Morning Star Mine Golden Site Mine Alpha Mine Preservation Inlet Fiordland, New Zealand Archæological Survey For The Department of Conservation P.G. Petchey Southern Archæology Ltd 2004 1 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Frontispiece 1901 survey of Preservation Inlet (S.O. 3434) 2015 Reprint Southern Archæology Ltd Dunedin, New Zealand 2 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................... 3 General Geographical Description ................................................................................. 3 Field Survey ................................................................................................................... 9 Morning Star Mine & Battery Site............................................................................... 10 History of Morning Star Mine ................................................................................. 10 Archæological Evidence of the Morning Star Mine and Battery Site ..................... 16 The Battery Site ................................................................................................... 16 The Battery Tramway, self-acting tramway and aerial cableway........................ 21 The Morning Star Mine Workings ....................................................................... 24 Summary of Morning Star Mine .............................................................................. 26 Golden Site Mine & Battery ........................................................................................ 28 History of the Golden Site Mine .............................................................................. 28 Archæological Evidence of the Golden Site Mine & Battery.................................. 32 The Golden Site Mine .......................................................................................... 33 The Golden Site Battery....................................................................................... 34 Summary of the Golden Site Mine .......................................................................... 37 The Wilson River (Golden Site Mine) Tramway .................................................... 38 Alpha Mine & Battery ................................................................................................. 40 History of the Alpha Mine ....................................................................................... 40 Archæological Evidence of the Alpha Mine & Battery ........................................... 41 The Alpha Mine ................................................................................................... 42 The Alpha Battery site ......................................................................................... 43 Operation of the Alpha Battery ................................................................................ 47 Summary & Conclusions ............................................................................................. 50 Recommendations for Future Management ................................................................. 52 Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... 55 References .................................................................................................................... 56 3 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Morning Star, Golden Site & Alpha Mines Preservation Inlet, Fiordland Archæological Survey October 2004 (2015 Reprint) P.G. Petchey Southern Archæology Introduction This report was commissioned by the Southland Conservancy of the Department of Conservation (DOC) to record in detail the physical remains at three historic gold mine sites in the Preservation Inlet area of Fiordland National Park (Figures 1 & 2). These sites were the Morning Star Mine at Te Oneroa on the shore of Preservation Inlet, the Golden Site Mine and associated battery beside the Wilson River, and the Alpha Mine and associated battery beside Sealer’s No. 1 Creek, all of which commenced operations in the 1890s. The locations of these sites are shown in Figure 2. Conservation plans for all three sites were prepared for the Department of Conservation by Bradley and Egerton (1994a,b,c). Brief histories of the three sites are presented in this report, but published accounts of mining at Preservation can be found in Watt (1971) and Hall-Jones (1982). The latter is well illustrated with contemporary photographs. General Geographical Description Preservation Inlet is situated in Fiordland National Park, at the south-western extremity of mainland New Zealand (Figure 1). This is an area that is without roads or other infrastructure, and is generally hilly or mountainous, with forest or scrub cover at lower altitudes. Figures 2 and 3 show the area under discussion. Plate I shows the site of Te Oneroa and the Morning Star Mine with the escarpment behind, giving an idea of the nature of the country. The site of the township of Te Oneroa is located at Long Beach, on the southern shore of Preservation Inlet. The site is marked by four remaining posts from the wharf on the beach. The only building standing there now is an A-frame hut that is managed by DOC, all of the original buildings having collapsed or been removed long ago. Three kilometres to the north-east of Te Oneroa is the site of Cromarty, in Kisbee Bay. This is now the location of Kisbee Lodge, a private lodge built on one of the remaining privately owned freehold town sections. Apart from the wharf piles, scatters of bricks and broken bottles in the regenerating bush, and a rhododendron thicket1 at the hotel site at Cromarty, little is immediately visible at either town site. Behind the site of Te Oneroa the ground rises rapidly to an escarpment just over 300 metres (approximately 1000 feet) above sea level (Plate I). The Morning Star mine is located behind the township site and up this steep slope. 1 Two species of rhododendron are present, grown far beyond their parent bushes. Those with purple flowers are Rhododendron ponticum, while those with pink flowers are an unidentified cultivar (R. Egerton pers. comm.). 4 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Draining the area behind the escarpment are a number of streams, generally flowing to the south-west. The Alpha Mine and battery are located in the valley of Sealer’s No. 1 Creek, which is the first stream to discharge into the sea south of Puysegur Point. Also flowing south-east to discharge along the south coast is the Wilson River (sometimes called Wilson’s River), in the gorge of which is the Golden Site Mine and battery. This is located 5.5 kilometres (as the crow flies) from the south coast and 4 kilometres from Preservation Inlet. A tramway linked the Golden Site Mine with Kisbee Bay, and the line of this tramway is now in use as the walking track to the mine site. It should be noted that it is not accurately shown on NZMS 260 B46 Puysegur (it is reasonably accurately shown in Figure 2). A number of gold mining claims (hard rock, as opposed to alluvial) were applied for in the Preservation Inlet area in the 1890s, generally along a north-south alignment running through the site of Te Oneroa. The claims as they were recorded in 1898 are shown in Figure 4. Research is currently underway in the Geology Department, University of Otago, and at the Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences on the geology and mineralisation of the area. Turnbull & Allibone (in prep) are examining the regional issues, while Donna Falconer (in prep) is examining the local mineralisation. Plate I Aerial view of the site of the Morning Star Mine and Te Oneroa, 2004. 5 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Figure 1 The general location of the Preservation Inlet gold mines. See Figure 2 for details. 6 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Figure 2 The location of the main features and tracks relating to the Morning Star, Alpha and Golden Site mines. Note that the dotted tracks are based on old maps and were not followed. Based on NZMS 260 B46 Puysegur. 7 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Figure 3 Part of 1903 map of Preservation Survey District, showing the Alpha and Golden Site batteries, Te Oneroa and Cromarty (Hocken Library). 8 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Figure 4 Mining claims at Preservation Inlet, 1898 (AJHR 1898). 9 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Field Survey The field survey was undertaken by Peter Petchey of Southern Archæology and Rachael Egerton of the Department of Conservation between 2 and 10 October 2004. Work on the Morning Star and Alpha sites was undertaken from a camp at the DOC A-frame hut at Te Oneroa, while the Golden Site Mine was surveyed from Kisbee Lodge at Cromarty. The location of all sites was recorded using a Garmin 12 hand-held GPS unit, as was the route of the Wilson River tramway (built for the Golden Site Mine). Figure 2 shows the location of the main features based on this GPS recording. Internal detail of the sites was recorded using conventional tape-and-compass methods. Basic measurements of the surviving equipment were also taken at the Alpha and Golden Site batteries. Thick bush/forest cover prevented the use of aerial photographs for detailed survey, although the line of some of the Wilson River Tramway is clearly visible from the air. This report provides detailed illustrated descriptions of the sites as they were recorded in 2004, with basic interpretation based on the contemporary descriptions of the mining operations. The sites of the townships of Te Oneroa and Cromarty were not surveyed in detail. Figure 8, which shows the layout of the Morning Star Mine, simply notes the location of Te Oneroa. Some time was spent inspecting the town site, but few distinct features were identified. The visible surface evidence consists generally of scatters of artefactual material (broken bottles and ceramics, bricks, some galvanised iron), much of this turned up by fossickers. Similarly, the site of Cromarty in Kisbee Bay contains numerous artefact scatters. Of note at this site is a rhododendron, which was planted beside the old hotel and has now spread over a large area. 10 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Morning Star Mine & Battery Site The Morning Star Mine is located immediately above the old township site of Te Oneroa, at Long Beach on the shore of Preservation Inlet. The main features are recorded on the New Zealand Archæological Association’s site record file: Morning Star Mine Morning Star Battery Te Oneroa NZAA No. B46/44 (S173-4/10) NZAA No. B46/49 (S173-4/29) NZAA No. B46/43 (S173-4/9) The Morning Star claim is shown as section 15, Block IV, in Figure 4. History of Morning Star Mine The Morning Star Mine was the most successful of the Preservation gold mines. The Morning Star reef was discovered in late 1894 by George Holloway and Donald McKenzie (Hall-Jones 1982: 18). The Morning Star Company was formed in 1895 with a capital of £12,000, and a trial crushing was carried out at Wylie & Scott’s battery in Invercargill, which yielded 9oz 14dwt of gold from 1 ton of quartz (AJHR 1895 C3: 93). In contrast to many other local mines, access to the Morning Star was relatively easy as it was located on the hillside directly behind the beach, and a battery and other mine infrastructure were quickly constructed. A five-stamp battery, a blacksmith’s shop, and a self-acting tramway to the main drive were erected in 1895, and thirty men were employed (Plate II). The first crushing at the battery yielded 160oz of gold from 220 tons of stone, and by the end of the year 1355 tons of quartz had been crushed for a return of 728oz of gold. The battery was quickly extended to ten stamps, and four berdans were installed to further treat the blanketings (AJHR 1896 C3: 109), with a further 10 berdans added in 1896. The battery was driven by a Robey undertype semiportable engine (AJHR 1899 C3: 100). In September 1896 a Government Contract was let to build a wharf at Te Oneroa, which allowed easier access to the mine, and in 1898 an aerial tramway (Plate III) was built at the mine to convey timber and other supplies from the wharf to the mine (AJHR 1899 C3: 100). After the extended battery was put into operation the mine achieved some very good results, with 384oz of gold from 300 tons of ore in August 1896, and soon afterwards 431oz from 282 tons in 22 days (Watt 1971: 49). By May 1897 the mine had produced a total of 4,943oz of gold, valued at £20,040, and had paid £4,500 in dividends (Watt 1971: 53). The handling of ore was described in the 1896 Mines Department report: “The stone from the top level tunnel is cast down a shoot on the surface to the No. 2 level, where it is again filled into a truck and trammed a short distance and dumped into a hopper, from which it is run into trucks and lowered by a drum and brake on a double line of tram to the battery” (AJHR 1896 C3: 111). At this date the mine had only two levels; No. 1 and No. 2. By late 1898 the mine had been developed on four levels (see Figure 7), but the reef was getting poorer and patchier than previously, and the mine manager was concerned that no payable stone was visible at the faces, and there was only a few months of stoping to be carried out to recover the available stone (AJHR 1899 C3: 100). The following year the Mines Inspector sounded further warnings about the amount of payable stone that was visible, and commented that “unless further prospecting is promptly undertaken and vigorously prosecuted, the future prospects for this mine are practically nil” (AJHR 1900 C3: 29). 11 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Plate II The Morning Star Battery in 1898 (Hall-Jones 1982). Plate III The Morning Star Mine aerial cableway in 1898. A view from the bottom cable drum beside the Te Oneroa wharf (Hall-Jones 1982). In May 1899 more than half the men employed at the mine were dismissed (Watt 1971: 65). Mining continued, but the amount of stone put through the battery and the returns of gold were not what they had been previously. For the nine months ended December 1900 some 365oz of gold had been recovered from 776 tons of stone (Watt 1971: 67). By 1901 the mine was closed, with only the manager and one man employed to keep things in order. A new company, the New Star, was formed in April 1901 when a new and promising outcrop was discovered. However, the returns stayed generally low, and the company went into liquidation in 1902, and the mine was let on tribute to six men (AJHR 1904 C3: 69; Watt 1971: 70). A good overall description of the Morning Star tramway system and battery at this time was published in the Mines Department Report in 1903: 12 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining “Tramways: Timber, &c., for the mine is conveyed uphill from the wharf by a carriage on an aerial ropeway (stationary). A 3in. steel rope is mounted on trestles and securely anchored at the upper end with tension at beach, a 1.25in. steel endless rope being used for haulage; drum, 3ft. diameter, driven by a Pelton wheel 2ft. 6in. diameter; water pressure 90ft. vertical head. Battery material, coal, &c., are hauled to the battery house from the wharf on an ordinary tramway by a steel flexible rope, the pulley on a counter-shaft being belt-driven from the main driving-shaft. Trucks of stone from the mine are lowered to the mill by a self-acting2 drum 4ft. diameter tramway, three rails with meeting place in centre. The compact little battery is in good order. Ten heads of stamps (five heads 900lb. each and five heads 800lb. each) are driven by a 4ft. 6in. Pelton wheel under a vertical pressure of 250ft. head. Pressure-pipes are reduced from 13in. to 9in. and 7in. diameter. When water is scarce steam-power is substituted, being supplied by an under-type combined engine and boiler by Robey and Co.; engine, 12-horse power; steam pressure used, 55lb. per square inch, Westport coal being used. The tables are 21ft. in length by 12ft. in width, the first drop being 6in. to 7ft., and the second drop 8in. to 14ft. length. Four berdans are used for treating blanketings, and ten berdans for tailings, which are conveyed by shoots direct to the berdans from the tables. Numerous assays of the tailings from the berdans gave an average loss of 1dwt. of gold per ton of quartz crushed. The stamps were constructed by Thompson, of Castlemaine; the berdans by Price, of Thames” (AJHR 1903 C3: 113). In 1905 an Invercargill syndicate bought the mine, but were initially unable to begin operations due to legal problems (Watt 1971: 73). By 1907 work was underway to get the mine and battery ready to resume operations, and rights to seven heads of water from nearby streams were held to sluice a large area of the ground adjoining Long Beach (Watt 1971: 75). This was carried out with the intention of exposing the reef at a lower level than had previously been worked. At some time after 1899 at least two new low levels were opened up; Nos 3 and 4, located below No. 2 Level. They are shown on an undated cross-section held by Archives New Zealand (AATJ/9170/203-75), which must post-date 1899 as the mines report in that year stated that No. 2 Level was the (then) lowest level in the mine (AJHR 1899 C3:100). These low levels are indicated on Figure 7, which is a slightly earlier cross-section. By 1910 a considerable amount of work had been done on the battery, with the installation of a Pelton wheel and enlargement of the building. In March 1911 there was news of an encouraging find of a well-defined reef, and a new upper drive was commenced (AJHR 1911 C3: 50). Throughout 1912 work at the mine continued (AJHR 1912 C2: 66), but by 1913 it was finally closed down permanently (Hall-Jones 1982: 24; Watt 1971: 77). 2 In a self-acting tramway the weight of laden ore trucks running downhill is used to draw empty trucks uphill. 13 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Figure 5 1897 survey map (SO 3046, Southland), showing the Morning Star tramway from the wharf on Long Beach. 14 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Figure 6 The township of Te Oneroa, showing the lower section of the Morning Star tramway (Hocken Library). 15 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Figure 7 Annotated detail of 1898 cross-section of the Morning Star Mine (AJHR). The additions are based on a later cross-section of the same mine. 16 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Archæological Evidence of the Morning Star Mine and Battery Site The Morning Star site is located immediately above the site of Te Oneroa, and is easily reached by following the cut track up from the remains of the old Te Oneroa wharf on the beach (Plate IV). The track roughly follows part of the line of the old tramway up from the wharf to the battery site. The mine itself is scattered across the hillside behind and around the battery site. The site is covered with regenerating scrub and beech forest. Figure 8 shows the overall mine layout, Figure 9 shows the area around the battery in more detail, and Figure 10 is a cross-section based on the results of the archæological survey. There still remains some uncertainty about the exact details of the layout and operation of the Morning Star Mine. While it was possible to correlate many archæological features with the contemporary descriptions, some gaps in the interpretation of the site remain. These are discussed below. Plate IV The Te Oneroa wharf in 2004, with just four piles still standing. The Battery Site The battery site is easily located, as it is situated at the end of the walking track up from the beach (which partly follows the tramway). However, the only large pieces of plant to remain on site are the steam boiler and battery camshaft (Plates V & VII). It appears that after the battery closed most of the equipment was removed (access to the site was easy due to its proximity to the wharf), and some of the site was sluiced away. There is a sluice gully cut through the battery site, partially undermining a concrete foundation that was probably for the stampers, making detailed interpretation of the site difficult. The layout of the site is shown in Figure 9. From contemporary accounts (see above), it is known that the battery was a ten stamp mill, with both steam and water power available, and with 14 berdans set up for the treatment of tailings and blanketings. There is now no trace of the berdans or their mounts, and no immediately visible indication of where they once stood, nor of the Pelton wheel. A pipeline was traced running down beside the incline tramway from the upper drives (see discussion below and Figure 8), which may have supplied this wheel. A second pipeline was traced running to the site from the north-east; this probably fed the late period sluicing operation. 17 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining The battery camshaft is sitting on the ground over a concrete foundation, beside a large sluice gully. Numerous iron rods and bolts protruding from the ground (Plate VI) confirm that this probably was the location of the stamp mill. A small pile of ore sits to one side. The camshaft is from a ten stamp battery, and has a broken pulley wheel at one end. It is of note that the shaft itself is badly corroded, but the cast iron cams and drive wheel are not badly affected by rust. The boiler is sitting on a levelled area 20m to the west the camshaft (Plate V). It is a multi-tube firetube boiler from a portable engine. The 1903 inspector’s report states that it was a 12 horse power under-type combined engine and boiler by Robey and Co., which was fired on Westport coal, and had an operating pressure of 55 lb.sq.in. (AJHR 1903 C3: 113). This description matches the remaining equipment. The boiler has been stripped of the engine and all fittings, including the manufacturer’s plate, but it is of the general type of portable engine boiler that is not uncommon in contemporary industrial sites. Similar boilers are to be found in the Longwood Range where they were used for log hauling (Petchey 1999: 48). Some other smaller items of plant are lying about, although their dismantled, jumbled and decayed state makes positive identification difficult. Several large iron plates might be parts of a disassembled stamper mortar box.3 There is doubtless more equipment scattered about the site that is now hidden under the leaf litter. Close to the boiler, in line with the track from the beach (see discussion below), is part of a winch mechanism. It is discussed further below. A concrete hearth is located on a building platform above the boiler, and may be from one of the huts visible in Plate II. Plate V The Morning Star boiler at the battery site. 3 Most mortar boxes were usually made from cast iron, but a number (generally those destined for remote sites) were fabricated from iron sheets bolted together. 18 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Plate VI The Morning Star Battery camshaft sitting on the stamp mill foundations. Plate VII Parts of the winch at the Morning Star Battery site, used for hauling goods up from the wharf. 19 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Figure 8 Archaeological survey of the Morning Star Mine complex, 2004. 20 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Figure 9 Detail map of the area around the Morning Star Battery site, 2004. 21 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Figure 10 Cross-section through Morning Star Mine, based on 2004 archaeological survey. The Battery Tramway, self-acting tramway and aerial cableway The 1903 description of the mine quoted above described both an aerial ropeway and a conventional tramway being used to transport material from the wharf to the battery and mine, and a self-acting tramway to transport ore to the battery. A contemporary photograph shows a winchman standing beside the winch at the base of the aerial cableway (Plate III), and contemporary plans of the area (Figures 5 & 6) clearly show a ground tramway running up from the wharf to the battery site, looping out to the west to climb the gentle gradient up from the beach. During the 2004 survey parts of all of these systems were recorded, but all were incomplete. It was not possible to fully work out all aspects of the systems. The battery tramway Between the battery and the wharf two formations were found (see Figures 8 & 9). A shallow 2 metre wide cutting runs straight down from the battery site, terminating in an embankment 150 metres south of the wharf. A second cutting turns off to the west from this formation only ten metres below the battery site, and was traced for 60 metres. When the survey information from 1897 S.O 3046 (Figure 5) was plotted out onto the 2004 survey (Figure 8), it was clear that this western formation is part of the original tramway that ran from the wharf to the battery. The walking track (as it was in 2004) follows the original tramway formation from the wharf for 70 metres, where a large rusted coil of wire rope is sitting on the ground. The tramway originally then turned to run due south for 150 metres, before turning west towards the battery. A 200 metre length of this formation could not be located, despite some searching, so it may have simply been laid on the level ground, or debris from the sluicing operation may have covered the line. The formation that ran straight down from the battery to the wharf may have been a later modification, giving a more direct line down to the wharf at the expense of an easy gradient. It is not known why it terminates in an embankment, and the lower length of formation could not be found. It is a possibility that it ran on a timber trestle. Close to the boiler, and in line with this formation, there is what appears to be part of a winch (Plate VII). This now consists only of some upright iron rods and foundation timbers and a brake band for a winding drum. This was probably used to winch goods directly up from the wharf to the battery, and if the winch was powerful enough it could presumably have hauled up the steeper slope created by 22 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining a direct line to the beach. The annual mines report in 1903 (AJHR 1903 C3: 113) stated that goods were hauled up an ordinary tramway from the wharf, power being taken off the main battery drive. The cableway Despite difficulties in tracing this on the ground, this is the feature for which there is the best unequivocal contemporary evidence. A series of photographs that were probably taken in 1898 clearly show the cableway as well as other mine features (Plates II & III).4 The bottom cable drum of the cableway was on the west side of the Te Oneroa wharf (Figure 8), and it led straight up the hillside to the top levels of the mine (Plate III). Its pylons are just visible behind (on the east side of) the battery shed in Plate II. It probably crossed the self-acting tramway (discussed below). As the cableway structures consisted mainly of timber pylons, little now remains. Several pylon locations were found along the higher section of the cableway run, these generally consisting of a small flat area with scattered iron fittings (rods, bolts and plates), the timber members having completely rotted away. About 120 metres of rusted steel cable was found, terminating at a point 210 metres above sea level, where there was also evidence of a pylon. This is probably at No. 1A Level, the entrances of which were not located. The entrance to No. 1B Level was found further up the hill, but no evidence of the cableway was found at this height (see Figure 8). The self-acting tramway Leading up the hillside from behind the battery site was the formation of the self-acting incline tramway that was described in 1903 (see discussion above). The section that was followed was 160 metres long, and climbed to 100 metres above sea level, running beside a stream in a deep gully. The tramway formation itself was created by shallow cuttings and embankments built up the steep hillside (approximately a 17° slope). No rails remain along the cutting, but lengths of corroded steel cable are present. The lower section of the tramway, immediately above the battery, was not clear, and may have been destroyed or damaged. At the head of the tramway formation was a large cast iron winding drum (Plate IX) sitting on a 17 metre by 5 metre level platform cut partially into the hillside. A second, smaller, drum (Plate X) was located half way down the incline, but a photograph in Begg & Begg (1973: plate 100) shows it at the top. It has evidently been rolled down the formation some time in the last 30 years. Watt (1971: 47) quotes a contemporary source that described self-acting tramline as being 20.5 chains (412 metres) long. This is clearly incorrect, as the formation was measured at 160 metres, and even if it continued down to the battery it could have been no longer than 190 metres. It is possible that the original source had got his details confused with the aerial cableway, although this is likely to have been over 600 metres long. 4 The photographs need to be examined very closely to see some details of the cableway. 23 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Plate IX The main drum at the top of the Morning Star self-acting incline tramway. Plate X The small drum from the incline tramway, now sitting half way down the formation. 24 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining The Morning Star Mine Workings The mine workings are scattered up the hillside around and behind the battery site. They were mapped in detail in 2004, allowing comparison between the archæological evidence and contemporary mine plans and cross-sections. Figure 8 shows the overall mine layout as recorded in 2004. Figure 10 is a cross-section through the hillside based on the 2004 survey with heights recorded using a Thommen “Everest” hand-held altimeter. This can be compared with Figure 7, which is a cross-section of the mine published in 1898. While the sectional overlay is not perfect, it is good enough to allow tentative labelling of all of the workings recorded in 2004 based on their original designations. Most of the entrances to the underground workings have collapsed; only three open adits were recorded during the survey, and two of these were partially filled with a build up of orange iron oxide sediments. The sites of numerous collapsed adits could be determined by seepages of similar sediment from slip faces. The beds of all of the streams in the immediate area of the mine workings were stained with this runoff (Plate XI). A large mullock heap 50 metres to the east of the battery site marked the entrance to Level No. 4 (the lowest mine level). This adit was still open, but was half-filled with the orange gunge (Plate XII).5 A possible collapsed adit (indicated by a tramway cutting) was located between the open adit and the battery site. Below and on the south side of the incline tramway a 50 metres long mullock heap running beside the stream bed indicated that another mine entrance was located there, but it had collapsed completely. This was probably Level No. 3, which together with Level No. 4 was opened after 1899. Above the top platform of the incline a narrow tramway cutting led around to the location of another two adits (both collapsed), these being the entrance to Level No. 2 of the mine. This designation is supported not only by the altitude readings obtained on site, but also the 1896 mines report that stated that the No. 2 Level was located at the end of a short tram from the ore hopper above the incline tramway (AJHR 1896 C3: 111). Plate XI shows seepage from No. 2 Level running into the stream, that is already contaminated from No. 1 Level. Further up the gully two collapsed adits and one open adit were probably the entrance to Level No. 1. One adit, on the south side of the stream, was open, with orange stained water running from it. A set of small trolley wheels (2 feet gauge) sitting outside the adit entrance had the maker’s name “Shacklock” cast into them. The entrances to Level No. 1A were not relocated. No orange runoff was present in the stream above Level 1, suggesting that Level 1A is dry (Level 1B is dry, see below). The uppermost part of the mine, at 250 metres asl, was Level No. 1B. This adit was reached by following a very narrow track into a gully, and was still open and dry (Plate XIII). A small tram trolley (2 feet gauge) was lent against the wall of the adit entrance. The adit was 7 feet high and 6 feet wide just in from the entrance, and some timbering was still evident (although very decayed). 5 This is almost certainly the adit shown in Plate 89 in Begg & Begg (1973). 25 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Plate XI Discoloured water draining from the Morning Star Mine draining into the local streams. Plate XII The entrance to Level No. 4 of the Morning Star Mine. 26 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Plate XIII Inside the entrance to Level No. 1B of the Morning Star Mine. Summary of Morning Star Mine The Morning Star proved to be the most difficult to interpret of the three mines examined in this report, partly because it covered a large area of steep bush-clad ground, and partly because much of the machinery had been removed and the site partially sluiced. Some published accounts were also misleading in places. The mine appears to have evolved over its period of operation into a reasonably complex operation, with six levels of workings, a battery, two tramways and an aerial cableway, to say nothing of various tracks, ore shoots, pipelines an other infrastructure. Of the main mine workings, entrances to Levels 1, 1B, 2, 3 and 4 were found, but Level 1A was not located. However, the identification of these is tentative, and based on barometric readings of altitude that will have some error. Levels 1B, 2 and 4 all had open entrances, but all workings below and including Level No. 1 were draining contaminated water into the local streams. Little remains of the battery, apart from some concrete foundations, the camshaft, the steam boiler, and some scattered metal items. A ground sluicing gully has been cut through the site, possibly in the hope of working ground that might contain fine gold spilt from the battery. It is likely that many archæological features are hidden beneath the forest litter. The various tramways and cableways that linked parts of the mine system were also recorded. Part of the tramway between the wharf and the battery was found, and it agreed with contemporary surveys. The self-acting incline tramway from the Level No. 2 workings down to the battery was followed, its top winding drum still being in situ at the top platform. The long aerial cableway that ran from the wharf to the top mine levels was followed in part, but it was the least substantial of the transport structures as it generally only consisted of timber 27 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining piers and a steel rope. Several pier locations were found, and the rope was still lying on the ground for a distance of some 120 metres. In general, the archæological features agreed with the contemporary descriptions, but the period of ground sluicing at the end of the life of the mine had destroyed much evidence, particularly around the battery site. The close proximity of the mine and battery to the wharf also meant that most machinery was removed after closure, unlike the nearby Golden Site and Alpha mines (discussed below), which retain most of their heavy equipment. 28 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Golden Site Mine & Battery The Golden Site Mine and battery are located on the true right bank of the Wilson River, at the end of the Wilson River Tramway. They are recorded on the New Zealand Archæological Association’s site record file as: Golden Site Battery NZAA No. B46/88 (S173/39) Wilson River Tramway NZAA No. B46/41 (S166/5) The Golden Site claim is shown as Section 1, Block IX, in Figure 4. History of the Golden Site Mine The gold bearing reef crossing the bed of Wilson River was discovered in 1892 when James Smith, one of a party of miners working the river bed for alluvial gold, felled a tree on the north bank of the river, which fell and uprooted a tree on the south bank (AJHR 1893 C3: 88). The lode that was exposed was between 8ft. and 10ft. wide, and was traced from the north to the south bank of the river, and showed signs of being very rich. A hand crushing on site yielded 4dwt. 4gr. of gold from 12lb. of quartz, equivalent to a return of over 36oz. to the ton (AJHR 1893 C3: 88). However, this was a hand-picked sample from a particularly rich shoot of stone. The inspector, H.A. Gordon, cautioned that “it must, however, be borne in mind that the shoots of rich auriferous quartz do not, as a rule, run for a long distance” (AJHR 1893: 88). Nevertheless, the expected richness of the find generated considerable interest among prospectors. Miners deserted nearby Coal Island for the new find, but prospectors from further afield were warned off due to the extremely difficult access. The Government sent Constable Green from Invercargill to Preservation to report on the situation there. He reported that the miners were cagey about revealing details of the quantities of gold recovered, and also noted the lack of accommodation and supplies for travellers in the area (Watt 1971: 3334). Initial excitement at the find soon died down, and little was done to exploit it, due mainly to the difficulties of access for miners and equipment. The prospectors sold a fourth part in their claim to purchase equipment, and the Golden Site Mining Company took over what had become known as the Prospector’s Claim. James Smith, who had made the initial discovery, became one of the directors of the company. The Government agreed to construct a tramway from Kisbee Bay (the site of the township of Cromarty) to Wilson River, although planning and surveying were slow due to deliberations over expenditure on yet another new goldfield, and whether the potential yields of the new field justified the capital outlay. It was April 1893 before Seddon authorised the construction of the tramway, and work began in June of that year. Construction was slow, which hindered work on the reefs. Problems included unfavourable weather, isolation and the rough country, and the workers hired for the job were paid according to amount of work done, which meant that they made poor wages due to the high frequency of unworkable days. There was a great deal of dissatisfaction amongst the workforce about the living and working conditions and the shortage of supplies (Bradley & Egerton 1994). The battery and mining equipment were finally transported to the mine site before the tramway was completed, the heavy goods being dragged by sled over the uncompleted length of formation. The battery was started in August 1864, and was described in the 1895 Mines Report (AJHR 1895 C3: 92): “Since my last visit to this district the Golden Site Company have erected a crushing-battery of ten heads of stamps, which is driven by a Pelton water-wheel 6ft. in diameter, and also light pumping and winding-gear, which is worked by 29 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining another Pelton water-wheel 5ft. in diameter. A water-race is constructed round the sideling for 45 chains to the river, and at the battery it gives a head of 53ft. The battery is erected close alongside the river, about 20 ft. above the level of the water, and the tailings, on leaving the blanket-tables, are discharged into the river. There is no provision for stacking the tailings, nor could any be made other than by lifting them and stacking them in a paddock cut out of the rock on the side of the steep range. The gold is recovered in the ordinary way, by quicksilvered copper-plates and blanket tables. The stamps are about 700lb. each when new, and are said to crush about 90 tons a week. At the time of my visit the company were erecting two berdans to treat the concentrates from the blanket tables. These concentrates have to be lifted about 10ft. into the berdans. The crushing-battery started working on the 14th of August last, and up to the middle of October 640 tons of quartz was crushed, which yielded 666oz. of gold, being an average of 1oz. 19gr. of gold per ton. The total cost of the crushing-battery and building was stated to me as £758, which is extremely little considering the place where it is erected, and the difficulties which had to be encountered in transit of the machinery from Kisbee Bay to the site.” The same report stated that up to that date, all of the stone that had been crushed had come from workings on the south side of Wilson River, but that ground on the northern side was being opened up with the sinking of an inclined shaft. This was expected to be rich, as it was the area where the first discoveries were made, but it proved to be disappointing. 1895 proved to be the mine’s most profitable year, with 1,155 tons of crushed stone yielding 875oz. of gold. By 1896 reports were less than encouraging, with the river having flooded the workings (AJHR 1896 C3: 111). Plate XIV The Golden Site Mine in the late 1890s. The battery house is to the bottom left, and the shaft-head structure of the new main shaft is to the top right. The pipeline visible in the top right corner ran down to the Pelton wheel that drove the winch, while the pipe on the left of the view supplied the battery Pelton wheel (Hall-Jones 1982). 30 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Nevertheless, by 1897 a new company, the Golden Site Extended Company, had been formed (Hall-Jones 1982: 13), and development work undertaken, with driving and the sinking of a new shaft being carried out. By 1899 the new main shaft was 210 feet deep, with two levels opened up (AJHR 1899 C3: 100). A plan of the mine at this date shows the old and new workings, the battery house, and the layout and depth of the workings below the river bed (Figure 11). However, by the following year the deep work was suspended with the exception of keeping the pumps going, and mining was confined to surface drives (AJHR 1900 C3: 30). Poor returns continued, and in April 1901 all underground work was suspended, and a short time later the pumps were shut down and the workings flooded. The battery was sold, and the tramway from Cromarty was described as being “in a state of disrepair, being overgrown with scrub, and the wooden rails are rotting away” (AJHR 1903 C3: 114). In1904 a caretaker was reported as being at the mine (AJHR 1904 C3: 69), and by 1907 the mine had a new owner, Mrs. Webster of Invercargill, who intended reopening it (Watt 1971: 75), but nothing appears to have come of this. 31 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Figure 11 The Golden Site Mine in 1898 (Archives New Zealand, Dunedin Regional Office, CAMP/D106/47e). 32 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Archæological Evidence of the Golden Site Mine & Battery The Golden Site Mine and battery are found by following the old tramway formation from Kisbee Bay, and then descending into the Wilson River gorge along the old sled track (a steep and at times slippery descent). The mine and battery are on the true right bank of the river, the battery downstream of the main shaft. Only part of the extended mine complex was surveyed in 2004; concentrating on the battery, main shaft and winding gear and the intermediate area. A contemporary photograph of the mine (Plate XIV) shows the headframe over the shaft, the winch in a small shed, and the terrace on the hillside formed by tipped mullock. Although now overgrown and subject to some decay and erosion, the site has generally changed little, and individual features are easily identifiable. The 1898 plan of the mine complex has allowed a detailed interpretation of many of these features. Figure 12 shows the overall site, Figure 13 is a detail of the battery site, and Figure 14 shows the stamp mill. Figure 12 Archaeological survey of the Golden Site Mine complex, 2004. 33 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining The Golden Site Mine The main feature of the mine that was recorded in 2004 (apart from the battery, which is discussed below) was the site of the new main shaft site and associated infrastructure that was constructed by the Golden Site Extended Company in the late 1890s. A large hollow (10 metres across) in the side of the gorge marked the site of the collapsed shaft. On the north side of the shaft is a small flat that appears to have been the site of a workshop or smithy, judging by the scatter of ironwork, slag, and equipment. On the south side of the shaft is a long terrace that was probably the main surface activity area during the life of the mine. Two ore buckets are still sitting on the edge of this flat. Twenty metres south of the shaft site, on the side of the terrace, is the collapsed entrance to the No. 1 Level of the new (1898) workings (‘C’ in Figure 12). Fifteen metres south of this there is a small hollow (‘B in Figure 12) which is probably the trial shaft shown in the 1898 mine plan, and beside this there is a large slump in the hillside (‘A’ in Figure 12) that was almost certainly caused by the collapse of the mouth of the old (1894) shaft and the contemporary drives. Running along the hillside above all of these features is the bench that carried the pipeline for the battery water supply. To the west of the new main shaft is the water race that fed into this pipeline, with a branch off that fed the Pelton wheel that drove the main winch (see discussion below). Below the site of the new main shaft is the main winch for the mine (Plate XV), still largely intact and in situ (although its timber mountings have collapsed, causing it to tip over backwards). The winch was a single drum unit, driven by a Pelton wheel. This wheel is 50 inches (1.27m) in diameter, and bears the legend “…NZ A & G PRICE THAMES No 150 1894…” The gearing between the Pelton wheel shaft and the winch drum shaft has been stripped, and the equipment partially dismantled. The main cast iron winch frame is very similar to that of the Alpha Mine winch (see Plate XXVII and discussion below), and the two were almost certainly from the same manufacturer. Plate XV The Golden Site Mine winch for the new main shaft. 34 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining According to the 1895 and 1899 descriptions of the mine, the pumps for the underground workings were driven by the same Pelton wheel that drove the winch. The partially dismantled state of the machinery, and the collapse of the shaft head structures, has made this aspect of the plant more difficult to interpret. A drive shaft from the winch that was driven from the end of the main drive shaft is lying three quarters buried beside the machinery, and there are a number of partially buried iron rods lying about which may have formed part of the transmission mechanism between the winch and any pumps mounted in the mine workings. The Golden Site Battery The Golden Site Battery is still standing on a platform cut out of the hillside on the bank of the river (Figure 12 and Plate XVI). Heavy boulders deliberately placed on the outside of the curve of the river to protect the battery site from flood erosion appear to have done their work well, and have resisted 100 years of floods. The battery house terrace measures 10 metres by 12 metres, and is cut into the solid rock wall of the gorge. The 1898 mine plan (Figure 11) shows that there was also a store building and a hut located on the south side of the battery house. Plate XVI The Golden Site Battery beside the Wilson River. The ten-stamp mill is still in place (Plate XVII), with all the larger items of machinery present. The battery is timber framed, and despite severe decay in some members is still relatively intact. The same cannot be said of the berdans, which are still on site, but the timber supporting frame for which has collapsed (Plate XVIII). The site is kept clear of vegetation by the Department of Conservation, but it is unavoidably damp and shady in the deep gorge. 35 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Plate XVII The stamp mill at the Golden Site Battery. The stamp mill is mounted in a timber A-frame structure, standing 11 feet (3.35m) high above the main horizontal bearers (Figure 14). The camshaft has an iron hub for the drive wheel on one end (this took power from the Pelton wheel via a canvas drive belt). This hub is 31 inches (0.79m) in diameter, but the remainder of the timber wheel has decayed away. Gouges on the battery frame suggest that it was 76 inches (1.93m) in diameter. On the other end of the camshaft is a 42 inch (1.07m) diameter cast iron drive wheel that took power to the berdans. The cams of the camshaft were ordered so that both sets of stamps (five to a mortar box) were dropped in the order 5-3-1-4-2. The ore feeding equipment and all smaller ancillary items of plant are missing. The 1899 Mines Department report stated that the stamps weighed 6wct. each, with a drop of 7.5 inches, at 86 drops per minute (AJHR 1899 C3: 100). The Pelton wheel is in a pit behind and to one side of the stampers, with the iron penstock (water supply pipe) still in place (although slipped down) (Plate XIX). The partially buried Pelton wheel is 6 feet (1.83m) in diameter (measured across the rim), and is marked “…G. PRICE THAMES No 149 PELTONS PAT…” The 1895 description of the battery quoted above described a 6ft. (1.83m) diameter Pelton wheel as being the main drive for the battery (the 1899 report simply stated that it was a 20 horse-power wheel). A large fabricated Pelton wheel was also at the site, lying beside the river, but was removed in the 1980s and is now on display at the Te Anau Visitor Centre Museum (Bradley & Egerton 1994b). The berdans, as mentioned above, are still on site but in a collapsed state (Plate XVIII). The timber framing is badly decayed, and the collapse of the structure has fractured the cast iron of one berdan. Nevertheless, the equipment is intact enough to allow some description. The two berdans (both 47 inch (1.19m) diameter) were driven from a single main shaft, which in turn was driven by a belt taken from the stamper camshaft. The spur gear for one berdan was equipped with a pin clutch, so it could be disengaged allowing just one berdan to be driven if required. 36 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Plate XVIII The berdans at the Golden Site Battery. Figure 13 The Golden Site Battery site in 2004. 37 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Figure 14 The Golden Site Battery stamp mill, from measurements taken in 2004. Plate XIX The Pelton wheel and penstock at the Golden Site Battery. Summary of the Golden Site Mine The Golden Site Mine was not surveyed in full, a track to the south not being followed, but the main features of the mine were covered. The existence of an 1898 plan of the mine has allowed accurate interpretation of all of these main features, including the location of both main shafts and several drives. The realatively intact and complete battery and winding gear add considerably to the interpretative value of the mine, while its remote nature has ensured its survival relatively unmolested. The greatest threats to the site are river erosion, hillside slumps and decay due to the damp environment. The battery almost certainly has a limited life as a standing structure (although it may still be a long one), as it is situated in a very damp and shady position. 38 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining The Wilson River (Golden Site Mine) Tramway The Wilson River Tramway runs from Kisbee Bay (close to the site of Cromaty) to the top of the ridge above the Golden Site Mine (see Figures 2, 3 and 4). Although built for the gold mine, it was later used to haul logs to McIntyres sawmill at Kisbee Bay. As contemporary accounts attest (see Bradley & Egerton (1995) for a detailed history), it was very difficult to build due to a number of factors, including the bad weather and need to construct formation through ground that was full of timber and roots. The tramway is presently kept clear by the Department of Conservation to allow access to the Golden Site Mine and the Wilson River Pack Track walking route. At its lower (Kisbee Bay) end, the tramway passes though a number of rock cuttings, but for most of its length it runs in shallow cuttings, along benches cut into the hillside, or across reasonably flat ground. It was built with timber rails (Plate XX), with iron being used on the outside of some corners. The rails and sleepers are generally still in place, although most of the timber rails are badly decayed. Many are only represented by lines of moss growing where they once existed. A set of trolley wheels sitting in a shallow cutting (Plate XXI) confirm that the tramway was of nominal 32 inch gauge; the wide rims being of the type used on timber railed tramways. The point at which the Alpha Mine corduroy track met the tramway can still be found (at the time of the survey it was marked by a stick and flagging tape). The logs laid to form the corduroy are still visible at this point, but the track is largely overgrown. It was followed for only about 30 metres. The track marked on Figure 2 is based on old plans (see Figure 3). The tramway ends on the ridgeline above the Golden Site Mine. According to Begg & Begg (1973: 235) a shed was still standing there in the early 1970s, and they also observed several levelled hut sites. The shed has now collapsed, and consists of a pile of corrugated iron and timbers (D. Falconer, pers. comm.). The line of the tramway was recorded using a hand-held GPS receiver. The results indicated that the line of the tramway shown on the 1903 survey plan of Preservation District (see Figure 3) was generally correct, and probably based on the original survey of the line. The tramway line shown on the earlier 1901 topographical map of Preservation (see the Frontispiece) is not accurate, and was probably sketched, and the track shown on the modern NZMS 260 B46 Puysegur is also inaccurate. 39 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Plate XX The Wilson River (Golden Site) tramway. Plate XXI Trolley wheels on the Wilson River tramway. 40 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Alpha Mine & Battery The Alpha Mine and battery are located on the true left bank of Sealer’s No. 1 Creek, and are recorded on the New Zealand Archæological Association’s site record scheme as: Alpha Mine NZAA No. B46/42 (S173/8) The site is reached by climbing up from Te Oneroa to the top of the escarpment behind Long Beach, and then following the old Alpha corduroy track. This route is marked, although it can be hard to follow in places. The Alpha claim is shown as Section 1, Block I, in Figure 4. History of the Alpha Mine The Alpha lode was discovered in 1895 when outcrops of quartz were exposed by alluvial gold workings in Longley’s Claim in Sealer’s Creek. In April of that year a drive was put in to intersect the main lode (AJHR 1896 C3: 109). The Alpha Gold Mining Company was formed to work the Alpha and Dawn claims, the 12,000 shares being fully subscribed within a few days (Watt 1971: 54). Mining and battery equipment was transported to the mine site along a corduroy track that was constructed from the Wilson River (Golden Site Mine) tramway. This track was completed in January1898. Mining commenced prior to the erection of the battery, a 10ft. by 4ft. main shaft being sunk in 1898 (AJHR 1898 C3: 106). It took five weeks for contractors to haul the stamper box, weighing 25cwt., from the Wilson River tramway two miles to the Alpha Mine, due to the soft boggy ground (Watt 1971: 59). The battery plant was briefly described in 1900: A ten-head battery has been erected; weight of each stamp, 420lb. There are also two berdans. All the plant, winding machinery included, is driven by water-power, two Pelton wheels being used” (AJHR 1900 C3: 29). By 1899 the Alpha Mine was meeting expenses, although dry weather and a water shortage had almost stopped work early in the year (Watt 1971: 64). A dam for water storage was constructed in an attempt to ensure a reliable water supply, but it does not appear to have been entirely successful (Watt 1971: 65, 66). During 1900 the mine did well, producing 264oz from 1,364 tons of stone in nine months, but at the beginning of 1901 the mine was shut down until August (Watt 1971: 68). A good description of the mine and battery towards the end of its life was published in the annual Mines Department Report in 1903: “The shaft is 141ft. in depth, 10ft. by 4ft., divided into three compartments, the first being furnished with a cage for winding trucks of stone, the second for winding water, and the third as a ladder way” (AJHR 1903 C3: 113). “ The mine makes very little water, which is easily kept under by a barrel. “Winding plant: Drum, 3ft. diameter; geared; reversing by fast and loose pulleys; belt-driven; winding-ropes, 2.5in. galvanised-steel wire; Pelton wheel, 5ft. 6in. diameter; pipe column, 600ft. in length; pipes reduced from 13in. to 11in. to 9in.; pressure, 200 ft. vertical head.” “Battery: Ten-head stamps, each 600lb., driven by Pelton wheel similar to winding-power; tables, copper plates 6ft. in length by 11ft. in width; blanket-strakes, 9ft. in length; 41 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining blanketings passed through two berdans driven from intermediate shaft” (AJHR 1903 C3: 114). The same report commented that “sinking and underground operations have proved most disappointing,” and that the mine had been let on tribute (AJHR 1903: 114). The mine finally close in 1907 (Watt 1971). The claim was taken over in 1908 by Louis Longuet for ground sluicing (Hall-Jones 1982: 31). Archæological Evidence of the Alpha Mine & Battery The Alpha Mine and battery is remote, and for many years was extremely hard to find (see Hall-Jones 1982: 29). This situation is now much better, and a marked track can be followed from the top of the escarpment above Te Oneroa to the site (the climb up from Te Oneroa is unmarked, but follows the steep ridge up from Level 1B of the Morning Star Mine, see Figure 8). The Alpha Mine is located on the true left bank of Sealer’s No. 1 Creek, a short distance beyond the end of the corduroy track that was laid in 1897/98 from the Wilson River (Golden Site Mine) tramway. In some places the corduroy is still visible underfoot. The remoteness of the mine prevented the removal of equipment once it closed, and this together with the use of a cast-iron framed battery, has meant that this is the most intact and best preserved of the Preservation mining sites. It is also quite compact (Figure 15), with the main shaft and the battery being in such close proximity that the winding gear for the underground workings is mounted beside the stampers. Figure 15 is a general site plan, and Figure 16 is a diagram showing how the battery equipment operated. 42 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Figure 15 Archaeological Survey of the Alpha Mine complex, 2004. The Alpha Mine As described above, contemporary accounts stated that the Alpha shaft was “141ft. in depth, 10ft. by 4ft., divided into three compartments, the first being furnished with a cage for winding trucks of stone, the second for winding water, and the third as a ladder way” (AJHR 1903 C3: 113). The shaft today has collapsed, and appears as a 5.5m. by 3m. rectangular hole, about 3 metres deep, 30 metres north of the battery. Two cable guide wheels from the headframe are sitting beside the shaft mouth (Plate XXII. Of the headframe structure itself 43 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining there is nothing left, but the bolts in the bearing blocks of the guide wheels indicate that they were attached to 7 inch (180mm) timbers. As the winch at the battery site has no cable on it, and there is no sign of any cages or ore buckets at the site, it is probably safe to assume that once mining ceased the cables were released and now lie, together with the associated equipment, at the bottom of the (now collapsed) shaft some 140 feet below ground. Plate XXII Guide wheel from the shaft head structure at the Alpha Mine. The Alpha Battery site The Alpha battery is a remarkably complete industrial site, made more interesting by the inclusion of the main winding equipment for the mine. The battery house site measures 15 metres by 15 metres at its maximum extent, although nothing of the battery house now remains apart from a few sheets of corrugated iron. The stamper itself is an iron framed mill, and so is still in good condition (Plate XXIII). The main kingposts for the battery stand 9 feet 7.5 inches (2.93m) high, and are mounted on heavy timber horizontal members. The ten stamps (two sets of five) are all in place, as are the gold saving tables (the left one is more complete) and the water pipes for supplying the mortar boxes and tables. No maker’s mark was found on the battery. The battery was driven by a Pelton wheel via canvas belting and an intermediate layshaft. This layshaft was mounted on a timber structure in the middle of the site, and also provided power to the berdans. The timber framing has now collapsed, but the shaft is still lying approximately in situ (Plate XXIV). It has three pulley wheels mounted on it; one for the belt from the Pelton wheel, one for the battery, and one for the berdans. The berdan framework has also collapsed, but the two berdans remain in place (Plate XXV). Both are embossed with their maker’s name, “A & G PRICE THAMES NZ,” and both are 53.25 inches 1.35m) in diameter and 16 inches (0.41m) deep. They were driven from a single 44 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining shaft via angled spur gears, and either could be disengaged; one by a dog clutch and one by a pin clutch. This means that either one or both could be in use at one time. Plate XXIII The Alpha Battery stamp mill. There were a pair of Pelton wheels mounted beside each other; one for the battery equipment and one for the winding equipment. The timber framing for the wheels has disintegrated, but iron rods show where it stood. One Pelton wheel is intact and complete (Plate XXVI), but the other has been dismantled, with the cups and drive pulley removed and the shaft peened over to prevent remounting. This is possible evidence of deliberate decommissioning of the battery 6 equipment. Water for the two Pelton wheels was supplied by a single pipeline, with a cast iron double nozzle at the wheels (see Figure 16). The gate valve on one nozzle was manufactured by “A&T BURT LIMITED MAKERS DUNEDIN.” The supply pipeline was only traced for a short distance from the battery, but the contemporary accounts suggest that it was supplied by a reservoir constructed some distance away. The winch (Plate XXVII) is situated beside the battery, in line with the mine shaft. A surviving cable guide was located between the two, although as discussed above the cables were probably released down the shaft when the mine closed. The winch is largely constructed of cast iron, and is generally good condition. The main end frames are very similar to those of the Golden Site Mine winch, suggesting a common origin.7 The main bracing rods on the winch have been cut through and partially removed, this again being possible evidence for the deliberate decommissioning of the mining plant. It had a single main winding drum, split into two halves. As the contemporary accounts state that water was wound in a barrel in one shaft compartment, and ore was wound up in a second compartment, it seems likely that the winch was set up with counter-wound cables, so that when water was being raised the ore bucket was being lowered, and vice versa. The winch was equipped with a free-wheeling pulley beside the drive pulley, so that the drive belt from the Pelton wheel could be slipped sideways to disengage power without having to wait for the Pelton wheel to be spun down. The levers with forked ends to guide the drive belting are still present, although now simply sitting loose as their timber mounts have decayed away. Also on the battery site is the mine safe. Its door is open, and its sheet iron sides are becoming badly corroded. 6 It is probable that the battery equipment was rendered inoperable when the mine was closed and company dissolved, to prevent anyone else simply recommissioning the plant and reopening the mine. 7 Compare Plates XV and XXVII. 45 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining The wider area was not surveyed in detail, emphasis instead being on the Alpha mine plant. An area of possible ground sluicing was located on the west side of the battery site, and scattered alluvial workings were located to the north of the site. Hut sites mentioned in the Site Record Form were also not relocated. The Alpha Battery is the only iron-framed battery to remain in Southland, although similar batteries still exist in Otago and Westland. Anderson’s Battery at Macetown in Otago and the Golden Lead Battery near Reefton exhibit many similarities to the Alpha Battery, and both were driven by Pelton wheels. However, all three batteries differ in details, and cast maker’s marks indicate that Anderson’s Battery was manufactured by R.S. Sparrow & Co. in Dunedin, and the Golden Lead Battery by A.&G. Price in Thames.8 All three batteries exhibit a typical (and similar) Victorian enthusiasm for ornate cast iron, and these very distinct similarities suggest a common ultimate origin for all three designs. Plate XXIV The Alpha Battery layshaft. 8 Both batteries have been visited and photographed by the author. 46 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Plate XXV The Alpha Battery berdans. Plate XXVI The Alpha Mine winding gear Pelton wheel. 47 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Plate XXVII The Alpha Mine winch, located at the battery site. Operation of the Alpha Battery The Alpha Battery is sufficiently complete to allow some examination of the actual operation of the battery. All of the major components are present; the Pelton wheels, the intermediate gearing, and the powered machinery. Figure 16 shows how these components were linked. Power transmission was by canvas belting between large pulleys, and by measuring the relative diameters of these pulleys the drive ratios of the machinery can be determined, As a starting point, and as a way of examining how the battery was being run compared to accepted contemporary practice, there are a number of published “ideal” rates of operation for various components. Gordon (1906) is the best single source of this information. According to him, a stamper battery with a 9 inch drop the estimated drop of the Alpha battery) would run at 91.5 drops per stamp per minute, while berdans were generally driven at between 24 and 28 revolutions per minute (Gordon 1906: 384, 415). A set of tables dated 1918 held in the Hocken Library (AG26v1138) giving theoretical Pelton wheel speeds and outputs was used to assess Pelton wheel speeds. A 5 feet 6 inch diameter wheel with 200 feet head of water available (as quoted in 1903) should spin at approximately 198 RPM. 48 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Figure 16 Operation of the Alpha Battery, based on observations made in 2004. Note that the left and right side of the complex are shown further apart in this plan than in reality for clarity. The following measurements were made of the Alpha battery equipment: Pelton wheel drive pulley: Layshaft driven pulley: Layshaft-battery pulley: Layshaft-berdan pulley: Berdan drive shaft pulley: Battery camshaft pulley: Berdan gear ratios: Pelton wheel: 3569mm circumference 3820mm circumference 2042mm circumference 1835mm circumference 3371mm circumference 4738mm circumference 1:0.32, 1:0.36 5’6” diameter (imperial measurement used for reference to contemporary performance tables) With these figures, the gear ratios between the main items of plant can be worked out, and therefore the relative operating speeds. Using the contemporary operating figures quoted above, two sets of figures were worked out; one assuming an “ideal” operating speed of the battery (91.5 drops per stamp per minute, A in Table 1), and one for an ‘ideal” operation of the Pelton wheel (198 RPM, B in Table 1). Table 1 shows the results. 49 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Table 1: Theoretical equipment speeds Item Stamper camshaft Layshaft Berdan drive shaft Berdan 1 Berdan 2 Pelton wheel Revolutions A 45.75 (91.5 drops/minute) 106.15 57.78 18.5 20.8 113.62 Revolutions B 79.73 (159.5 drops/minute) 184.99 100.699 32.22 36.25 198 The drop rate of a stamper battery was relatively tightly confined, as each stamp had to fall fully before being picked up again, otherwise it would not crush ore effectively, and the tappet would land on the back of the approaching cam. Therefore, it is unlikely that the battery could have been driven at much more than the first set of figures (A in Table 1). At this speed the berdans would have been revolving at slightly slower speeds than recommended by Gordon (18.5 and 20.8 RPM as opposed to the ideal of 24 to 28 RPM), but probably well within acceptable limits. The Pelton wheel, however, would have been running considerably slower than expected. It is accepted that only one set of tables is used here, and others may vary, and it is likely that the 200 feet of head claimed in 1903 might be optimistic (the mine always had a water supply problem). But the most likely explanation is that as two Pelton wheels were in use at the site (one for the battery and one for the winch), the operation was designed so that both could operate at once. This would halve the theoretical amount of water available to the battery wheel, and make the A figures in Table 1 approach more closely an “ideal” operation for the equipment. A 5 feet 6 inch diameter Pelton wheel operating with only 100 feet head of water would theoretically spin at 139.5 RPM; the calculated figure of 113.62 RPM in Table 1 being 81% of this. If both berdans were being driven as well as the battery, the wheel would have been operating under considerable load, and may have been deliberately geared to run at a slightly slow speed. It therefore seems likely that the battery was designed to operate simultaneously with the winding and pumping plant, and at close to the contemporary recommended speeds. All of the equipment and intermediate gearing was carefully chosen to achieve this efficient operation. 50 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Summary & Conclusions This survey examined in detail the Morning Star Mine, the Alpha Mine and battery, and the Golden Site Mine and battery. Coincidentally it has also recorded some details of the associated sites of Te Oneroa and the Wilson River Tramway. The Morning Star Mine was the most successful of the Preservation Inlet goldmines, and it is also the most accessible being located directly behind Long Beach. This has also meant that most of the mining equipment has been removed from the site, but many elements of the mine complex do survive. The battery site still contains the steam boiler and battery camshaft, but some of the site has been sluiced away. Many of the original mine entrances can still be located, three of which are still open. Several collapsed adits can be found by the seepage of orange stained water. Parts of the formation of the tramway between the battery and wharf can be followed, while the formation of the self-acting incline tramway to some of the upper mine levels is in good condition. The main winding drum is still sitting on the top terrace, although a smaller drum has been rolled down the incline within the past 30 years. Finally, part of the aerial cableway that led to the top mine level can still be followed, with the (now very rusty) steel cable still lying on the ground. The Golden Site Mine is a much more remote site, which required the construction of the Wilson River Tramway to enable heavy equipment to be transported there. This isolation has meant that much of this heavy equipment was left on site when the mine closed, including the stamper battery, Pelton wheel, berdans and the winching gear for the shaft. No open workings were found, but the collapsed entrances to the two shafts and several drives were located, and match closely the details shown on an 1898 mine plan. The Alpha Mine is similarly remote, so much so that its location was uncertain for many years. It is the most compact and complete of the three gold mines studied in this report, as it contains almost all of its original plant, and the shaft and battery are within 30 metres of each other. The battery site is remarkably intact, although the battery house has long since disappeared. The ten stamp battery is iron-framed, so is still standing (although the timber baulks below the battery are decaying). Also on site are the two Pelton wheels that drove the machinery, two berdans, the mine winding gear, and the mine safe. This degree of integrity enables the site to be interpreted as a compete system, in which all the component parts were designed to operate together. Examination of the surviving machinery indicates that the battery plant was carefully designed to run efficiently, according to contemporary accepted practice. The tracks that connected these mine sites were constructed through challenging terrain and in sometimes appalling weather conditions. The Wilson River Tramway was constructed to provide access to the Golden Site Mine, and later continued in service as a logging tramway. It is now used (albeit infrequently) as a walking track. The Alpha track was a corduroy sledge track that branched off the tramway, and along which all the Alpha mining equipment was dragged. It is sobering to look at the heavy iron equipment at either mine site and imagine attempting to drag it along several miles of rough tracks in the Fiordland bush. The two townships that stood on the shore of Preservation Inlet have left less immediately obvious remains. Te Oneroa existed largely because of the Morning Star Mine, while Cromarty was originally surveyed as a fishing town in the 1860s, but only came into being with the interest in goldmining in the 1890s, and was then sustained by sawmilling for most of its life. Both towns were formally surveyed, but existed in an informal manner almost within the forest. Contemporary photographs show Te Oneroa as a collection of buildings scattered through an area of half-cleared bush. Today, both town sites contain scatters of artefactual material (broken bottles and ceramics, bricks, galvanised iron), but little 51 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining immediately visible by way of formal structures. All of the buildings were or timber and iron, and the Fiordland climate is kind to neither of these materials. The most obvious feature of either site is the enormous rhododendron at Cromarty that was originally planted beside the hotel. Also of a lasting nature, several freehold sections at Cromarty are still in private hands, and the modern Kisbee Lodge stands on one of these. At Te Oneroa the only building is now an A-frame hut that is administered by the Department of Conservation. This was built in the 1960s to store supplies dropped off by floatplane for the Puysegur Point lighthouse. The road that connected Te Oneroa and Cromarty was followed in part during this survey, but had not been in use for many years and was very overgrown. It has since been cleared by the Department of Conservation in order to preserve its location and route. Overall, the three Preservation goldmines covered in this report are good examples of late nineteenth century hard rock gold mines, remarkable for their existence in a less than accommodating environment (both geographically and environmentally). The Golden Site and Alpha Mines are also remarkably complete, with much of their equipment still on site. Many similar sites in more accessible areas (such as Central Otago) have had much equipment removed for scrap or reuse over the years. Both retain both crushing and winding equipment with associated power sources (Pelton wheels in all cases), along with good archæological evidence of the mining operation. The Alpha battery is a particularly good example of its type, as the battery and winding plant occupy the same site,9 and the equipment is intact enough to allow detailed interpretation of its operation. As a group of sites, together with their associated infrastructure (roads, tracks and tramways) and associated township sites (Te Oneroa, Cromarty), these three mine sites form part of an important historic/archæological landscape that exists as a separate layer within the natural environment of the Fiordland National Park. Hopefully this will continue to provide absolute protection from inappropriate development or damage to the sites for the foreseeable future. The most pressing (and ongoing) threat is from fossicking, which is likely to continue and possibly get worse as visitor numbers increase to the area. 9 This is the only site that I am aware of that is both relatively complete and combined both operations within the same building. 52 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Recommendations for Future Management Survey work Some further survey work could be carried out to improve the knowledge and interpretation of the history and archæology of this area: • The full length of the Te Oneroa-Cromarty road can be recorded using GPS now that it has been cleared of vegetation. • The full length of the Alpha corduroy track could by recorded using GPS. This may involve some searching to find the old formation in places. • More detail of the workings could be recorded at the Golden Site mine, particularly downstream of the battery. Also, the water race supplying the battery could be followed to its pick-up point. • More detail of the workings at the Alpha mine could be recorded. There are known to be hut sites in the vicinity that were not recorded in 2004, nor was the full length of the main supply pipeline or the reservoir, nor areas of later ground-sluicing adjacent to the battery. • It is known from contemporary reports that other companies carried out some mining, especially near the Morning Star and Alpha mines. No evidence of these operations was recorded in 2004, but may be present. • The townships of Te Oneroa and Cromarty and associated sites such as the sawmill at Kisbee bay and Powell’s farmstead have not been recorded in detail. 53 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Site Management Recommendations The three mine sites covered in this report are all remote and are unlikely to receive large numbers of visitors. Therefore, while some damage to fossicking may occur, the greatest ongoing threat is from natural decay in the wet environment. For the remaining standing batteries (Golden Site and Alpha), when discussing the structural integrity of the battery timbers it must be remembered that the batteries were originally designed to withstand the dynamic stresses of an operating battery, whereas now they only have to withstand far lighter static loads. The main issue is visitor safety, as many photographs are taken with people standing on the structures. Collapse could also damage surviving fabric (such as ironwork) that has a longer potential life than the timber components. All work undertaken on the batteries should conform to the NZ ICOMOS charter and an approved Conservation Plan. However, it must be remembered that the timber components of the batteries discussed here all have a finite and limited life, no matter how they are managed, while the iron components have a potentially far longer life (effectively limitless in some cases) It is therefore recommended here that site management is undertaken to ensure the long-term preservation of the iron battery components, with the timber members measured and recorded, but ultimately considered as subject to replacement at some stage. Total restoration of any battery structure is not recommended. The air of abandonment and decay is part of the “story” of these sites, and an important visitor experience. Any remedial work that is carried out should therefore preserve this appearance. Alpha Mine & Battery The Alpha Mine has the most intact and complete battery equipment, and has the greatest potential for interpretation and study (for those willing to make the effort to get there). It is also largely of iron construction, so potentially has a very long life, even in the wet environment. The greatest threat to its long-term stability is decay in the timber baulks on which the mortar boxes sit, and in the main timber members that support the kingposts. The eventual collapse of these timbers will topple the main battery structure. Therefore, regular checks should be made of these timber members, and the practicality/effectiveness of applying/injecting timber preservative should be investigated. At some stage it is almost certain that these timbers will require replacement. It is recommended here that the battery is of sufficient historic and scientific value to justify this work, and long-term planning should be undertaken with this in mind. An engineer’s assessment of this structure and the best way of stabilising it should be sought. Iron and steel items at the Alpha battery should be individually assessed on site, and metal preservative (such as Shell Ensis oil) should be applied after appropriate surface preparation. It is likely that many cast-iron items will be found to be in good condition (such as the battery kingposts), while wrought iron and steel items will be more corroded (such as the safe). Vegetation around the battery and shaft sites should continue to be thinned, to aid air circulation, sunshine penetration, and visitor viewing (and safety/visibility around the shaft). The track following the historic sledge track to the Alpha site should continue to be maintained and marked at a basic access level from Te Oneroa. The 1994 conservation plan (Bradley & Egerton 1994c) sets out a remedial work and maintenance plan for the site (section 7.0), and this should continue to be followed. Note that 54 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining the additional timber supports for the mortar box that were recommended in this plan have not been installed (see also comments above re retimbering). The long term preservation and management of the Alpha Battery should take priority in the area, as this is an excellent example of its type, with stamping, grinding and winding equipment all in place. Morning Star Mine The Morning Star Mine has easy visitor access, and is of interest due to its proximity to the site of Te Oneroa, and because of its role in generating mining interest in the Preservation area. However, the mine and battery has only a limited amount of equipment intact, and was partially re-worked by ground sluicing. The largest item on site is the boiler. Other metal items are the camshaft and the two winding drums for the self-acting incline tramway. All of these items should be regularly inspected, and it is recommended that a metal preservative (such as Ensis oil) should be applied after appropriate surface preparation. The boiler should be treated as a priority on the site, as it is probably the most prone to corrosion, and has the greatest visual impact for the visitor. The camshaft is very badly corroded, and this should be inspected to determine whether it is possible to halt or delay this corrosion by suitable treatment. The water draining out of the old workings should be tested to determine its effect on stream water quality and the suitability of the stream water for human consumption. A basic level of track access should be maintained. Visitors should be warned (by on-site notice or other means) not to enter the open workings, and not to drink the water discoloured by mine run-off (subject to tests mentioned above). The 1994 conservation plan (Bradley & Egerton 1994a) sets out recommended maintenance and remedial work. This should continue to be followed, although expert opinion should be sought with regard to the clearing of the open adits. Such work in the mouths of mine workings could be dangerous, and could increase the discharge of contaminants into the local watercourses. Golden Site Mine & Battery The Golden Site Mine and battery are reasonably intact, but there are long-term problems with decay in the timber battery members. The 1994 conservation plan stated that 70% of the battery timbers showed signs of decay, with some beams (particularly those close to the bank) at a stage of total decay (Bradley & Egerton 1994b). It found that that the structure still has the strength to stand for some time, and set out a maintenance plan (section 8.0), which should continue to be followed. In the long term, consideration will have to be given to retimbering the battery structure, and if this is carried out it should be done only after the existing structure is fully measured, and new members should be an exact duplicate of the existing members. The timber frames for the berdans (on the battery site) and the winding gear (below the shaft site) have already collapsed, and are in an advanced state of decay. The metal components should be assessed and treated with metal preservative is they show signs of decay, but otherwise work should be limited to ongoing vegetation thinning. 55 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining Acknowledgements A number of people and organisations assisted with the preparation of this archæological survey. I would like to thank the following: Rachael Egerton of the Department of Conservation. Wayne Pratt of Southern Helicopters, together with the other owners of Kisbee Lodge Donna Falconer, Geology Department, University of Otago Archives New Zealand Anthropology Department, University of Otago Hocken Library The Department of Conservation funded this survey, and provided background information on the sites. 56 Preservation Inlet Gold Mining References Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives. Begg, A.C. & Begg, N.C. (1973) Port Preservation. Whitcoulls Ltd., Christchurch. Bradley, K. & Egerton, R. (1994a) “Te Oneroa, Preservation Inlet, Fiordland National Park. Conservation Plan.” Department of Conservation. Bradley, K. & Egerton, R. (1994b) Golden Site Battery, Preservation Inlet, Fiordland National Park. Conservation Plan.” Department of Conservation. Bradley, K. & Egerton, R. (1994c) “Alpha Battery & Quartz Mine, Preservation Inlet, Fiordland National Park. Conservation Plan.” Department of Conservation. Bradley, K., Egerton, R., MacPherson, J. (1995) “Wilson River Tramway, Preservation Inlet, Fiordland National Park. Conservation Plan.” Department of Conservation. Gordon, H.A. (1906) Mining and Engineering, and Miners’ Guide. Government Printer, Wellington. Hall-Jones, J. (1982) Goldfields of the South. Craig Printing Co. Ltd., Invercargill. Hall-Jones, J. (1990) Fiordland Explored. Craig Printing Co. Ltd., Invercargill. Petchey, P.G. (1999) “Longwoods Archæological Survey. Port’s, Martin’s & Berndston’s Water Races.” Report to the Department of Conservation. Watt, J.O.P. (1971) Preservation Inlet. Times Printing Service, Invercargill. Maps & Plans The Golden Site Mine, Wilson’s River, Preservation Inlet (1898). Archives New Zealand, Dunedin Regional Office. CAMP/D106/47e. Longitudinal Section of Workings, Morning Star Mine, Preservation District. (n.d.) Archives New Zealand, Dunedin Regional Office. AATJ/9170/203-75. Preservation Survey District (1903). Department of Lands & Survey. Hocken Library, V891.864a, 1903. S.O. 3046 (Southland) S.O. 3434 (Southland) Township of Te Oneroa, 1897. Hocken Library, H891.952 1901 bje. Abbreviations AJHR cwt. dwt. lb. oz. Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives Hundredweight Pennyweight Pound (weight) Ounce