A visit to the Victoria Battery

Near Waihi where the Gold mine is situated, blipped a few days ago. We passed this several times and called in today. In its hey day it wasn't a pretty site, a place to process the gold drilled from the mine with large tanks of potassium cyinide as part of the process. Today it's busy with tourists, cyclist and walkers, a historical reference to harsher times when earning a living was more difficult.

I didn't fancy publishing these now desolate looking remnants but came across this water turbine lying nearby. The site sits next to the beautiful Karangahake Gorge, I have copied some information which makes for an interesting read.


THE VICTORIA BATTERY
In the earliest mining days, only a small percentage of gold and silver was extracted by the old pan amalgamation process.
In 1896, the Victoria Battery began its ear-splitting work. With 200 stamps, it was the largest quartz crushing plant for gold extraction in Australasia, capable of crushing over 812 tonnes of ore each day to the consistency of sand.
The adoption of the cyanide process by the Waihi Gold Mining Company in 1894 was one of the crucial factors in the success of the Waihi mines. Prior to the cyanide process (pioneered in Karangahake), only a small percentage of gold and silver had been extracted by the old pan amalgamation process.
The cyanide process was introduced at a time that the extent of the Waihi reef system was becoming apparent. Development of the Martha Mine occurred at a rapid pace and with the increased tonnages of ore to treat, the Waihi Gold Mining Company's treatment plants in Waihi, with sixty-nine stamps, soon became inadequate. The existing facilities were extended but it was decided in 1896 to build the Victoria Battery to supplement the other plants.

The Victoria Battery got its name from Victoria Rock (Queen's Head), located between Waihi and Waikino, which resembles the profile of Queen Victoria.