PORT ARTHUR CO

LINTON-PIGGOREET ROAD PIGGOREET, GOLDEN PLAINS SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Inventory

Statement of Significance

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  • History

    PORT ARTHUR CO - History

    Contextual History:History of Place:
    Heritage Inventory History of Site:
    PORT ARTHUR Syndicate/ Company., Piggoreet
    1905: gold was obtained in this lode at the shallow levels; this created quite a revival at Piggoreet, six mining plants were erected and about 20 leases were pegged out, but nothing payable persisted and the mines closed.
    11.03.1905: discovered a promising lode on the west side of the Woady Yallock Creek and approximately half a mile north-west of Mr.T.Delahunty's property.
    27.05.1905: water is heavy and operations had to be halted.
    26.08.1905: started erecting plant.
    07.10.1905: formal starting of the plant; the steam winch and poppet heads were obtained from the old Moonambel Extended Co. for £140.
    25.11.1905: lode in the south drive is showing good gold and the company intends to hire the up to date battery at the Piggoreet mine, which is only a short distance away.
    20.01.1906: invited tenders for a 10 head battery.
    03.02.1906: purchased the battery from the Star of the East Co. for £160.
    02.06.1906: prospects improved and battery will be ready next week.
    30.06.1906: first yield from the battery was 127 ozs from 260 tons; an average of 12 dwt per ton; which is less than expected.
    21.07.1906: the directors decided to deepen the shaft instead of paying a dividend; tenders are to be called for the supply a powerful steam winch.
    28.07.1906: 200 tons gave a satisfactory yield of 128 ozs.
    08.09.1906: good average stone.
    15.09.1906: crushed 1209 tons to this time from which obtained a profit of £900.
    20.10.1906: yield for quarter ending 30 September 1906 was 858 ozs.
    27.10.1906: prospects are good and the first dividend of £750 has been paid; will soon erect additional equipment to deepen the shaft.
    08.12.1906: results continue satisfactory; sunk 20 feet below the 100 foot level using a new steam winch.
    19.01.1907: shaft is 15 feet by 5 feet to allow for a plunger chamber, and is down 200 feet; calling tenders for supply of a complete pumping plant with not less than 12 inch plunger workings, a large boiler and engine.
    09.02.1906: excavating foundations for the erection of a large horizontal winding engine with an 18 inch cylinder.
    02.03.1906: new winding engine delivered and will be ready in a month.
    06.04.1907: a total of 4155 tons have been crushed for a yield of 2971 ozs giving an average of 14.5 dwt per ton; total dividend of £3750; new poppet legs will be erected before starting the new winding engine.
    28.09.1907: the output for six months was 1589 ozs 7 dwt from 2123 tons and an additional £1041 from pyrites; dividend of £2250; has a credit of £844 19s 10d, plus £200 from pyrites; the shaft will have to be sunk and the battery extended; £25 per fortnight is being saved for prospecting.
    30.11.1907: influx of water is retarding progress; calling tenders for supplying a complete pumping plant consisting of a 20 inch cylinder engine and 400 foot of 14 inch column with plunger and draw lift.
    03.10.1908: with the Jubilee Phoenix is the only mine operating in the Piggoreet / Derwent Jacks area.
    24.10.1908: operations are to be suspended and the pumps to be drawn because the shareholders are not paying calls, which is unfortunate because the lower levels have not been prospected; there are no companies working in the Piggoreet / Derwent Jacks area.
    09.01.1909: directors are trying to resuscitate the company because the previous were close to a new payable stone.
    16.01.1909: had payable stone at shallow levels but nothing was found at deeper levels.
    03.04.1909: operations recommenced, mine being dewatered.
    17.04.1909: boilers cleaned getting machinery ready to dewater the mine.
    15.05.1909: plunger column being placed in the shaft at the 200 foot level and tanks will be used to dewater the lower levels.
    22.05.1909: delaying in baling because the roads to the mine are too wet.
    19.06.1909: mine dewatered with pumps and tank; company to receive £1000 grant that has to matched by an equal amount, this will allow the company to sink to 500 feet.
    16.10.1909: water lowered 100 foot.
    01.1905 to 12.1909: recorded production of 6347 ozs 18 dwt from 9223 tons (or 197.446 kg from 9381 tonnes).

    Heritage Inventory Description

    PORT ARTHUR CO - Heritage Inventory Description

    A relatively complete quartz reef mining site that retains features from all segments of the mines operation including winder and winding engine foundations, a foundation that was either for a pumping engine or was for a later winding engine, a boiler , iron chimney, part of the boiler setting, the battery foundation, tailings from the battery and a relatively intact mullock heap. /nThe winding and pumping foundations are solid brick./nThe shaft has been filled and there is only a depression where it used to be. The main winder foundation is 10 m south west of the shaft location. It has a solid wall enclosing a site 4.4 m by 3.2 m and is divided into 2 parts. Three other foundations surround this structure, they are 7.2 m by 1.25 m, 6.0 m by 1.07 m, and 1.73 by 1.6 m respectively. One of these 3 structures is only in fair condition with several section of the brick work broken away. The mullock heap runs from immediately north of the shaft to the south east. It is 35 m by 25 m by 4 m high. The boiler setting is 18 m north west of the shaft, and consists of a section of rock wall set with concrete mortar. There are piles of rocks over part of this area, as well as a rivetted iron boiler 3.66 m by 1.15 m and a rivetted iron chimney 6.04 m by 0.86 m. The battery foundations are 2 m north west of the boiler and consist of the level where the loading ramp would have been and the foundation that would have supported the battery boxes. Some of the timbers that would have supported the boxes are still in place surrounded by concrete. There would have been two stamper boxes, the space for each one is 2.0 m by 0.4 m. There is broken concrete and rock below this foundation and battery tailing sand along the bank of the river./nA relatively straight forward and readily interpretable site. ARTEFACTS: Rivetted iron boiler, part of the front plate of another boiler, rivetted iron chimney. There are no inspectors stamps on the boiler and it was not possible to dig out and inspect the section of front plate. Further analysis of these artefacts may provide some useful information.

    Heritage Inventory Signficance: -

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