small gold mining operation that ran from around 1886 to 1916. The site features old shafts, steam engines, a processing battery built in 1913, concrete and stone machinery bases, residential dwelling sites, and a kiln made from a ship's tank.
The mine operated from around 1886 to 1916, extracting gold from small but rich ore patches that miners often leased rather than owned outright. A processing battery was built in 1913 to crush ore, powered by steam engines sourced from local foundries, Brisbane, and the United Kingdom.
The site is open and dry with scattered stones and metal parts spread across the land, so allow time to explore the different areas at a slow pace. Wear sturdy footwear since the ground is uneven and you will navigate around old foundations, shaft openings, and machinery remains.
The site contains a rare portable steam engine with wheels, a two-cylinder example that survives at few historic mining sites today. Equally notable is a kiln built from a ship's tank used for melting chemical residues from gold refining, a feature rarely found on sites from this era.
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