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The process of extracting gold

Stamper Head	Ore Crushing To separate the gold from the ore collected by the diggers in the mine tunnel, the ore was first crushed by a series of hammers in the stamper head. The crushed ore was then run over copper plates that had been treated with cyanide and then tinned with "quick-silver" (mercury). Mercury has a chemical affinity to gold and hence catches it. The resulting mixture was then heated to evaporate the mercury until only the gold remained. This method of extraction was used for many years although it was generally accepted that it was only 60% effective.
Stamper Head The 10 head stamper was originally manufactured by Thompson & Co. of Castlemaine and used in the Victorian Goldfields. It was used during the Araluen gold rush then dismantled and rebuilt at Old Mogo Town by Tom Dunne of H Dunne & Sons Mining Engineers. The stamper heads are now maintained with the help of volunteer engineers and Walters Maintenance of Goulburn. Many such crushers can still be found discarded at the old mine sites out in the forests.Parts of our mining display have been generously donated by the Department of Mines from Bimbie Mine with its recent closure.	Driving gear close up
Health Hazard Working at the crusher was not a good career choice because the high noise level tended to cause deafness. Lung diseases caused by the cyanide and mercury were quite common. Mercury also caused mental illness, in the same way as the felting industry, where manufacturers of felt hats often went "Mad as a Hatter".
Betsy the Steam Engine	Betsy the Steam Engine Betsy was used to drive the ore crusher. She was a very hungry and thirsty machine, using 2,000 litres of water and a ton of ironbark wood to keep her running for a 4 hour period. Steam engines such as this were the cause of much environmental degradation because of the clear felling of trees to keep them running. An alternative natural energy source might have been a waterwheel. It would take two ute loads of timber just to get her up to steam, so for demonstration purposes she is now hooked up to three phase electricity.

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Discover Australian Gold Rush History at Mogo
between Batemans Bay and Moruya on the South Coast of NSW Australia.



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