Mount Clara smelter

This article is about the mine site in Australia. For the location in the South Atlantic, see Mount Clara.

Mount Clara smelter is a heritage-listed disused copper reverberatory furnace,[1][2] built in 1872[3][4][5] in the upper reaches of Fat Hen Creek, Kilkivan, Queensland. Most of the operation is now in ruins, and the chimney is the only remaining intact part of a once active copper mine.

Mt Clara smelter and chimney, taken in 2009. Modern tourist signs indicate from left to right, Furnace, Timber Railway, Fireplace. At the centre rear is the hearth

Operations

The smelter was reported to run continuously and satisfactorily.[4] During operation it was required to have three shifts of six men working on the furnace as well as around 300 men[5] working in the mines in the area. It is believed that between 10,000 to 12,000 people lived in the area at the time. The main mine was about 1 mile (1.6 km) away, around 560 feet (170 m) higher.[6]

An 1872 report states that 8 tons of copper had been produced from 60 tons of ore, giving a return of 13 percent copper/ore. [7] Slag from the operation was drained off in to the creek and large clumps are still visible.

The ore was a rich blue-green carbonate, sourced from a 10-foot thick solid bed, yielding well over 100 tonnes.[3] It was fortuitous that carbonate ores are well suited to the reverberatory furnace method used at this site.[1]

History

The smelter started operation in 1872, and was built with local rock, and sand from Fraser Island.

The use of the smelter was short lived; in 1875 the ore carts continued to Mount Coora smelter instead, and the smelter fell into neglect.[2] All mining in the area ceased by 1886.[2] At the time seven other similar smelters were functioning in the area, however these are no longer to be seen.

During the copper boom of the 1860s – mid-1870s the price of copper was as much as UK £95 per ton.[1]

See also: Copper smelting

The chimney

Mount Clara Chimney

The chimney is thought to be the oldest surviving mining industry chimney in Queensland, also being among the first built.[2] It stands about 50 feet (15 m) high,[5] although early descriptions reported a height of 66 feet (20 m).[3] It was constructed from local bluestone, clamped with iron, and held together with a lime and sand mortar.[3][5] Firebricks lining the furnace and chimney were made from good quality local fireclay.[3][6]

The mine

Interior photo of a level mine shaft. The modern ladders are covering a vertical shaft.

The ore from the mine was taken from a shaft dug in to the mountain approximately 1 mile away. The mine has an arched roof and no uprights, and is believed to mimic the style used by miners from Cornwall.

The mine entrance was rediscovered and opened in the 1980s and some more exploratory work was done intermittently over the next several years, although no commercial operations ever took place. It has since been resealed for safety.

The re-opened entrance to the Mt Clara mine. 2009 photo. The site has since been sealed up.

Conservation and tourism

Kilkivan Shire Council, with the help of a grant from the National Trust,[8] undertook work to restore the historic Mount Clara Copper Smelter. The chimney was completely restored along with safety fencing, and the unpaved road was also made safer for travel. Mount Clara Chimney was registered with the National Trust of Queensland, and is on the Queensland Heritage Register.[2]

The chimney is now a key tourist attraction in the Kilkivan area.[9] It is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) off Rossmore Road, 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) by road out of town.[9] The National Estate citation notes that "The site is notable for the absence of modern intrusions and as a relic of early mining activity in the area."[9]

The mine is situated on private property and is not included in the register listing.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Harvey, Cameron (December 2010). "Early copper mining and smelting in southern and central Queensland" (PDF). ASHA newsletter (Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology Inc.): 14–15.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Mount Clara Smelter (entry 600640)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "COPPER.". The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939) (Brisbane, Qld.: National Library of Australia). 15 June 1872. p. 3. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  4. 1 2 "TIN AND TIN MINES.". The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939) (Brisbane, Qld.: National Library of Australia). 7 December 1872. p. 6. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "The chimney stack in the bush.". The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939) (Brisbane, Qld.: National Library of Australia). 1 March 1934. p. 21. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  6. 1 2 "QUEENSLAND MINING.". The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893) (NSW: National Library of Australia). 14 September 1872. p. 5. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  7. ↑ "YIELD OF THE TIN MINES. - The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893) - 3 Oct 1872". Trove. Retrieved 2016-04-04.
  8. ↑ South Burnett Times, July, 1980
  9. 1 2 3 "Travel - Kilkivian". The Age (Fairfax). 8 February 2004. Retrieved 24 May 2012.

Coordinates: 26°10′34.49″S 152°16′22.34″E / 26.1762472°S 152.2728722°E / -26.1762472; 152.2728722

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