Leviathan Mine Cyanide Works, Leviathan Road, STAWELL
Leviathan Road STAWELL, NORTHERN GRAMPIANS SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
Dating from the 1860s-1870s, and again in the 1930s, this large historic mining area displays evidence of the cyaniding process. Features include a large dam restored by the Mines department in 1971 and six soakage vats, and a trough and drainage vat from the cyaniding operations on site. A crushing mill installed by the Leviathan Company in the 1860s was the largest to operate in the Stawell district. In the 1930s the tailings were treated by the cyaniding process to extract further gold. The place is significant as the location of the largest crushing mill on the rich Stawell goldfield, for displaying an intact network of sites demonstrating the cyaniding process. A massive dump of treated tailing occupies much of the remainder of the natural features reserve.
The Leviathan Cyaniding Works site is historically and scientifically important at a LOCAL level as a substantially intact example of an important gold mining technique. Gold mining sites are of crucial importance for the pivotal role they have played since 1851 in the development of Victoria.
Overall the Leviathan Cyaniding Works site is of LOCAL significance.
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Leviathan Mine Cyanide Works, Leviathan Road, STAWELL - Physical Description 1
DESCRIPTION & INTERPRETATION OF FEATURES:
Tailings. Massive dump of treated tailings.
Vats. On top of the flattened tailings dump is a line of six 18 ft diameter, concrete-rendered brick soakage vats. Four of the vats are still raised above the tailings, the other two are buried. To the north of the vats is a 10 ft square galvanised iron vat, which contains a L-shaped brick trough. At the base of the flattened dump is a 15 ft diameter, 9 ft deep, concrete-rendered drainage vat. The northern side of the vat has been demolished.
Leviathan Dam. Large full dam. Apparently this dam was restored by the Mines Department in 1971.
CONDITION OF FEATURES: Good, but vats are largely buried. The Leviathan Dam was restored in 1971.
Heritage Study and Grading
Northern Grampians - Shire of Northern Grampians - Stage 2 Heritage Study
Author: Wendy Jacobs, Vicki Johnson, David Rowe, Phil Taylor
Year: 2004
Grading: Local
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LEVIATHAN MINE CYANIDE WORKSVictorian Heritage Inventory
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Leviathan Mine Cyanide Works, Leviathan Road, STAWELLNorthern Grampians Shire
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