The State Gold Battery in Creswick, Victoria was installed in 1902 to crush basalt ore
(source: Federation University).
It is one of six government batteries still remaining in Victoria, the others are located in
Maldon,
Wedderburn, Rutherglen, Bright and Egerton.
From 1897 the Victorian government provided assistance to quartz gold
prospectors through the installation and operation of small quartz crushing facilities (known as government or
State batteries) in localities where no privately-owned batteries were available for public use. The batteries were erected in places where auriferous reefs showed promise, and were moved as demand (or lack of it) required.
Their number peaked between the wars, with a maximum of 33 in operation. Government crushing facilities were
quite small concerns, at first equipped with only three head of stamps, rising in 1904 to a standard of five head.
Sometimes the batteries were equipped with 6-heads. The batteries were originally powered by steam, but
producer-gas, oil, and electricity eventually replaced steam power.
The Creswick State battery was installed in
1902 and is one of the six that still survive in Victoria. The others are Maldon, Wedderburn, Rutherglen, Bright
and Egerton.
A plaque at the Creswick State Battery displays the following text:
This avenue commemorates the arrival of the early gold fossickers on Creswick Creek - 1851. From their discovery a town, district and nations was born. Erected sesquicentenary, 2001.
A thirty page book titled
Thumps In The Night: The story of the Creswick State Gold Battery was written by
Stephen Barnham and published in 2001. The cover provides the following text:
Quartz crushing batteries were a very noisy affair. Many gold towns had several thumping their way through the night. At midnight on Saturday they would stop for the Sunday Sabbath day. The town's people would then lie awake all night. Disturbed by a ghostly silence that had settled over the town.
The book is available to purchase
here.
BBQ
Creswick
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