Waihi Gladstone Gold-mining Company Battery
The Gladstone battery was the smallest of the five stamper batteries in Waihi.
It was situated on the northern slopes of Gladstone Hill, adjacent to the Gladstone shaft. The battery was erected in 1904, and consisted of five stamps. At first treatment was by plate amalgamation, but in 1905 they converted to cyaniding the crushed ore.
It appears that the company saved their tailings in a small gully near the battery, and remains of the retaining bund remain today. These tailings were uplifted and reprocessed at the Union Battery in late 1911 and 1912. The shaft has been infilled, and is hard to make out, but a concrete machine mount remains, though it may not be in its original location.
Gladstone shaft and battery building.
The shaft on the right has an ore chute to lode trucks which get pushed into the battery building. The small opening in the middle of the end of the building is to allow passage of the cable from winding drum to poppet sheave (for lifting of the shaft cage). The (weather board) battery building suggests three levels (stone breaker near roof, stampers below this, and one or more lower levels for cyaniding), and the chimney from the lean-to suggests a small boiler (for the Tangye engine). The sign over the door says: No Admittance.
Note the Silverton shaft and buildings in the background at left. A chimney has fallen on to the roof; work ceased at this shaft circa 1902. Note also the distinctive outcrop on the top of Silverton Hill, the dwelling with smoking chimney and three water tanks, a wheel barrow to right of the bottom window of the battery, and the ore truck below and to the left.
To the right of the battery building, in the valley beyond, there are pipes and a small wooden V flume heading to the right, which suggests the company were saving their tailings out of picture to the right. Photo c. 1904 or later. Interpretation of this unidentified WACMA photograph by E. Lens.