Pine Creek Miners Park
An explanation of the sites and machinery that were part of the Top End Goldrush through the Pine Creek Orogen from 1871 to the present day.
The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) pays its respects to the Traditional Owners of the land around Pine Creek including the Mayali, Wagiman, and Jawoyn peoples and to their elders - past, present and emerging.
The Pine Creek Orogen interpreted boundary and extent with exposed Archean-aged basement (pink areas) Major Towns and the Stuart Highway are shown for visual reference. (M Asendorf 2022, Private Collection)
The Pine Creek Miners Park (PCMP) hosts an array of mining equipment and stories from the region. It is a fascinating place to reflect on the lives of early pioneers whose experiences were vastly different to our own.
We can only imagine the challenges of facing crocodile infested wetlands like the one in the background image, or the extremes of climate between the monsoons of the wet season, the cool but dry conditions from May to October, and the torrid conditions of the build-up.
On top of that, the early prospectors and fortune seekers were scratching out a living looking for gold and other mineral resources in a country that is beautiful, but perilous.
This park is a testament to their efforts and legacy.
The original entry sign to the Miners Park.
The Pine Creek Miners Park was originally set up in 1988, the bicentennial year of Australia. A few changes and upgrades of signage aside, it still retains its character from that period.
This park records an aspect of history in the region which is difficult - if not impossible - to see elsewhere or in the field, with many former mining sites now destroyed, inaccessible, or degraded to a point where it is impossible to get a sense of the original mining context and setting.
Nature has reclaimed much, and active rehabilitation efforts in many sites have seen them vastly changed from their original construction.
Yet it is important to recognise the contribution that the exploration and mining industry has made to the development of Northern Australia.
This dedicated website is an effort to expand your knowledge of the Pine Creek Miners Park and to celebrate the mining heritage of the Top End and the communities and the people of the past.
But now to explore the park itself - AusIMM Darwin Branch, National Trust (Northern Territory) and the Victoria-Daly Regional Council - Pine Creek Local Authority hope you enjoy it.
Thanks also to the sponsors and patrons who support the Miners Park.
Augmented Reality app is now available.
Through a Community Benefits Fund (CBF) grant from the Northern Territory Government in 2024, a dedicated app for the Miners Park has been created for AusIMM - Darwin Branch by local NT company SRA Information Technology Pty Ltd. The App shows machinery in operation through Digital Animation (DA) and Augmented Reality (AR).
The advantage is of DA/AR is you can see machinery in motion - including the internal workings in some cases - without the hazards of being in the proximity of operating industrial machinery - definitely the best of both worlds!
We encourage you to download the app and explore the new features, looking at the machinery in the Miners Park and their 'digital twins' concurrently.
Look up 'Pine Creek Miners Park' in the Apple Store or Google Play or use the QR codes below.
iOS Apple Store
Android Google Play
Use the swipe function to gain an appreciation of where this equipment was originally located. It should also be noted it was common practice of the time to 'lift and shift' equipment to new mining sites, and the exhibits in the park may have more than one source of origin.
Imagine the logistics of moving these machines in the late 19th century without the modern cranes and lifting equipment we now use!
The red dots on both images indicate known prospects, deposits and historical workings. The exhibits in the Pine Creek Miners Park are testament and a tribute to these older workings.
Pine Creek Miners Park - Welcome and entry.
AusIMM - Darwin Branch and The National Trust, Northern Territory and the Victoria Daly Regional Council encourage the exploration of the Park and the nearby Pine Creek Heritage Railway Precinct.
If you've time, we highly recommend walking the Pine Creek Geotrail to fully appreciate the contribution of the early mines to the history and development of Pine Creek along with other aspects of a late 19th century community.
While you are free to wander and experience the attraction of the park, this website assumes you are starting your journey from the carpark near the Railway Station Masters Residence and will head to the Gazebo to your left.
Stop 2: South Alligator Gazebo
About the Place.
The first stop in the Miners Park is the newly constructed gazebo and signage which describes the exploration and mining history of the South Alligator Valley and in particular, the search for, and mining of, Uranium resources from about 1950 to the mid 1980's.
Mining activities, concentrating on other commodities, continued until the 1990's.
Learn about the lead up to exploration and eventual mining production in the area which later became part of the dual World Heritage Listed Kakadu National Park .
For continuity of the narrative, it is recommended that you start at the panels shown in the image opposite and work your way around the remaining panels in an anti-clockwise direction.
The contribution of the Northern Territory Government and the Community Benefits Fund towards upgrading the gazebo and the signage is gratefully acknowledged.
Stop 3: Trig Point
About the Site.
This particular trig point was relocated from Gandy’s Hill at the old Enterprise Mine site and overlooking Pine Creek and Gandy’s Gully, the origin of the township of Pine Creek.
For those intending to look over the Enterprise Pit lookout, Gandys Gully is located to the right at the far end of the pit.
About the equipment.
A "Trig Point" is a colloquial term and shorthand form of 'Triangulation Point' or 'Trigonometrical Station'. By the use of trigonometric calculations, Latitude, Longitude and Elevation (referring to a common 'datum') were used by surveyors for accurate marking and positioning. Before surveyors had access to the electronic devices and the satellite positioning systems now available, Trig Points would normally be placed in prominent and easily observable (but not always easily accessible) places to enable precise calculations of the relative positions, distances and bearings of other features.
Did you know?
During the Overland Telegraph Line (OTL) project from late 1860's onwards, many Trig Points between Port Augusta in South Australia and Darwin were established. These roughly followed the route of John McDowell Stuart who, a few years earlier, had proved and established the inland route between southern Australian capitals and the north of the country.
Several attempts to establish a permanent settlement in the north of the country had failed. The development of the OTL assisted in establishing Darwin as the Northern Capital - and the construction was to have a significant bearing on Pine Creek, with Gold first discovered in Gandys Gully where this Trig Point was sourced from.
News of second and third gold discoveries soon caught the attention of people down south, and the stage for the Pine Creek Gold rush was set.
Stop 4 - Roll Crushers
About the Site.
Mount Shoobridge Mine was originally a tin mine discovered in the early 1880's. Copper was also found and mined nearby.
An article from 1889 cites 700 tonnes of Ore "ready for crushing" (refer reference below).
1889 'THE MOUNT SHOOBRIDGE MINE.', The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA : 1867 - 1922), 10 April, p. 7. (Second Edition.), viewed 20 Mar 2023.
About the Machinery.
Roll crushers like these shown here were popular at several Top End mines but were eventually superseded by Stamp Batterys (which you'll see later at Stop 13).
It is not definitely known if these particular roll crushers are the originals from the site. If they are, then they are over 135 years old, having been manufactured in the United Kingdom in about 1870, and shipped out to Australia soon after.
See it in Action!
Roll Crushers are still used in the mining and extractive industries today, and a modern equivalent can be seen working below.
Site 5 - Cornish Lift Pump
About the Site.
This Cornish lift pump was recovered from the site of the John Bull mine near Brocks Creek. The John Bull site was taken up by a company of prospectors in 1873 and in 1876 a five-head stamp battery, purchased from the Palmerston Gold Mining Company, was erected at the mine.
Chinese alluvial prospectors began arriving at the John Bull and Howley workings by 1878 and the mine was worked through the 1880s, with the battery operating in 1881 and 1882. The Daniel brothers, David and Isaac, took up the mine in 1897 and worked it until 1901 when a lack of capital needed to sink the workings to deeper levels saw the mine close down.
The Daniels brothers were not absent for long. In 1903 a syndicate comprising the Daniels and two Chinese investors bought the Zapopan mine east of the John Bull. Returns were poor and the owners put it to Chinese tributers – paying to pick through the tailings. Some desultory mining took place before it too was eventually abandoned.
A photo of the site, following the period described above, can be seen on the Territory Stories website at the link below.
Campbell, James Pinkerton, 1912. Gold mine. Available at:
About the Machinery.
“The slow, majestic action of the beam pump belies its great power, since it is capable of pumping water from depths in excess of 3000 ft”.
The above is a quote from Antique Machinery Restoration Society Queensland magazine, August 1987.
The lift or beam pump, and its use of reciprocating rods powered from the surface to work a plunger pump, was pioneered in Cornwell, England. Early pumps used the direct action of a steam engine through a rocking beam to move the pump rods.
The Australian development of the pump consisted of a horizontal reciprocating engine driving a heavy crank through gearing to produce a reciprocating, or backwards and forwards motion to the horizontal arm at around eight stroked per minute.
The horizontal motion was converted to vertical motion using a balancing rocking beam located over the mine shaft. Pump rods connected to the end of the beam were constrained to prevent sideways movement by guides within the shaft.
The reciprocating action of the rods on a simple plunger pump located at the bottom of the shaft displaced water through a plunger fitted with a flap valve. Water was passed to the surface through a large diameter pipe known as a rising main and run off to a drain, creek, or retention pond.
See it in Action!
Site 6 - Portable American Firetube Boiler
About the Site.
This boiler was recovered from a tin mine at the Coronet Hills workings east of Pine Creek.
The Coronet Hills mine group was first taken up by the Millar brothers and J.C. Hillson in 1888. They tried to float a silver mine without success and a Chinese Syndicate later bought out Millar’s mines in the area. A Darwin Syndicate took up the old silver-lead mine in 1912 before A. Kelly took it up on behalf of a Victorian Company. Work proceeded at the mine until 1914, when water problems closed it down for a time.
A pump was installed in 1918 and work resumed. However, it was forced to close again when the smelter refused to purchase the ore due to its high arsenic content. Between 1917 and 1930, 234 tons of copper ore realising 52 tons of metal were produced at the Coronet Hill workings.
About the Machinery.
Boilers were a common element in mining throughout Australia. This boiler was manufactured by the Keystone Drilling Company of Beaver Falls Pennsylvania USA. Boilers produced the steam which provided the power to run machinery and equipment for the mines.
There was a variety of types including the Cornish boiler, Galloway boiler, Scotch boiler, firetube boiler, vertical boiler and the Babcock and Wilcox boiler. Richard Garret and Sons of South Australia also produced a range of steam engines.
Firetube boilers, also known as ‘locomotive boilers’, had a circular casing with a fire box built into the front face.
From this, numerous firetubes carried the hot gas through the water filled body of the water, venting it through a smoke box and chimney at the opposite end.
In this case the boiler was used to produce steam which was then bled of off to other items of machinery. Mounted on wheels, the boiler was easily moved from one site to another and avoided the necessity to build expensive, permanent, concrete mountings.
See it in Action!
Site 7 - Single Cylinder Horizontal Steam Engine
About the Site.
This engine was recovered from the Northern Hercules Mine at Moline northeast of Pine Creek.
The orebody was discovered by H. Houschildt and Harry Roberts and was known as Houschildt and Robert’s Rush until the pair went to the Daly River in 1883. The claim was acquired by the Chinese, and then, in 1887, by the Eureka Gold Mining Company. The Eureka was the first mine to use the cyanide recovery process discovered in New Zealand in 1896.
The Eureka changed hands a number of times before closing down in 1900. The claim was forfeited around 1906 when Selected Gold Mines of Australia Ltd. went into liquidation. Rich returns in 1908 saw some new mining activity and in 1935 Hercules Gold Mine Ltd. took over the site, mining until it closed down in 1940.
Northern Hercules Company took up the mine in 1954 and operated it intermittently until United Uranium Ltd took it over in 1957 and renamed it the Moline (after the company chairman). Falling metal prices in 1973-74 saw the mine close down and the settlement abandoned. The Moline Battery was relocated to Brocks Creek in the 1990’s where it remained in use at the new workings.
About the Machinery.
This engine was produced as a Scotian No. 5 and was constructed by the Patentees, The London and Colonial Engineering Company of London.
The engine was steam driven via an inlet on the main block which incorporated a piston connected to an articulated arm to allow an oscillating, or swinging motion, against a crankshaft which in turn rotated the drive wheel.
The wheel was connected to machinery via a belt, though some engines drove equipment connected directly to the crank shaft. The horizontal steam engine was compact and easily transportable, allowing easy installation at mining sites.
See it in Action!
Site 8 - Headframe and Dewatering Bucket
About the Site(s).
Originally installed in Fletchers Gully (shown above); then moved to Fountainhead (125 miles away!) at a later date. It was eventually re-moved to the Enterprise Mine, and 'rescued' to the Miners Park, prior to change of operation to an open pit operation.
This steel headframe, or poppet head, was recovered from the workings at Fletchers Gully south of Daly River. Gold was first discovered at the site in 1905 and taken up by Pang Que a year later. It was worked intermittently from 1910 to 1929 before the site was abandoned.
The lease on Fletchers Gully mine was taken up in 1934 by Ludwig Nudl, a noted engineer, inventor and aviator, representing the Fletchers Gully Gold Mine N.L. Nudl, an Austrian immigrant, arrived in Australia in 1911 and later came to the Northern Territory to take up the position of Manager at the mine.
The venture was short-lived however. The mine closed down shortly after opening and the company abandoned it in 1936. Recorded production was put at 69.6 kilograms over the life of the mine.
Tenders were then called for the mine plant and in 1937, A and N Potter purchased the machinery and moved it 125 miles (201 km) to their workings at Fountainhead. It was later installed at the old 1873 Enterprise Mine overlooking Pine Creek. When the Pine Creek Goldfields Company commenced open cut mining at the Enterprise, the headframe was moved here to the Miners Park in 1988.
About the Equipment.
Headframes were a common sight at mines throughout Australia. The early days of mining saw them made of timber assembled over the mine shaft with a horse-drawn whip (cable) raising and lowering men and materials.
A pulley was installed at the top of the frame, with cables attached to the bucket or cage over the shaft and a winding engine driven by a steam boiler. The light rail and turntable allowed the ore trucks to carry ore between the shaft and the battery where it was crushed before processing.
The safety cage was manufactured by Thompson and Company of Castlemaine in Victoria and features a safety brake mechanism of levers, springs, cams and dogs – mechanical holding devices. If the cable broke the spring-loaded safety brake opened and locked the dogs into timber or iron runners in the shaft, preventing the cage and its load falling down the shaft.
The bucket adjacent to the headframe assembly was used to draw water from the mine shafts. A flap valve on the bottom of the bucket allowed it to be filled or emptied. This bucket was recovered from the Iron Blow mine, which operated from 1888 to 1913 with little result apart from some silver and gold.
Stop 9 - Twin Steamer and Winders
About the Site.
This twin cylinder steam engine and winding gear was recovered from the site of the former Iron Blow mine near Grove Hill, 45km to the northwest of Pine Creek.
The Iron Blow was originally named the Ironstone Blow and was opened up in 1873. Machinery from the Woolwonga mine was installed in 1901 and a year later Harry Roberts took over as Manager. He had additional equipment installed including a new winding plant and two Cornish lift pumps – one twelve inch and one nine inch.
George Buttle and C.H. Richards took the mine over in 1913 and in 1914 they took machinery on loan from the Zapopan under government subsidy. Low prices, and exhaustion of capital, World War 1, and the loan falling due saw the mine taken over by the government.
Buttle stayed on as manager and despite pumping the mine out, ore falls prevented access to the working faces and mining effectively ceased. Apart from building a structure to protect the machinery little else was done and the mine was abandoned by late 1915.
About the Machinery.
The boiler on this engine was insulated through the use of oregon pine lagging to prevent heat loss. The steam was used to drive pistons in cylinders, in this case mounted above and forward of the fire box of the steam engine. The energy produced was then transferred to turn a drive wheel via the pistons. The drive wheel then transferred the energy produced by the engine to the winding drum.
The winding gear was used to raise and lower men and equipment into the mineshaft at the Iron Blow and is thought to be part of the winding gear originally installed by Harry Roberts in 1901.
See it in Action!
Use the Augmented Reality App for this exhibit to see its digital twin in action.
Site 10 - Steam Winder
About the Site.
This steam winder was recovered from the Bridge Creek area north of here. The gold rush to Bridge Creek commenced in April 1881 and by August that year more than 1,500 Chinese and some 100 Europeans were reported to be living on the field. A settlement sprang up and by 1883 three hotels, a general store run by miner Walter Griffiths, a police tent and several Chinese stores had been erected.
The field there lasted only a few short years before it was abandoned, although a Chinese syndicate and some European parties recommenced mining there during World War 1. The battery had been erected by 1920 and mining continued around the Bridge Creek area until the 1930’s when it was again abandoned.
About the Machinery.
The steam winder was used to raise and lower men and equipment into the mineshaft. This model is typical of those used in mines from the 1880’s and has its own vertical boiler on a base plate.
The fire door to the fire box on this example is located higher than those on the other boilers in the Park. This would have allowed for the pipes to have been incorporated above the fire box instead of beside it and thus make full use of the steam energy produced.
The vertical cylinders drove the cable drum to raise and lower the cage or bucket into the shaft. The whole winder assembly is portable and could be relocated to other mines or batteries relatively easily and without the need for expensive foundations.
The power would have been similar to a Richard Garrett and Sons double cylinder hoisting engine and boiler advertised in the South Australian Register of 9 January 1890, claiming an output of eight (8) horsepower (about 6 kW).
Site 11 - Horse drawn Power Take Off Assembly
About the Site.
This particular assembly was recovered from the Bridge Creek goldfields about 70km northwest of Pine Creek.
About the Machinery.
Known colloquially as a ‘Horseworks’, this assembly was manufactured by R Hunt and Company of Earls Coyne, England. The assembly is an HW54 type.
The ‘Horseworks’ assembly was the forerunner of the power take-off systems used in today’s tractors to provide power to farm implements. It was also used in mining to drive flywheels and mining machinery.
The assembly was mounted on a frame or bench to provide space for the flywheel, through some were mounted at ground level over pits.
The upper frame was fixed to the mounting and the large, geared top was fitted with a set of extended arms to which a horse, or horses, were harnessed. As the horses walked around the outside of the assembly, they turned a central axle which in turn rotated the geared top.
As the top turned it engaged a smaller horizontally aligned gear and axle assembly which acted as a speed gear. The shaft turned quickly as a result and drove the flywheel, thus transferring energy to the machinery. The whole assembly was a lightweight, portable and a very effective means of driving equipment at smaller mining operations.
Site 12 - Small Portable Boiler and Arrastre
About the Site.
This Arrastre was recovered from the Bridge Creek area about 70km northwest of Pine Creek.
About the Machinery.
These versions of the steam boilers were introduced to the Australian goldfields to provide energy for smaller mining operations. They proved to be essential items of equipment at these smaller mines because of their size and portability.
This particular boiler provided the equivalent of around five (5) horsepower (approximately 3.7kW) to drive a number of items of machinery including the Arrastre.
Originating in Mexico, the Arrastre or Arastra was introduced into the Californian goldfields in 1849 and driven by horse or mule. A version produced in Chile and known as the Chilean Mill was first introduced in 1848 and 1849.
The first type of Arrastre was little more than a circular stone pavement on which the ore was ground by two or more large stones dragged over its surface by horse or mule. The crushed ore was then panned or cradled to separate the gold from the ore waste or tailings.
This Arrastre relies on the same principle as the original models but reflects the advances in mining technology over the years from its introduction into Australia in the late nineteenth century.
In this case the axle is driven by a belt connected to a steam boiler through gears at the base of the axle. Large steel blocks are connected to the arms extending from the axle but like the original types are still connected by chains.
See it in action!
If interested in the operation of the Arrastre, the following link describes how it works.
Site 13 - Stamp Battery and Twin Cylinder Portable Engine
About the Site.
This stamp battery was recovered from the Bridge Creek area located between the Pine Creek and Adelaide River townships. The following quotation from Adelaide journalist W. J. Sowden in 'The Territory as it is. 1882' describes Bridge Creek as he encountered it.
“Bridge Creek is one of the nearest gold fields. There are, of course, a hotel, a general store, with a Post Office, and several Chinese stores; but the whole place looks as though it has been set up hastily by an unconscientious contractor, and as if it were in a hurry to get down again.”
Sickness was rife on the field as it was located near a chain of billabongs which produced “…a malarial atmosphere, fruitful of fevers, prolific in deaths”, according to William Sowden. Reportedly thirty-seven (37) of ninety (90) people came down with a fever and many died.
The Bridge Creek goldfield was abandoned in the 1880’s, although a Chinese syndicate and some European parties recommended mining there during World War 1. This battery had been erected by 1920 and the mining continued around the Bridge Creek area until the 1930s when it was again abandoned.
About the Machinery.
By 1902 there were twenty-seven (27) known stamp batteries at fifteen (15) mines in the Pine Creek Area, known as Mining District A. Two five-head stamps in this battery were manufactured by Sydney Engineers, Chapman and Co. in 1890.
“The battery itself weighed four tonnes or more, a load for a wagon; the engine and the boiler….belts, pinions and shafts weighted many more tonnes. It took four wagons to bring in a small battery.”
Eric Rolls. Sojourners.
The stamp battery assembled here is typical of those that were used at sites throughout the Pine Creek district from 1873. Ore was fed into the feeders at the rear and into the mortar boxes of two banks of five-head stamps. Driven by the portable steam engine, a horizontal drive shaft operated a series of five cams in each stamp. The cams were offset and as each turned they engaged projections in the vertical shafts, or stems, fitted with heavy feet or stampers which dropped as the cam disengaged and crushed the ore.
The crushed ore was discharged through a screen that regulated the size of the materials, or slimes. The slimes, generally a slurry, then fell onto a copper covered amalgamation table with mercury rubbed onto it. As the slurry was washed over the surface, any traces of gold combined with the mercury to form an amalgam ball of gold for recovery through retorting.
Retorting was the final process before pouring the gold ingot. The amalgam ball was placed in a cast iron pot and heated until any remaining mercury vaporized. The vapour entered a pipe, which went into a container of cold water where the condensed mercury vapour cooled and returned to its usual liquid form for re-use. The particles of gold left behind in the pot were smelted and poured into molds to form gold ingots.
See it in Action!
Use the Augmented Reality App for this exhibit to see its digital twin in action.
A larger stamp mill based overseas is shown in the you-tube video below.
Site 14 - Berdan Pan
About the Site.
This particular Berdan Pan was used at the Mount Wells Battery for many years and was converted to electricity when operations recommenced at the mine in the 1970’s.
Mount Wells was first discovered by David Tennant and J. Quirk in 1880. Initially the mine used Chinese labour until 1883, then a ten head stamp battery and engine were purchased to streamline operations.
By 1897 low prices for tin resulted in a loss and two years later the owners Daniel and Isaac Daniels, entered into a tribute arrangement with Que Noy and his Chinese workers. By 1905 there were 100 Chinese on tribute and the mine remained operational through World War 1, mostly on the tribute system. Mount Wells was the largest producer of tin in the Territory until it was eclipsed by the Maranboy field in 1917.
The Daniels sold out in 1920 but low prices saw the new owners go into liquidation and the mine was closed down in 1929. From 1900 to 1928 the mine yielded 14,000 tones of ore. New methods and higher prices saw the mine reopened in the 1970’s but despite some success it lasted only a few years before finally closing in the early 1980’s.
About the Equipment.
The Berdan Pan was invented in England and patented in 1852.
Berdan Pans were used to process ore extracted by hard rock mining operations. They ground the rock into finer particles, allowing the retrieval of the finer, harder-to-recover gold.
The pan was generally used to carry out a final grinding or ore concentration and in the case of gold, mercury was added to amalgamate the released metal.
The pan was inclined to concentrate the ore at the bottom and to allow lighter particles to slop over the side. A central axle set on gears was turned, originally by horse, until adapted to steam engines and belt driven. As the pan rotated two large steel balls rolled over the ore grinding it down to fine particles. Some pans were mounted in banks of two to increase output.
Site 15 - Boab Trees
The Pine Creek Miners Park features a stand of Boab trees - which surprisingly are definitely not mining equipment!
Boab trees are prevalent in the Kimberley region of Western Australia and common in the northwest districts of the Northern Territory. They are not common east of Timber Creek, and it is assumed that these trees were planted by others, perhaps railway workers, and have clearly been here for some time.
Site 16 - Pagoda and Information bay - Pine Creek History
Did you know that the original name of Pine Creek was 'Playford'? It was registered as such in 1889 in the SA Gazette but was later renamed due to the prominent pine trees growing on the banks of the local creek. Sadly, many of these pines have now gone.
The official "re-naming" took a while to happen:
"Ironically, although the town was always known as Pine Creek it was officially named Playford on the 24 January 1889. At the time Thomas Playford Sr was the South Australian Commissioner of Crown Lands. Playford's desire for immortality was misplaced. The town contiued to be known as Pine Creek in spite of the government's attempt to honour him. It was not officially gazetted as Pine Creek until 20 September 1973". Sydney Morning Herald, 8 February 2004.
This township has had an interesting history since its origins and rapid growth in the early 1870's due to the discovery of gold in the area.
Some of this history can be on these panels including the early discoveries in the area and the Chinese immigrants who had a profound influence on the development of the town and its character.
The quote below perhaps best sums up the early days of Pine Creek, and the forces behind the development of the township.
"....the one and only topic of conversation was gold mining. Each day bought news of a fresh discovery. Each day saw a new company floated, regardless of any certain information, even to the whereabouts of the newly discovered mine......"
Mrs Dominic Daly in "Digging, Squatting and Pioneering life in the Northern Territory of South Australia 1887".
Site 17 - Iron Blow Boulder
About the Site.
The rock before you has an uncertain pedigree, but it is believed to have been sourced from the Iron Blow Deposit, about 30km north of Pine Creek.
First discovered in 1873, Iron Blow was initially developed as an underground mining operation. The deposit has been mined periodically since the late 1800’s, shortly after gold was first discovered in the Pine Creek Region.
The Geopeko - BHP Joint Venture in 1975 was successful in identifying nearly 1M tonne of polymetallic ore in two separate lenses. The area around the Iron Blow deposit - a known mineral field - is still of interest for exploration.
Iron Blow is an interesting polymetallic orebody. Since mining commenced, the deposit is estimated to have produced nearly 14,000 tonnes of Gold, Silver and Copper ore up to the mid-1980’s when mining operations ceased.
In 2011 a drilling program at Iron Blow returned encouraging intercepts and the following resource was announced to the Stock Exchange (ASX) in 2014:
2.4Mt of Ore containing 2.4g/T Gold (Au), 130g/T Silver (Ag), with Copper, Zinc and Lead also present.
Perhaps the story of Iron Blow – and the region around it - has more to tell in the future.
About the Boulder.
This rock shows the typical iron-rich host which is intruded by quartz veins and shows different types of mineralisation.
Pyrite and Copper Sulphide and a potential indicator of gold.
Galena and Sphalerite – Lead Sulphide
Site 18 - Boiler and Pan
About the Site.
On the banks of the Pine Creek stream, generally around the time of the Gold Rush Festival, you'll see the miners pans in action. You will likely see the boilers and other equipment, such as the miners' troughs, reflecting the approach of the time used to separate gold from other material.
About the Equipment.
While the technology has changed significantly over the years, the principles of separating materials based on differing densities remains, and panning was a widely used method of separating grains of the lighter and less valuable material from the heavier gold grains.
See it in action.
Site 19 - North Australian Railway Bridge
Once gold was discovered in the region, the population rapidly grew, along with the demand to get the mined product back to markets.
The Northern Australian Railway, built in 1889 provided that link and an alternative to the overland trek between the settlements in the area and the Port of Darwin.
Near the site of the annual Gold Panning Festival is a remnant of this line, the bridge over Pine Creek.
For those wanting to learn more about the railway, a visit to the nearby Heritage-listed Pine Creek Railway Precinct is recommended.
We hope you enjoyed the Pine Creek Miners Park. We invite you to enjoy the remainder of the Pine Creek Geotrail and learn more about this fascinating little town.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Design and Concept:
P Waggitt (AusIMM - Darwin Branch). Project Sponsor and Coordinator. M Asendorf (Marmel Enterprises). Geotrail Planner, content creator and website developer. S Rowe and C Wood (SRA Pty Ltd). ICT and Technology Consultants.
Source Material, through Creative Common Licensing and statutory rights:
Australian Government (Geoscience Australia) Northern Territory Government (Northern Territory Geological Survey). Territory Stories (Northern Territory Government)
Source Material, through used through permissions of the owners:
Marmel Enterprises Maps and Imagery, for single purpose use within this website.
Marmel Enterprises Photos, for single purpose usage within this website.
Other Acknowledgments:
The following Companies and individuals are acknowledged for their generosity in helping establish this monument to the mining heritage throughout the Pine Creek region. This includes the deep gratitude to the National Trust (NT Branch) on which lands the Miners Park are located.
Miners Park, establishment 1988
Pine Creek Goldfields, Dominion Gold Operations Pty Ltd, Agserv Industries, Hastings Deering (NT) Pty Ltd, Brambles Manford, Coates Hire, Silver Coin Mining and Exploration Pty Ltd, Fabri Line Pty Ltd, Normet Darwin, AJ Hosking and Associates Ltd, Western Mining Corporation - Goodall Gold Project, Metana Minerals ML, Eupene Exploration Enterprises, WJ and EE Fisher, Gencon Pty Ltd, Darwin Institute of Technology, John Fisher and family.
Park Renewal and signage upgrades - Phase 1 2018
AusIMM - Darwin Branch, Pine Creek Local Authority (PCLA)
Park Renewal and signage upgrades - Phase 2 2021 - 2023
AusIMM - Darwin Branch (Peter Waggitt - Chair), National Trust (NT Branch), Marmel Enterprises (Mark Asendorf, Managing Director), SRA Pty Ltd, Agnico Eagle Australia, Pine Creek Local Authority (PCLA), John Fisher.
Grant Funding and Sponsorship
This Miners Park webapp and the accompanying Pine Creek Geotrail webapp have been made possible through funding and support from:
Seed Funding Grant
Community Benefit Fund (CBF)
Concept support and advice
And the sponsorship, support and advice from:
Major Sponsor
Major Sponsor
Major Sponsor
The efforts of individuals who have donated their time to assist at various times since the Miners Park formation is gratefully acknowledged, along with the following businesses who have assisted with recent upgrades.
Norsign - standard and large size signage Trojon Fencing - Sign frame fabrication
If you would like to know more, or would like to contribute towards future enhancements of the Miners Park, please contact AusIMM - Darwin Branch or National Trust (NT) at the following emails, or through accessing the links below.
darwin@ausimm.com.au query@nationaltrust.com.au
Alternatively, donate or contribute directly through the following sites.
Thank you once again for your interest in the Pine Creek Miners Park.
