ITALIAN GULLY STATE BATTERY

JUBILEE ROAD STAFFORDSHIRE REEF, GOLDEN PLAINS SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Inventory

Statement of Significance

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  • History

    ITALIAN GULLY STATE BATTERY - History

    Contextual History:History of Place:
    Heritage Inventory History of Site:
    STATE GOVERNMENT BATTERY
    12.10.1923: application made by the miners and prospectors in the Scarsdale, Italian Gully, Berringa, Browns and Piggoreet area for a government battery.
    24.10.1923: a Mines Department inspector met with 15 prospectors; his report recommended placing a State Battery at Italian Gully, which was well located to serve the district and was close to a permanent water supply from the Jubilee Mine Dam.1
    12.02.1924: commenced dismantling the State Battery at Dereel which had done very little work in the preceding years: crushing 58 tons in 1920, 20 tons in 1921, 7 tons in 1922, and nil in 1923; this was a 5 head battery with a concentrating table powered by a portable engine; the cost of removal was £230; the battery was transported by rail from Rokewood to Newtown. 1
    08.05.1924: the progress report on erecting the battery indicated that: the pit for the piles was sunk to a depth of 7 foot 6 inches into solid reef; 9 inches of concrete was placed under the piles; the piles, box, stamper shanks, wiper shaft had been placed in position; a concrete foundation had been placed under the battery. 1
    19.05.1924: a new engine was needed and also it was recommended that a Wilfley table should replace the Henderson table. 1
    10.06.1924; the engine is in position and the frame of the building is up; additional sheets of iron are required; the battery should be completed in three weeks; the government supplied the first lode of wood for operating the battery but there after the local trust set up to run the battery had to supply the firewood.1
    16.06.1924: connecting the pipes and ordering eight feet of 4 inch belting and eight feet of 3 inch belting. 1
    09.03.1925: the Harrison table had not been used and a request was made for a Wilfley table. 1
    1924: Messrs Baglin and Knight transported ore from the Canico Consols Reef Co. to State Government Battery at Italian Gully. (the date given is 1923 but it could not have been treated until 1924)
    20.06.1925: the normal operating speed of the battery was 75 to 85 drops per minute; awaiting the arrival of a Phoenix Weir table. 1
    20.05.1931: arranged to have a number of cyanide vats, up to 16 feet in diameter, transferred from Italian Gully to Ballarat East. 1
    1930's : responsibility for the running of the State battery was handed back to the government and it was operated by the operator from Creswick who used to crush at Long Gully by appointment. 1
    04.1936 to 06.1938: a cyanide plant from Creswick was set up at Long Gully where it operated until June 1938 when it was moved to Ballarat East. 1
    15.01.1947: the Ruston Proctor portable engine being practically worn out, was replaced with a gas engine which was brought from the battery at Maryborough; a cyanide plant was established by Freeman's Co. near the battery to treat the tailings from the battery for the Berringa Syndicate. 1
    16.01.1947 : to this time the battery had treated a total of 1928 ton for a yield of 297ozs or an average yield of 3 dwt 2 gr per ton. 1

    Heritage Inventory Description

    ITALIAN GULLY STATE BATTERY - Heritage Inventory Description

    The battery foundations are located next to Jubilee Road and consist of concrete foundations and timber bed logs at three levels running down from east to west. The upper level finishes at a concrete wall 3m wide. The level below this is 4m long and has timber bed logs running east west and north south as well as the timber stumps that supported a battery box forfive stamps. The lowest level is approximately 8.5m by 4.5m, and hasfour raised concrete foundation blocks and some concrete flooring. The gully, where the tailings were deposited, is immediately west of the battery foundations. The tailings area extends 75 metres west from the foundations, and 60 metres north and 40 metres south. A large dam begins 20 metres south of the tailings area and extends further south. The tailings have been removed leaving an open salt pan like area along the gully.

    Heritage Inventory Significance: Regional, as part of the network of sites at Long Gully.

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