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The original plant was at the old Railey’s site, some distance up the Waitawheta gorge. Cyaniding was first established there. The new battery, sited well below Battery Flat on the Ohinemuri, would be cyaniding from the start. Dry crushing before changing to wet crushing. |
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1891 |
August. McGruer gets go-ahead to erect new Crown plant. [1] The new works will consist at first of 20 head dry stampers (provision being made for 40 eventually) and the appurtenances of the Cassel Company's process. This will mean an immediate expenditure of about £10,000, exclusive of the road which will have to be made, which will cost another £1200. [2] [Tramway from river level adit to battery. The section beside the Waitawheta we now call the Crown tramway] Contractors for excavating the battery site make good progress. [3] |
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1892 |
May. Crown Company: the water for the race is taken from the Ohinemuri River, and carried 85 chains [1708m] in the ordinary fluming to the plant. It will be a very complete and capable race, and has taken over 180,000 ft. of kauri timber in construction. The tramway is 80 chains [1609m] in length, running from the Crown Mine to the site of their reduction-works, and has been a difficult and trying undertaking, a great deal of the cutting being the face of the Waitawheta Gorge cliff…[4] August. Crown battery at Railey’s site stops. [5] The tramway leading from the mine to the new mill site is completed. [6] [from Battery Flat this tramway slopes up to the top of the new battery] |
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1893 |
30 May. New Crown battery starts. [7] October. Electric light is now being used in the Crown Company's ore reduction works. [8] |
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1894 |
27 July. Flood and slip destroy Crown water race. [9] November. Talisman carting ore to Crown battery for treatment. [10] [11] Argy bargy results. |
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1895 |
February. Mr. Hutchinson has the management of the plant and machinery, and Mr. Napier, the well-known cyanide expert, has charge of the Cassel process and assay department. [12] August. Two percolating vats erected to re-treat the accumulating tailings. [13] December. Mr Daw to superintend the Crown. [14] |
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1896 |
February. Additions underway at battery. [15] September. Crown battery has 40 stamps at work. [16] A new electric lighting plant erected at the battery. [17] |
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1897 |
March. Crown works to be converted from dry to wet crushing plant.[18] July. Crown battery has 20 stamps running wet. [19] September. Crown battery 40 stamps wholly running wet. [20] December. Crown low grade ore made to pay by wet process. [21] …the whole plant was converted from dry to wet crushing. Additions were at once made to the battery in the shape of 13 new steel percolation tanks and five large steel sump tanks, at a cost of £2000. Now, with a view to still further increasing the battery power, foundations are being laid for another 40 head of stampers, thus making 80 head in all. [22] |
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1898 |
August. Crown battery start extra 20 head stamps, now 60. [23] [the battery will never be enlarged to 80] |
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1899 |
December. Crown Company are to construct a new tramway to the battery, on the level (our current walking track). [24] The trucks of quartz are hoisted up an incline tramway on the outside of the crushing plant up to the rock-breaker with an engine erected near the bottom of the incline. [25] |
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1900 |
February. New (level) tramway to Crown battery complete (current walkway). Hoisting apparatus being installed beside battery (an incline tram), to lift ore from new tramway to top of battery. Will be run by pelton wheels. [26] [the concrete foundations beside the walkway maybe belong to these pelton wheels] Crown Company. Erecting an engine at the battery to supplement water power [27] [this is the boiler and engine at the back of the battery]. |
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1901 |
July. Large slip blocks tramway and carries away water race. [28] September. Installation of a powerful steam plant at the back of the battery under way. Two large Babcock boilers, 180 h.p. steam engine. [29] |
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1902 |
December. The new steam plant at the battery is working well.[30] |
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1905 |
March. The battery is at present only working one shift per day. [31] |
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1907 |
July. New (replacement) water race being constructed. New electrical plant at the battery is proposed. [32] The battery has been run on steam. [33] |
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1908 |
December. Commenced the power station, and excavated for the turbine site. [34] For the first time for over 25 years mining and milling operations in the New Zealand Crown mines at Karangahake have been suspended. At the earliest work is not likely to be resumed for several months, during which the new electrical pumping plant for unwatering the mine to a greater depth will be installed… Part of the new plant, which in all cost from £12,000 to £13,000 in England, is on the ground, and the estimated cost of the water-race now in course of construction is £6000. [35] |
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1909 |
February. The concrete foundations for a powerful electrical plant are now being prepared at the Crown mine. The site is on the banks of the Ohinemuri river.[36] August. The power station near the company's reduction works is finished.[37] The machinery was started on the 10th July, and worked without the slightest hitch. [38] |
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1915 |
Crown mine closes[39] |
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1917 |
Powerhouse sold to Gisborne Borough Council[40] |
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1919 |
Crown Quarry granted by Warden[41] |
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1927 |
New Zealand Crown Mines, Karangahake. —The area held by this company was forfeited by the Warden early in July[42] |