When my irrigation system comes on there is no pressure. What should I do?

Find the reticulation connection to the water mains. You will find a solenoid valve that has isolated the system from the mains. The valve has failed internally and is not opening fully. We recommend hiring an expert to replace it. If you have a bore, the pump or bore needs to be fixed by an expert.

What is better for a retaining wall, timber sleepers or blocks?

Treated timber is approved for in ground use and has a reasonable service life, however block retaining walls and concrete sleeper retaining walls are more durable having a greater life expectancy. This is based on suitable footings & good drainage. Both Blocks and concrete sleepers come in a wide range of colours, sizes and styles to create a more aesthetic landscape. Common styles of retainers walls to consider are timber sleep retaining walls, link wall or link block retaining walls and concrete sleeper walls

Should I pave or concrete?

While concrete certainly has its benefits, pavers give a more aesthetic finish to a landscape area. Pavers area available in range of colours, texture, styles and sizes. Larger format, 400mm and 500mm pavers have become increasingly popular with modern and contemporary landscape designs. Pavers are also commonly used for garden borders and edges for their straight line finish which is widely desired in modern landscape construction.

How do I maintain artificial grass?

Very little maintenance is required. Just sweep off any leaves or gently use a leaf blower. You can hose off any spills or pet messes. For pet solids, you just scoop up in the traditional way. You can hose or wipe down with cold water if required. To lift the fibres just use a broom to sweep in the opposite direction to your view point.

Do I need landscape design plans before I get a construction quote?

Yes. A landscape design will allow us to discuss the project with enough detail to allow for an accurate price estimate. This design process will also determine whether council approvals are required, which can impact cost and timing.

Gardener Smeaton Grange

Seeking a skilled gardener in Smeaton Grange? For all your gardening and landscaping needs, turn to All Green Gardening and Landscaping. We provide services ranging from mulching, weeding, garden maintenance, and turfing to rubbish removal. In your local vicinity, our top-rated services make us one of the premier gardening contractors nearby.

Our maintenance services are provided by seasoned gardeners. Ensuring excellent gardening, detail is always our key focus.

Call 0410 196 069

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Best Gardening Services Smeaton Grange Wide

We’re transparent with our Smeaton Grange gardening costs, giving a no-commitment quote beforehand. We usually assess the garden prior to giving a firm price estimate. Our initial assessment captures the garden’s condition, leading to informed advice and cost estimates.

If you need guidance or your garden’s out of control, we’ll bring it back on track with a thought-out plan. We don’t charge a call-out fee and you won’t pay a cent until you’re happy with our work! We strictly charge for hours worked, with no exaggeration to align with the quote.

Our garden care advice comes from our fully trained Smeaton Grange team, always ready to assist you. The All Green Gardening and Landscaping team understands these intricacies and is available for a second opinion or extra help if required.

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Looking for a Gardener Near Me in Smeaton Grange?

Online search for a dependable local gardener? Unveil best-in-class services for a splendid outdoor transformation. Get flexibility in service range and timings, no garden’s beyond our reach. For garden sprucing or lawn rejuvenation of any scale, we’re your team. From garden touch-ups to lawn transformations, count on us.

If you crave time for other activities over garden work, contact All Green Gardening. Our joy is intending to commercial and home gardens. It thrills us to see a garden neat, green, and pristine!

Professional Gardener Services in Smeaton Grange

When designing a garden, it’s useful to know what plants will enjoy the soil and climate conditions, what width and height they will grow to, what water and nutrient needs they have, how much sun they will need, what pests will show up and how to deal with them if/when they do, bird and insect attraction, etc.

All Green Gardening ensures a garden design aligned with your requirements. Your garden goals and maintenance readiness guide our design process. We ensure the same meticulousness in designs and all garden services for your trust. Countless customers return to us annually, trusting our years of know-how. Call us today or use the Contact Us page to let us know how we can help you with any aspect of garden care Smeaton Grange.

Garden Care Smeaton Grange

Hours of dedication and care create beautiful and flourishing gardens. Routine upkeep is the key to the perfect aesthetic. To get the best results, you have to tend to the garden from mowing and weeding to fertilizing and improving the soil. This concern is prominent for a lot of homeowners nowadays. They wish for perfect green spaces but time constraints hold them back.

What starts out as a labor of love turns into an obligation that you just don’t have time to fill. And the longer you postpone taking care of a garden or lawn, the more time you will have to spend fixing it up. This is a vicious cycle that prevents people from making the most out of their outdoor space. Decades of hands-on experience make our Smeaton Grange garden team stand out. Creating dynamic gardens or defending against pests, All Green Gardening and Landscaping is all smiles. Our expertise in landscape design, pruning, and lawn care is unmatched.

Garden Maintenance Smeaton Grange

Keeping a garden beautiful is a challenging endeavour. The process demands frequent care, hard work, and a time investment not all can offer. Every garden is unique, so we provide bespoke gardening services. Our focus is on your garden’s assets, not on high prices. All of the technicians we work with are fully equipped with the right tools and machinery to complete the job.

Our seasoned crew is adept at tending to Smeaton Grange, NSW 2567 grass types. We’re geared with the right expertise and machinery for commercial to acreage mowing needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Locate where the reticulation meets the mains. The solenoid valve isn’t fully opening due to an internal malfunction. An expert’s touch is ideal for replacements.

Treated timber works, but concrete and block walls excel in lifespan. Diverse colours and styles in blocks and sleepers uplift landscape aesthetics. Timber sleep, link block, and concrete sleeper are favoured retaining wall styles.

Although concrete is practical, pavers add a visual charm.

You won’t be burdened with heavy maintenance; a simple sweep or a leaf blower does the job. Cleaning up spills and pet accidents is a breeze. Enhance fiber height by sweeping against your viewpoint with a broom.

Indeed. A landscape design lets us delve into the project intricacies, ensuring a precise price estimate. Our design procedure also involves evaluating the need for council approvals, which could influence both cost and schedule.

Current Job Postings

Looking to be apart of the All Green Gardening & Landscaping Team, email us your Job Interest as we are looking for local landscapers and local gardeners in Sydney to start immediately.

jobs@allgreen-gardening-landscaping.com.au

Smeaton's Pier, St Ives.
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Moonta Mines. Old copper mining site. Tourist railway takes visitors to various mines sites including this copper recovery site which operated 1923 to 1943 after the mines closed in 1922.
Moonta Mines and the Hughes Enginehouse. After the May 1861 race between Hughes’ man William Horn and Patrick Ryan and his associates to register the Moonta mining lease a lengthy legal process began for the validation of Walter Watson Hughes’ mining rights to the site. Although the legal battle was not settled until 1864 Hughes acted quickly and formed the Tipara Mineral Association, later the Moonta Mining association, with himself, Edward Stirling, John Taylor, Robert Barr Smith, (Sir)Thomas Elder, G Waterhouse and G. Hall. Hundreds of Cornish miners were attracted to the town directly from Cornwall although some came from Kapunda. The government resumed some parts of Hughes’ pastoral lease to lay out the towns of Kadina and the port of Wallaroo. Moonta was surveyed and town blocks sold in April 1863. As they sold quickly most Moonta settlers lived in cottages and shanties on the mining leasehold lands in settlements such as Hamley Flat, Moonta Mines, Yelta, Cross Roads etc. By 1870 the population of Moonta reached 10,000 people with 6,000 on the mining lease lands. Coal was shipped in to the Moonta mines from Newcastle as it was needed to fire the boiler houses and the water pumps for the mine. The copper lodes were up to 700 metres below the surface although most worked lodes were less than 300 metres below the surface and the main lodes were named Elder’s lode, Elder West lode, Beddomes lode, Greens lode and Fergusson lode. Each lode had one or more deep shafts with the main ones being Washington’s shaft, Stirling’s shaft, Taylor’s shaft and Hughes’ shaft etc. There were a number of enginehouses across Moonta mines Hughes’s, Richman’s and Elder’s. Hughes enginehouse had Smith’s (Robert Barr Smith), Hughes, Elders, Duncan and Bennetts shafts nearby. Next to the enginehouse was the boilerhouse which created steam for the enginehouse which pumped water out of the deep shafts. Nearby was a winching house to winch items and miners down the shafts but mainly to bring ore to the surface. Nearby were the settling tanks for water pumped from the shafts, the concentration plant and the crushing plant. These processes and structures were needed near most mine shafts. Also near Hughes enginehouse were the stables and the workshops for the repair and in some cases manufacture of equipment etc. 300 men and boys were employed in Hughes workshops alone. The Hughes’ engine house serviced Smith’s, Waterhouse’s and Elder’s shafts and others and it was primarily responsible to pumping water out of mine shafts. Hughe’s 60 inch Cornish beam pumping engine was installed in a fine stone building in 1865 and it operated continuously without any major break down from then until the mine closure in 1923. It required constant works to keep fire up to the boilers. It could pump water from a depth of 700 metres (2,500 feet) with four strokes of the pump a minute. Near this main shaft were workshops, the mine offices, the manager’s residence (Captain Hancock) etc. In other areas of the mine works were the brick kiln, the assay office, the powder magazine, processing plants and several major areas for the tailings debris bought to the surface from the mine shafts. The Hughes enginehouse was built of limestone and still remains but without the pump. Near it are the ruins of Elder’s enginehouse and the Hughes water pool or reservoir. Captain Hancock managed the Hughes’ mines from 1864 to 1898. Under his management the mine grew quickly with 1,200 men and boys employed as early as 1865. Across the main road are the remains of Richman’s enginehouse, Richman’s Tailings Heap which can be climbed, the compressor house and the crushing plant etc. Richman’s enginehouse which was built from 1867 to 1869 was mainly used to power the crushing and dressing machinery of Taylor’s Shaft the deepest shaft on the Moonta fields. Taylor’s shaft which descended 2,520 feet beneath the surface had its water pumped out by the Hughes enginehouse from some distance away. The ruins of the crushing and concentrating plants beside Taylor’s shaft are quite impressive. Some of the ruins of the crusher house erected in 1869 in local stone remain beside Richman’s enginehouse. All mining required explosives, mainly gun powder and later dynamite and the ruins of the Moonta Mines explosives magazine still exist near the old Moonta Mines School. In 1890 the Wallaroo and Moonta Mines amalgamated. The combined companies employed on average around 1,900 people a year in the mines and smelters. The peak year for employment was 1906 when the company hired 2,700 men. This followed a disastrous fire in 1904 when the large Taylor Shaft and poppet was destroyed by fire. There were three main shafts operating at the Wallaroo Mines by 1906, the Boors, Hughes and Office shafts. Between 1860 and 1923 when the mine finally closed down the Wallaroo Mine alone produced almost £10,000 million worth of copper and the combined mine with Moonta produced over £20,000 million worth of copper. After the closure of the mine buildings were stripped of anything saleable and most were demolished. As the population dwindled the cottages on the mining lease land were generally demolished but a few still remain. At Moonta Mines a few non-mining buildings remain the government school (1877-1968) now the National Trust Museum, Moonta Mines Methodist Church (1865) with a seating capacity of 1,250 parishioners and a typical miner’s cottage (1870) now a National Trust museum. At East Moonta there is a former Methodist Church built in 1872. Moonta Town centre. White settlement really began in the district in 1861. The first miners in the Copper Triangle were Cornish miners moving down from Burra. The majority of settlers though came directly as sponsored immigrants from Cornwall. In 1865 some 43% of all immigrants to SA came from Cornwall. The Copper Triangle towns of Moonta-Wallaroo- Kadina had 12,000 people by 1890, representing about 10% of Adelaide’s population which was only 130,000. Consequently government services for the area were given priority and by 1878 the Triangle had a daily rail connecting service to Adelaide via Port Wakefield, Balaklava and Hamley Bridge. Apart from their mining skills the Cornish brought with them their religious faith hence the numerous Methodist chapels and churches in the area. All three branches of Methodism were well represented- Bible Christian Methodists, Primitive Methodists and Wesleyan Methodists. The 1891 census showed that 80% of the residents of the Moonta district were Methodists. Not surprisingly the Moonta Methodist Circuit (like a synod) had more church members than the big circuits in Adelaide such as Pirie Street, Norwood or Kent Town. At one stage there were 14 Methodist churches in Moonta with a further 10 in Wallaroo/Kadina. As the Cornish used to say “Methodist churches are as common as currents in a cake.” The pulpits of the churches provided good training ground for public speaking as lay preachers were often used in these churches. One such trainee was John Verran who was Premier of SA between 1910-12. He once remarked “he was a MP because he was a PM” i.e Primitive Methodist! Moonta was declared a town in 1863; the local Council was instituted in 1872; and by 1873 the town had 80 businesses, five hotels, numerous churches, its own newspaper, four banks and an Institute. A horse tramway connected the suburbs of Moonta Mines, Moonta and Moonta Bay. Other “suburban” areas of Moonta were Yelta, North Yelta, Cross Roads and Hamley Flat. When the mines closed in 1923 many left the town. During the lunch break look for some of these great historical buildings: Moonta Town Hall, George Street facing the Square. This prominent structure was built in 1885 as the fourth local institute, using volunteer labour. Mrs Corpe, wife of the then chairman of the Institute committee and a major Moonta mines investor, laid the foundation stone and the Governor of South Australia, Sir W. C. F. Robinson opened the building. Thomas Smeaton of Adelaide designed it. The grand design reflects the prosperity of the times for Moonta. It has a three storey clock tower with French metal roof, classical half round windows, and the ground level window sills have the original metal spikes on them to stop loitering! The clock tower was added in 1907 and the new clock faces were fitted in 1963. Around 1907 the Institute became the Town Hall. In 1928 some internal remodelling saw the introduction of a cinema room and Art Deco entrance leadlight doors. Outside the Town Hall is a cast iron drinking fountain erected in 1890 to commemorate the arrival of reservoir water from Beetaloo Dam. School of Mines, Ellen Street on cnr of Robert Street. This important building was built in two stages, the southern half being built in 1866 as a Baptist Chapel (with a manse next door). In 1891 it became the School of Mines, the first school outside Adelaide for the training of adults and youths in trades and bookwork. The northern half of the School of Mines was built in 1903 to match the southern half. It is a fine limestone building in the Gothic style with a pediment to the roofline. When the School of Mines opened in 1891 it started with 33 students and a government grant of £200 per annum. The first subjects taught were Mine Surveying, Mechanical Drawing and Mathematics. By 1896 there were 100 students enrolled and by 1898 this had grown to 275 students. New subjects were added to the curriculum such as Sheet Metalwork, Plumbing, Carpentry, Bookkeeping and Metallurgy. Scholarships were made available to underground mine workers and early in the 20th century the government grant increased to £1000 per annum. There is a stable block next to the building. The Uniting Church, Robert Street facing Queen’s Square. This former Wesleyan Methodist Church is a grand building reflecting the prominence of Methodism amongst the Cornish miners of Moonta. £4,000 was raised to build this church in 1873. Its Gothic style is offset with some fine Mintaro slate steps and a slate roof. The pulpit, large enough to hold four speakers, is a decorative example made of imported Bath stone from England. Delabole Slate Yards in Willunga carved it. The main window facing the street and square displays stone tracery dividing the stained glass panels. The church has seven buttresses and the symmetry of the façade is emphasised by four stone spires. It is a fine example of a Gothic style church designed by architect Roland Rees. The church was placed alongside the town square to indicate its importance to the town. Mining company officials and the first Mayor of Moonta, Mr Drew worshipped here. He laid the foundation stone on October 6th 1873. The adjoining hall was built in 1866. Shop – formerly an Institute Building at 55 George Street. This quaint building was the third Institute erected in Moonta. It dates from 1870. The land was donated by David Bowers for the Institute. It is a classical designed building with Greek triangular pediments above the two doors and a rounded arch over the central window. It has had many uses in latter years. The current veranda ruins the classical appearance of the building and it must be seen from across the street to appreciate its architecture. Note the round louvred roof vent. Former Bank of South Australia, 46 George Street. Built in 1864, this was the first bank in Moonta. It later became the Union Bank. The arched porch is very distinctive and the quoins around the windows and corners give the building an attractive frontage. The Moonta Mining Company banked here. Old Union Bank, Ellen Street. This grand façade dates from 1865 when it was opened as the Bank of South Australia, later becoming the Union Bank in 1892 and trading as a bank until 1943. The façade is noted for its classical arches, symmetry and balustrades along the parapet roof. This is the finest commercial building in Moonta. Note the wooden louvred rounded window on the southern wall, the bricked up one, and the five half rounded windows of grand proportions and two half rounded doors on the front. Note the fine scrollwork around the windows. You can still faintly see “Union Bank” on the front parapet.

Moonta Mines. Old copper mining site sulphuric acid tanks. Tourist railway takes visitors to various mines sites including this copper recovery site which operated 1923 to 1943 after the mines closed in 1922.
Moonta Mines and the Hughes Enginehouse. After the May 1861 race between Hughes’ man William Horn and Patrick Ryan and his associates to register the Moonta mining lease a lengthy legal process began for the validation of Walter Watson Hughes’ mining rights to the site. Although the legal battle was not settled until 1864 Hughes acted quickly and formed the Tipara Mineral Association, later the Moonta Mining association, with himself, Edward Stirling, John Taylor, Robert Barr Smith, (Sir)Thomas Elder, G Waterhouse and G. Hall. Hundreds of Cornish miners were attracted to the town directly from Cornwall although some came from Kapunda. The government resumed some parts of Hughes’ pastoral lease to lay out the towns of Kadina and the port of Wallaroo. Moonta was surveyed and town blocks sold in April 1863. As they sold quickly most Moonta settlers lived in cottages and shanties on the mining leasehold lands in settlements such as Hamley Flat, Moonta Mines, Yelta, Cross Roads etc. By 1870 the population of Moonta reached 10,000 people with 6,000 on the mining lease lands. Coal was shipped in to the Moonta mines from Newcastle as it was needed to fire the boiler houses and the water pumps for the mine. The copper lodes were up to 700 metres below the surface although most worked lodes were less than 300 metres below the surface and the main lodes were named Elder’s lode, Elder West lode, Beddomes lode, Greens lode and Fergusson lode. Each lode had one or more deep shafts with the main ones being Washington’s shaft, Stirling’s shaft, Taylor’s shaft and Hughes’ shaft etc. There were a number of enginehouses across Moonta mines Hughes’s, Richman’s and Elder’s. Hughes enginehouse had Smith’s (Robert Barr Smith), Hughes, Elders, Duncan and Bennetts shafts nearby. Next to the enginehouse was the boilerhouse which created steam for the enginehouse which pumped water out of the deep shafts. Nearby was a winching house to winch items and miners down the shafts but mainly to bring ore to the surface. Nearby were the settling tanks for water pumped from the shafts, the concentration plant and the crushing plant. These processes and structures were needed near most mine shafts. Also near Hughes enginehouse were the stables and the workshops for the repair and in some cases manufacture of equipment etc. 300 men and boys were employed in Hughes workshops alone. The Hughes’ engine house serviced Smith’s, Waterhouse’s and Elder’s shafts and others and it was primarily responsible to pumping water out of mine shafts. Hughe’s 60 inch Cornish beam pumping engine was installed in a fine stone building in 1865 and it operated continuously without any major break down from then until the mine closure in 1923. It required constant works to keep fire up to the boilers. It could pump water from a depth of 700 metres (2,500 feet) with four strokes of the pump a minute. Near this main shaft were workshops, the mine offices, the manager’s residence (Captain Hancock) etc. In other areas of the mine works were the brick kiln, the assay office, the powder magazine, processing plants and several major areas for the tailings debris bought to the surface from the mine shafts. The Hughes enginehouse was built of limestone and still remains but without the pump. Near it are the ruins of Elder’s enginehouse and the Hughes water pool or reservoir. Captain Hancock managed the Hughes’ mines from 1864 to 1898. Under his management the mine grew quickly with 1,200 men and boys employed as early as 1865. Across the main road are the remains of Richman’s enginehouse, Richman’s Tailings Heap which can be climbed, the compressor house and the crushing plant etc. Richman’s enginehouse which was built from 1867 to 1869 was mainly used to power the crushing and dressing machinery of Taylor’s Shaft the deepest shaft on the Moonta fields. Taylor’s shaft which descended 2,520 feet beneath the surface had its water pumped out by the Hughes enginehouse from some distance away. The ruins of the crushing and concentrating plants beside Taylor’s shaft are quite impressive. Some of the ruins of the crusher house erected in 1869 in local stone remain beside Richman’s enginehouse. All mining required explosives, mainly gun powder and later dynamite and the ruins of the Moonta Mines explosives magazine still exist near the old Moonta Mines School. In 1890 the Wallaroo and Moonta Mines amalgamated. The combined companies employed on average around 1,900 people a year in the mines and smelters. The peak year for employment was 1906 when the company hired 2,700 men. This followed a disastrous fire in 1904 when the large Taylor Shaft and poppet was destroyed by fire. There were three main shafts operating at the Wallaroo Mines by 1906, the Boors, Hughes and Office shafts. Between 1860 and 1923 when the mine finally closed down the Wallaroo Mine alone produced almost £10,000 million worth of copper and the combined mine with Moonta produced over £20,000 million worth of copper. After the closure of the mine buildings were stripped of anything saleable and most were demolished. As the population dwindled the cottages on the mining lease land were generally demolished but a few still remain. At Moonta Mines a few non-mining buildings remain the government school (1877-1968) now the National Trust Museum, Moonta Mines Methodist Church (1865) with a seating capacity of 1,250 parishioners and a typical miner’s cottage (1870) now a National Trust museum. At East Moonta there is a former Methodist Church built in 1872. Moonta Town centre. White settlement really began in the district in 1861. The first miners in the Copper Triangle were Cornish miners moving down from Burra. The majority of settlers though came directly as sponsored immigrants from Cornwall. In 1865 some 43% of all immigrants to SA came from Cornwall. The Copper Triangle towns of Moonta-Wallaroo- Kadina had 12,000 people by 1890, representing about 10% of Adelaide’s population which was only 130,000. Consequently government services for the area were given priority and by 1878 the Triangle had a daily rail connecting service to Adelaide via Port Wakefield, Balaklava and Hamley Bridge. Apart from their mining skills the Cornish brought with them their religious faith hence the numerous Methodist chapels and churches in the area. All three branches of Methodism were well represented- Bible Christian Methodists, Primitive Methodists and Wesleyan Methodists. The 1891 census showed that 80% of the residents of the Moonta district were Methodists. Not surprisingly the Moonta Methodist Circuit (like a synod) had more church members than the big circuits in Adelaide such as Pirie Street, Norwood or Kent Town. At one stage there were 14 Methodist churches in Moonta with a further 10 in Wallaroo/Kadina. As the Cornish used to say “Methodist churches are as common as currents in a cake.” The pulpits of the churches provided good training ground for public speaking as lay preachers were often used in these churches. One such trainee was John Verran who was Premier of SA between 1910-12. He once remarked “he was a MP because he was a PM” i.e Primitive Methodist! Moonta was declared a town in 1863; the local Council was instituted in 1872; and by 1873 the town had 80 businesses, five hotels, numerous churches, its own newspaper, four banks and an Institute. A horse tramway connected the suburbs of Moonta Mines, Moonta and Moonta Bay. Other “suburban” areas of Moonta were Yelta, North Yelta, Cross Roads and Hamley Flat. When the mines closed in 1923 many left the town. During the lunch break look for some of these great historical buildings: Moonta Town Hall, George Street facing the Square. This prominent structure was built in 1885 as the fourth local institute, using volunteer labour. Mrs Corpe, wife of the then chairman of the Institute committee and a major Moonta mines investor, laid the foundation stone and the Governor of South Australia, Sir W. C. F. Robinson opened the building. Thomas Smeaton of Adelaide designed it. The grand design reflects the prosperity of the times for Moonta. It has a three storey clock tower with French metal roof, classical half round windows, and the ground level window sills have the original metal spikes on them to stop loitering! The clock tower was added in 1907 and the new clock faces were fitted in 1963. Around 1907 the Institute became the Town Hall. In 1928 some internal remodelling saw the introduction of a cinema room and Art Deco entrance leadlight doors. Outside the Town Hall is a cast iron drinking fountain erected in 1890 to commemorate the arrival of reservoir water from Beetaloo Dam. School of Mines, Ellen Street on cnr of Robert Street. This important building was built in two stages, the southern half being built in 1866 as a Baptist Chapel (with a manse next door). In 1891 it became the School of Mines, the first school outside Adelaide for the training of adults and youths in trades and bookwork. The northern half of the School of Mines was built in 1903 to match the southern half. It is a fine limestone building in the Gothic style with a pediment to the roofline. When the School of Mines opened in 1891 it started with 33 students and a government grant of £200 per annum. The first subjects taught were Mine Surveying, Mechanical Drawing and Mathematics. By 1896 there were 100 students enrolled and by 1898 this had grown to 275 students. New subjects were added to the curriculum such as Sheet Metalwork, Plumbing, Carpentry, Bookkeeping and Metallurgy. Scholarships were made available to underground mine workers and early in the 20th century the government grant increased to £1000 per annum. There is a stable block next to the building. The Uniting Church, Robert Street facing Queen’s Square. This former Wesleyan Methodist Church is a grand building reflecting the prominence of Methodism amongst the Cornish miners of Moonta. £4,000 was raised to build this church in 1873. Its Gothic style is offset with some fine Mintaro slate steps and a slate roof. The pulpit, large enough to hold four speakers, is a decorative example made of imported Bath stone from England. Delabole Slate Yards in Willunga carved it. The main window facing the street and square displays stone tracery dividing the stained glass panels. The church has seven buttresses and the symmetry of the façade is emphasised by four stone spires. It is a fine example of a Gothic style church designed by architect Roland Rees. The church was placed alongside the town square to indicate its importance to the town. Mining company officials and the first Mayor of Moonta, Mr Drew worshipped here. He laid the foundation stone on October 6th 1873. The adjoining hall was built in 1866. Shop – formerly an Institute Building at 55 George Street. This quaint building was the third Institute erected in Moonta. It dates from 1870. The land was donated by David Bowers for the Institute. It is a classical designed building with Greek triangular pediments above the two doors and a rounded arch over the central window. It has had many uses in latter years. The current veranda ruins the classical appearance of the building and it must be seen from across the street to appreciate its architecture. Note the round louvred roof vent. Former Bank of South Australia, 46 George Street. Built in 1864, this was the first bank in Moonta. It later became the Union Bank. The arched porch is very distinctive and the quoins around the windows and corners give the building an attractive frontage. The Moonta Mining Company banked here. Old Union Bank, Ellen Street. This grand façade dates from 1865 when it was opened as the Bank of South Australia, later becoming the Union Bank in 1892 and trading as a bank until 1943. The façade is noted for its classical arches, symmetry and balustrades along the parapet roof. This is the finest commercial building in Moonta. Note the wooden louvred rounded window on the southern wall, the bricked up one, and the five half rounded windows of grand proportions and two half rounded doors on the front. Note the fine scrollwork around the windows. You can still faintly see “Union Bank” on the front parapet.

Moonta Mines. Old copper mining site . Tourist railway takes visitors to various mines sites including this copper recovery site which operated 1901 to 1943 after the mines closed in 1922. Details of the chemical processes.
Moonta Mines and the Hughes Enginehouse. After the May 1861 race between Hughes’ man William Horn and Patrick Ryan and his associates to register the Moonta mining lease a lengthy legal process began for the validation of Walter Watson Hughes’ mining rights to the site. Although the legal battle was not settled until 1864 Hughes acted quickly and formed the Tipara Mineral Association, later the Moonta Mining association, with himself, Edward Stirling, John Taylor, Robert Barr Smith, (Sir)Thomas Elder, G Waterhouse and G. Hall. Hundreds of Cornish miners were attracted to the town directly from Cornwall although some came from Kapunda. The government resumed some parts of Hughes’ pastoral lease to lay out the towns of Kadina and the port of Wallaroo. Moonta was surveyed and town blocks sold in April 1863. As they sold quickly most Moonta settlers lived in cottages and shanties on the mining leasehold lands in settlements such as Hamley Flat, Moonta Mines, Yelta, Cross Roads etc. By 1870 the population of Moonta reached 10,000 people with 6,000 on the mining lease lands. Coal was shipped in to the Moonta mines from Newcastle as it was needed to fire the boiler houses and the water pumps for the mine. The copper lodes were up to 700 metres below the surface although most worked lodes were less than 300 metres below the surface and the main lodes were named Elder’s lode, Elder West lode, Beddomes lode, Greens lode and Fergusson lode. Each lode had one or more deep shafts with the main ones being Washington’s shaft, Stirling’s shaft, Taylor’s shaft and Hughes’ shaft etc. There were a number of enginehouses across Moonta mines Hughes’s, Richman’s and Elder’s. Hughes enginehouse had Smith’s (Robert Barr Smith), Hughes, Elders, Duncan and Bennetts shafts nearby. Next to the enginehouse was the boilerhouse which created steam for the enginehouse which pumped water out of the deep shafts. Nearby was a winching house to winch items and miners down the shafts but mainly to bring ore to the surface. Nearby were the settling tanks for water pumped from the shafts, the concentration plant and the crushing plant. These processes and structures were needed near most mine shafts. Also near Hughes enginehouse were the stables and the workshops for the repair and in some cases manufacture of equipment etc. 300 men and boys were employed in Hughes workshops alone. The Hughes’ engine house serviced Smith’s, Waterhouse’s and Elder’s shafts and others and it was primarily responsible to pumping water out of mine shafts. Hughe’s 60 inch Cornish beam pumping engine was installed in a fine stone building in 1865 and it operated continuously without any major break down from then until the mine closure in 1923. It required constant works to keep fire up to the boilers. It could pump water from a depth of 700 metres (2,500 feet) with four strokes of the pump a minute. Near this main shaft were workshops, the mine offices, the manager’s residence (Captain Hancock) etc. In other areas of the mine works were the brick kiln, the assay office, the powder magazine, processing plants and several major areas for the tailings debris bought to the surface from the mine shafts. The Hughes enginehouse was built of limestone and still remains but without the pump. Near it are the ruins of Elder’s enginehouse and the Hughes water pool or reservoir. Captain Hancock managed the Hughes’ mines from 1864 to 1898. Under his management the mine grew quickly with 1,200 men and boys employed as early as 1865. Across the main road are the remains of Richman’s enginehouse, Richman’s Tailings Heap which can be climbed, the compressor house and the crushing plant etc. Richman’s enginehouse which was built from 1867 to 1869 was mainly used to power the crushing and dressing machinery of Taylor’s Shaft the deepest shaft on the Moonta fields. Taylor’s shaft which descended 2,520 feet beneath the surface had its water pumped out by the Hughes enginehouse from some distance away. The ruins of the crushing and concentrating plants beside Taylor’s shaft are quite impressive. Some of the ruins of the crusher house erected in 1869 in local stone remain beside Richman’s enginehouse. All mining required explosives, mainly gun powder and later dynamite and the ruins of the Moonta Mines explosives magazine still exist near the old Moonta Mines School. In 1890 the Wallaroo and Moonta Mines amalgamated. The combined companies employed on average around 1,900 people a year in the mines and smelters. The peak year for employment was 1906 when the company hired 2,700 men. This followed a disastrous fire in 1904 when the large Taylor Shaft and poppet was destroyed by fire. There were three main shafts operating at the Wallaroo Mines by 1906, the Boors, Hughes and Office shafts. Between 1860 and 1923 when the mine finally closed down the Wallaroo Mine alone produced almost £10,000 million worth of copper and the combined mine with Moonta produced over £20,000 million worth of copper. After the closure of the mine buildings were stripped of anything saleable and most were demolished. As the population dwindled the cottages on the mining lease land were generally demolished but a few still remain. At Moonta Mines a few non-mining buildings remain the government school (1877-1968) now the National Trust Museum, Moonta Mines Methodist Church (1865) with a seating capacity of 1,250 parishioners and a typical miner’s cottage (1870) now a National Trust museum. At East Moonta there is a former Methodist Church built in 1872. Moonta Town centre. White settlement really began in the district in 1861. The first miners in the Copper Triangle were Cornish miners moving down from Burra. The majority of settlers though came directly as sponsored immigrants from Cornwall. In 1865 some 43% of all immigrants to SA came from Cornwall. The Copper Triangle towns of Moonta-Wallaroo- Kadina had 12,000 people by 1890, representing about 10% of Adelaide’s population which was only 130,000. Consequently government services for the area were given priority and by 1878 the Triangle had a daily rail connecting service to Adelaide via Port Wakefield, Balaklava and Hamley Bridge. Apart from their mining skills the Cornish brought with them their religious faith hence the numerous Methodist chapels and churches in the area. All three branches of Methodism were well represented- Bible Christian Methodists, Primitive Methodists and Wesleyan Methodists. The 1891 census showed that 80% of the residents of the Moonta district were Methodists. Not surprisingly the Moonta Methodist Circuit (like a synod) had more church members than the big circuits in Adelaide such as Pirie Street, Norwood or Kent Town. At one stage there were 14 Methodist churches in Moonta with a further 10 in Wallaroo/Kadina. As the Cornish used to say “Methodist churches are as common as currents in a cake.” The pulpits of the churches provided good training ground for public speaking as lay preachers were often used in these churches. One such trainee was John Verran who was Premier of SA between 1910-12. He once remarked “he was a MP because he was a PM” i.e Primitive Methodist! Moonta was declared a town in 1863; the local Council was instituted in 1872; and by 1873 the town had 80 businesses, five hotels, numerous churches, its own newspaper, four banks and an Institute. A horse tramway connected the suburbs of Moonta Mines, Moonta and Moonta Bay. Other “suburban” areas of Moonta were Yelta, North Yelta, Cross Roads and Hamley Flat. When the mines closed in 1923 many left the town. During the lunch break look for some of these great historical buildings: Moonta Town Hall, George Street facing the Square. This prominent structure was built in 1885 as the fourth local institute, using volunteer labour. Mrs Corpe, wife of the then chairman of the Institute committee and a major Moonta mines investor, laid the foundation stone and the Governor of South Australia, Sir W. C. F. Robinson opened the building. Thomas Smeaton of Adelaide designed it. The grand design reflects the prosperity of the times for Moonta. It has a three storey clock tower with French metal roof, classical half round windows, and the ground level window sills have the original metal spikes on them to stop loitering! The clock tower was added in 1907 and the new clock faces were fitted in 1963. Around 1907 the Institute became the Town Hall. In 1928 some internal remodelling saw the introduction of a cinema room and Art Deco entrance leadlight doors. Outside the Town Hall is a cast iron drinking fountain erected in 1890 to commemorate the arrival of reservoir water from Beetaloo Dam. School of Mines, Ellen Street on cnr of Robert Street. This important building was built in two stages, the southern half being built in 1866 as a Baptist Chapel (with a manse next door). In 1891 it became the School of Mines, the first school outside Adelaide for the training of adults and youths in trades and bookwork. The northern half of the School of Mines was built in 1903 to match the southern half. It is a fine limestone building in the Gothic style with a pediment to the roofline. When the School of Mines opened in 1891 it started with 33 students and a government grant of £200 per annum. The first subjects taught were Mine Surveying, Mechanical Drawing and Mathematics. By 1896 there were 100 students enrolled and by 1898 this had grown to 275 students. New subjects were added to the curriculum such as Sheet Metalwork, Plumbing, Carpentry, Bookkeeping and Metallurgy. Scholarships were made available to underground mine workers and early in the 20th century the government grant increased to £1000 per annum. There is a stable block next to the building. The Uniting Church, Robert Street facing Queen’s Square. This former Wesleyan Methodist Church is a grand building reflecting the prominence of Methodism amongst the Cornish miners of Moonta. £4,000 was raised to build this church in 1873. Its Gothic style is offset with some fine Mintaro slate steps and a slate roof. The pulpit, large enough to hold four speakers, is a decorative example made of imported Bath stone from England. Delabole Slate Yards in Willunga carved it. The main window facing the street and square displays stone tracery dividing the stained glass panels. The church has seven buttresses and the symmetry of the façade is emphasised by four stone spires. It is a fine example of a Gothic style church designed by architect Roland Rees. The church was placed alongside the town square to indicate its importance to the town. Mining company officials and the first Mayor of Moonta, Mr Drew worshipped here. He laid the foundation stone on October 6th 1873. The adjoining hall was built in 1866. Shop – formerly an Institute Building at 55 George Street. This quaint building was the third Institute erected in Moonta. It dates from 1870. The land was donated by David Bowers for the Institute. It is a classical designed building with Greek triangular pediments above the two doors and a rounded arch over the central window. It has had many uses in latter years. The current veranda ruins the classical appearance of the building and it must be seen from across the street to appreciate its architecture. Note the round louvred roof vent. Former Bank of South Australia, 46 George Street. Built in 1864, this was the first bank in Moonta. It later became the Union Bank. The arched porch is very distinctive and the quoins around the windows and corners give the building an attractive frontage. The Moonta Mining Company banked here. Old Union Bank, Ellen Street. This grand façade dates from 1865 when it was opened as the Bank of South Australia, later becoming the Union Bank in 1892 and trading as a bank until 1943. The façade is noted for its classical arches, symmetry and balustrades along the parapet roof. This is the finest commercial building in Moonta. Note the wooden louvred rounded window on the southern wall, the bricked up one, and the five half rounded windows of grand proportions and two half rounded doors on the front. Note the fine scrollwork around the windows. You can still faintly see “Union Bank” on the front parapet.

Moonta Mines. Old copper mining site building. Tourist railway takes visitors to various mines sites including this copper recovery site which operated 1923 to 1943 after the mines closed in 1922.
Moonta Mines and the Hughes Enginehouse. After the May 1861 race between Hughes’ man William Horn and Patrick Ryan and his associates to register the Moonta mining lease a lengthy legal process began for the validation of Walter Watson Hughes’ mining rights to the site. Although the legal battle was not settled until 1864 Hughes acted quickly and formed the Tipara Mineral Association, later the Moonta Mining association, with himself, Edward Stirling, John Taylor, Robert Barr Smith, (Sir)Thomas Elder, G Waterhouse and G. Hall. Hundreds of Cornish miners were attracted to the town directly from Cornwall although some came from Kapunda. The government resumed some parts of Hughes’ pastoral lease to lay out the towns of Kadina and the port of Wallaroo. Moonta was surveyed and town blocks sold in April 1863. As they sold quickly most Moonta settlers lived in cottages and shanties on the mining leasehold lands in settlements such as Hamley Flat, Moonta Mines, Yelta, Cross Roads etc. By 1870 the population of Moonta reached 10,000 people with 6,000 on the mining lease lands. Coal was shipped in to the Moonta mines from Newcastle as it was needed to fire the boiler houses and the water pumps for the mine. The copper lodes were up to 700 metres below the surface although most worked lodes were less than 300 metres below the surface and the main lodes were named Elder’s lode, Elder West lode, Beddomes lode, Greens lode and Fergusson lode. Each lode had one or more deep shafts with the main ones being Washington’s shaft, Stirling’s shaft, Taylor’s shaft and Hughes’ shaft etc. There were a number of enginehouses across Moonta mines Hughes’s, Richman’s and Elder’s. Hughes enginehouse had Smith’s (Robert Barr Smith), Hughes, Elders, Duncan and Bennetts shafts nearby. Next to the enginehouse was the boilerhouse which created steam for the enginehouse which pumped water out of the deep shafts. Nearby was a winching house to winch items and miners down the shafts but mainly to bring ore to the surface. Nearby were the settling tanks for water pumped from the shafts, the concentration plant and the crushing plant. These processes and structures were needed near most mine shafts. Also near Hughes enginehouse were the stables and the workshops for the repair and in some cases manufacture of equipment etc. 300 men and boys were employed in Hughes workshops alone. The Hughes’ engine house serviced Smith’s, Waterhouse’s and Elder’s shafts and others and it was primarily responsible to pumping water out of mine shafts. Hughe’s 60 inch Cornish beam pumping engine was installed in a fine stone building in 1865 and it operated continuously without any major break down from then until the mine closure in 1923. It required constant works to keep fire up to the boilers. It could pump water from a depth of 700 metres (2,500 feet) with four strokes of the pump a minute. Near this main shaft were workshops, the mine offices, the manager’s residence (Captain Hancock) etc. In other areas of the mine works were the brick kiln, the assay office, the powder magazine, processing plants and several major areas for the tailings debris bought to the surface from the mine shafts. The Hughes enginehouse was built of limestone and still remains but without the pump. Near it are the ruins of Elder’s enginehouse and the Hughes water pool or reservoir. Captain Hancock managed the Hughes’ mines from 1864 to 1898. Under his management the mine grew quickly with 1,200 men and boys employed as early as 1865. Across the main road are the remains of Richman’s enginehouse, Richman’s Tailings Heap which can be climbed, the compressor house and the crushing plant etc. Richman’s enginehouse which was built from 1867 to 1869 was mainly used to power the crushing and dressing machinery of Taylor’s Shaft the deepest shaft on the Moonta fields. Taylor’s shaft which descended 2,520 feet beneath the surface had its water pumped out by the Hughes enginehouse from some distance away. The ruins of the crushing and concentrating plants beside Taylor’s shaft are quite impressive. Some of the ruins of the crusher house erected in 1869 in local stone remain beside Richman’s enginehouse. All mining required explosives, mainly gun powder and later dynamite and the ruins of the Moonta Mines explosives magazine still exist near the old Moonta Mines School. In 1890 the Wallaroo and Moonta Mines amalgamated. The combined companies employed on average around 1,900 people a year in the mines and smelters. The peak year for employment was 1906 when the company hired 2,700 men. This followed a disastrous fire in 1904 when the large Taylor Shaft and poppet was destroyed by fire. There were three main shafts operating at the Wallaroo Mines by 1906, the Boors, Hughes and Office shafts. Between 1860 and 1923 when the mine finally closed down the Wallaroo Mine alone produced almost £10,000 million worth of copper and the combined mine with Moonta produced over £20,000 million worth of copper. After the closure of the mine buildings were stripped of anything saleable and most were demolished. As the population dwindled the cottages on the mining lease land were generally demolished but a few still remain. At Moonta Mines a few non-mining buildings remain the government school (1877-1968) now the National Trust Museum, Moonta Mines Methodist Church (1865) with a seating capacity of 1,250 parishioners and a typical miner’s cottage (1870) now a National Trust museum. At East Moonta there is a former Methodist Church built in 1872. Moonta Town centre. White settlement really began in the district in 1861. The first miners in the Copper Triangle were Cornish miners moving down from Burra. The majority of settlers though came directly as sponsored immigrants from Cornwall. In 1865 some 43% of all immigrants to SA came from Cornwall. The Copper Triangle towns of Moonta-Wallaroo- Kadina had 12,000 people by 1890, representing about 10% of Adelaide’s population which was only 130,000. Consequently government services for the area were given priority and by 1878 the Triangle had a daily rail connecting service to Adelaide via Port Wakefield, Balaklava and Hamley Bridge. Apart from their mining skills the Cornish brought with them their religious faith hence the numerous Methodist chapels and churches in the area. All three branches of Methodism were well represented- Bible Christian Methodists, Primitive Methodists and Wesleyan Methodists. The 1891 census showed that 80% of the residents of the Moonta district were Methodists. Not surprisingly the Moonta Methodist Circuit (like a synod) had more church members than the big circuits in Adelaide such as Pirie Street, Norwood or Kent Town. At one stage there were 14 Methodist churches in Moonta with a further 10 in Wallaroo/Kadina. As the Cornish used to say “Methodist churches are as common as currents in a cake.” The pulpits of the churches provided good training ground for public speaking as lay preachers were often used in these churches. One such trainee was John Verran who was Premier of SA between 1910-12. He once remarked “he was a MP because he was a PM” i.e Primitive Methodist! Moonta was declared a town in 1863; the local Council was instituted in 1872; and by 1873 the town had 80 businesses, five hotels, numerous churches, its own newspaper, four banks and an Institute. A horse tramway connected the suburbs of Moonta Mines, Moonta and Moonta Bay. Other “suburban” areas of Moonta were Yelta, North Yelta, Cross Roads and Hamley Flat. When the mines closed in 1923 many left the town. During the lunch break look for some of these great historical buildings: Moonta Town Hall, George Street facing the Square. This prominent structure was built in 1885 as the fourth local institute, using volunteer labour. Mrs Corpe, wife of the then chairman of the Institute committee and a major Moonta mines investor, laid the foundation stone and the Governor of South Australia, Sir W. C. F. Robinson opened the building. Thomas Smeaton of Adelaide designed it. The grand design reflects the prosperity of the times for Moonta. It has a three storey clock tower with French metal roof, classical half round windows, and the ground level window sills have the original metal spikes on them to stop loitering! The clock tower was added in 1907 and the new clock faces were fitted in 1963. Around 1907 the Institute became the Town Hall. In 1928 some internal remodelling saw the introduction of a cinema room and Art Deco entrance leadlight doors. Outside the Town Hall is a cast iron drinking fountain erected in 1890 to commemorate the arrival of reservoir water from Beetaloo Dam. School of Mines, Ellen Street on cnr of Robert Street. This important building was built in two stages, the southern half being built in 1866 as a Baptist Chapel (with a manse next door). In 1891 it became the School of Mines, the first school outside Adelaide for the training of adults and youths in trades and bookwork. The northern half of the School of Mines was built in 1903 to match the southern half. It is a fine limestone building in the Gothic style with a pediment to the roofline. When the School of Mines opened in 1891 it started with 33 students and a government grant of £200 per annum. The first subjects taught were Mine Surveying, Mechanical Drawing and Mathematics. By 1896 there were 100 students enrolled and by 1898 this had grown to 275 students. New subjects were added to the curriculum such as Sheet Metalwork, Plumbing, Carpentry, Bookkeeping and Metallurgy. Scholarships were made available to underground mine workers and early in the 20th century the government grant increased to £1000 per annum. There is a stable block next to the building. The Uniting Church, Robert Street facing Queen’s Square. This former Wesleyan Methodist Church is a grand building reflecting the prominence of Methodism amongst the Cornish miners of Moonta. £4,000 was raised to build this church in 1873. Its Gothic style is offset with some fine Mintaro slate steps and a slate roof. The pulpit, large enough to hold four speakers, is a decorative example made of imported Bath stone from England. Delabole Slate Yards in Willunga carved it. The main window facing the street and square displays stone tracery dividing the stained glass panels. The church has seven buttresses and the symmetry of the façade is emphasised by four stone spires. It is a fine example of a Gothic style church designed by architect Roland Rees. The church was placed alongside the town square to indicate its importance to the town. Mining company officials and the first Mayor of Moonta, Mr Drew worshipped here. He laid the foundation stone on October 6th 1873. The adjoining hall was built in 1866. Shop – formerly an Institute Building at 55 George Street. This quaint building was the third Institute erected in Moonta. It dates from 1870. The land was donated by David Bowers for the Institute. It is a classical designed building with Greek triangular pediments above the two doors and a rounded arch over the central window. It has had many uses in latter years. The current veranda ruins the classical appearance of the building and it must be seen from across the street to appreciate its architecture. Note the round louvred roof vent. Former Bank of South Australia, 46 George Street. Built in 1864, this was the first bank in Moonta. It later became the Union Bank. The arched porch is very distinctive and the quoins around the windows and corners give the building an attractive frontage. The Moonta Mining Company banked here. Old Union Bank, Ellen Street. This grand façade dates from 1865 when it was opened as the Bank of South Australia, later becoming the Union Bank in 1892 and trading as a bank until 1943. The façade is noted for its classical arches, symmetry and balustrades along the parapet roof. This is the finest commercial building in Moonta. Note the wooden louvred rounded window on the southern wall, the bricked up one, and the five half rounded windows of grand proportions and two half rounded doors on the front. Note the fine scrollwork around the windows. You can still faintly see “Union Bank” on the front parapet.

Moonta Mines. Old copper mining town. Old shop front in the Moonta Mines Museum in the old government school,built in 1878.
Moonta Mines and the Hughes Enginehouse. After the May 1861 race between Hughes’ man William Horn and Patrick Ryan and his associates to register the Moonta mining lease a lengthy legal process began for the validation of Walter Watson Hughes’ mining rights to the site. Although the legal battle was not settled until 1864 Hughes acted quickly and formed the Tipara Mineral Association, later the Moonta Mining association, with himself, Edward Stirling, John Taylor, Robert Barr Smith, (Sir)Thomas Elder, G Waterhouse and G. Hall. Hundreds of Cornish miners were attracted to the town directly from Cornwall although some came from Kapunda. The government resumed some parts of Hughes’ pastoral lease to lay out the towns of Kadina and the port of Wallaroo. Moonta was surveyed and town blocks sold in April 1863. As they sold quickly most Moonta settlers lived in cottages and shanties on the mining leasehold lands in settlements such as Hamley Flat, Moonta Mines, Yelta, Cross Roads etc. By 1870 the population of Moonta reached 10,000 people with 6,000 on the mining lease lands. Coal was shipped in to the Moonta mines from Newcastle as it was needed to fire the boiler houses and the water pumps for the mine. The copper lodes were up to 700 metres below the surface although most worked lodes were less than 300 metres below the surface and the main lodes were named Elder’s lode, Elder West lode, Beddomes lode, Greens lode and Fergusson lode. Each lode had one or more deep shafts with the main ones being Washington’s shaft, Stirling’s shaft, Taylor’s shaft and Hughes’ shaft etc. There were a number of enginehouses across Moonta mines Hughes’s, Richman’s and Elder’s. Hughes enginehouse had Smith’s (Robert Barr Smith), Hughes, Elders, Duncan and Bennetts shafts nearby. Next to the enginehouse was the boilerhouse which created steam for the enginehouse which pumped water out of the deep shafts. Nearby was a winching house to winch items and miners down the shafts but mainly to bring ore to the surface. Nearby were the settling tanks for water pumped from the shafts, the concentration plant and the crushing plant. These processes and structures were needed near most mine shafts. Also near Hughes enginehouse were the stables and the workshops for the repair and in some cases manufacture of equipment etc. 300 men and boys were employed in Hughes workshops alone. The Hughes’ engine house serviced Smith’s, Waterhouse’s and Elder’s shafts and others and it was primarily responsible to pumping water out of mine shafts. Hughe’s 60 inch Cornish beam pumping engine was installed in a fine stone building in 1865 and it operated continuously without any major break down from then until the mine closure in 1923. It required constant works to keep fire up to the boilers. It could pump water from a depth of 700 metres (2,500 feet) with four strokes of the pump a minute. Near this main shaft were workshops, the mine offices, the manager’s residence (Captain Hancock) etc. In other areas of the mine works were the brick kiln, the assay office, the powder magazine, processing plants and several major areas for the tailings debris bought to the surface from the mine shafts. The Hughes enginehouse was built of limestone and still remains but without the pump. Near it are the ruins of Elder’s enginehouse and the Hughes water pool or reservoir. Captain Hancock managed the Hughes’ mines from 1864 to 1898. Under his management the mine grew quickly with 1,200 men and boys employed as early as 1865. Across the main road are the remains of Richman’s enginehouse, Richman’s Tailings Heap which can be climbed, the compressor house and the crushing plant etc. Richman’s enginehouse which was built from 1867 to 1869 was mainly used to power the crushing and dressing machinery of Taylor’s Shaft the deepest shaft on the Moonta fields. Taylor’s shaft which descended 2,520 feet beneath the surface had its water pumped out by the Hughes enginehouse from some distance away. The ruins of the crushing and concentrating plants beside Taylor’s shaft are quite impressive. Some of the ruins of the crusher house erected in 1869 in local stone remain beside Richman’s enginehouse. All mining required explosives, mainly gun powder and later dynamite and the ruins of the Moonta Mines explosives magazine still exist near the old Moonta Mines School. In 1890 the Wallaroo and Moonta Mines amalgamated. The combined companies employed on average around 1,900 people a year in the mines and smelters. The peak year for employment was 1906 when the company hired 2,700 men. This followed a disastrous fire in 1904 when the large Taylor Shaft and poppet was destroyed by fire. There were three main shafts operating at the Wallaroo Mines by 1906, the Boors, Hughes and Office shafts. Between 1860 and 1923 when the mine finally closed down the Wallaroo Mine alone produced almost £10,000 million worth of copper and the combined mine with Moonta produced over £20,000 million worth of copper. After the closure of the mine buildings were stripped of anything saleable and most were demolished. As the population dwindled the cottages on the mining lease land were generally demolished but a few still remain. At Moonta Mines a few non-mining buildings remain the government school (1877-1968) now the National Trust Museum, Moonta Mines Methodist Church (1865) with a seating capacity of 1,250 parishioners and a typical miner’s cottage (1870) now a National Trust museum. At East Moonta there is a former Methodist Church built in 1872. Moonta Town centre. White settlement really began in the district in 1861. The first miners in the Copper Triangle were Cornish miners moving down from Burra. The majority of settlers though came directly as sponsored immigrants from Cornwall. In 1865 some 43% of all immigrants to SA came from Cornwall. The Copper Triangle towns of Moonta-Wallaroo- Kadina had 12,000 people by 1890, representing about 10% of Adelaide’s population which was only 130,000. Consequently government services for the area were given priority and by 1878 the Triangle had a daily rail connecting service to Adelaide via Port Wakefield, Balaklava and Hamley Bridge. Apart from their mining skills the Cornish brought with them their religious faith hence the numerous Methodist chapels and churches in the area. All three branches of Methodism were well represented- Bible Christian Methodists, Primitive Methodists and Wesleyan Methodists. The 1891 census showed that 80% of the residents of the Moonta district were Methodists. Not surprisingly the Moonta Methodist Circuit (like a synod) had more church members than the big circuits in Adelaide such as Pirie Street, Norwood or Kent Town. At one stage there were 14 Methodist churches in Moonta with a further 10 in Wallaroo/Kadina. As the Cornish used to say “Methodist churches are as common as currents in a cake.” The pulpits of the churches provided good training ground for public speaking as lay preachers were often used in these churches. One such trainee was John Verran who was Premier of SA between 1910-12. He once remarked “he was a MP because he was a PM” i.e Primitive Methodist! Moonta was declared a town in 1863; the local Council was instituted in 1872; and by 1873 the town had 80 businesses, five hotels, numerous churches, its own newspaper, four banks and an Institute. A horse tramway connected the suburbs of Moonta Mines, Moonta and Moonta Bay. Other “suburban” areas of Moonta were Yelta, North Yelta, Cross Roads and Hamley Flat. When the mines closed in 1923 many left the town. During the lunch break look for some of these great historical buildings: Moonta Town Hall, George Street facing the Square. This prominent structure was built in 1885 as the fourth local institute, using volunteer labour. Mrs Corpe, wife of the then chairman of the Institute committee and a major Moonta mines investor, laid the foundation stone and the Governor of South Australia, Sir W. C. F. Robinson opened the building. Thomas Smeaton of Adelaide designed it. The grand design reflects the prosperity of the times for Moonta. It has a three storey clock tower with French metal roof, classical half round windows, and the ground level window sills have the original metal spikes on them to stop loitering! The clock tower was added in 1907 and the new clock faces were fitted in 1963. Around 1907 the Institute became the Town Hall. In 1928 some internal remodelling saw the introduction of a cinema room and Art Deco entrance leadlight doors. Outside the Town Hall is a cast iron drinking fountain erected in 1890 to commemorate the arrival of reservoir water from Beetaloo Dam. School of Mines, Ellen Street on cnr of Robert Street. This important building was built in two stages, the southern half being built in 1866 as a Baptist Chapel (with a manse next door). In 1891 it became the School of Mines, the first school outside Adelaide for the training of adults and youths in trades and bookwork. The northern half of the School of Mines was built in 1903 to match the southern half. It is a fine limestone building in the Gothic style with a pediment to the roofline. When the School of Mines opened in 1891 it started with 33 students and a government grant of £200 per annum. The first subjects taught were Mine Surveying, Mechanical Drawing and Mathematics. By 1896 there were 100 students enrolled and by 1898 this had grown to 275 students. New subjects were added to the curriculum such as Sheet Metalwork, Plumbing, Carpentry, Bookkeeping and Metallurgy. Scholarships were made available to underground mine workers and early in the 20th century the government grant increased to £1000 per annum. There is a stable block next to the building. The Uniting Church, Robert Street facing Queen’s Square. This former Wesleyan Methodist Church is a grand building reflecting the prominence of Methodism amongst the Cornish miners of Moonta. £4,000 was raised to build this church in 1873. Its Gothic style is offset with some fine Mintaro slate steps and a slate roof. The pulpit, large enough to hold four speakers, is a decorative example made of imported Bath stone from England. Delabole Slate Yards in Willunga carved it. The main window facing the street and square displays stone tracery dividing the stained glass panels. The church has seven buttresses and the symmetry of the façade is emphasised by four stone spires. It is a fine example of a Gothic style church designed by architect Roland Rees. The church was placed alongside the town square to indicate its importance to the town. Mining company officials and the first Mayor of Moonta, Mr Drew worshipped here. He laid the foundation stone on October 6th 1873. The adjoining hall was built in 1866. Shop – formerly an Institute Building at 55 George Street. This quaint building was the third Institute erected in Moonta. It dates from 1870. The land was donated by David Bowers for the Institute. It is a classical designed building with Greek triangular pediments above the two doors and a rounded arch over the central window. It has had many uses in latter years. The current veranda ruins the classical appearance of the building and it must be seen from across the street to appreciate its architecture. Note the round louvred roof vent. Former Bank of South Australia, 46 George Street. Built in 1864, this was the first bank in Moonta. It later became the Union Bank. The arched porch is very distinctive and the quoins around the windows and corners give the building an attractive frontage. The Moonta Mining Company banked here. Old Union Bank, Ellen Street. This grand façade dates from 1865 when it was opened as the Bank of South Australia, later becoming the Union Bank in 1892 and trading as a bank until 1943. The façade is noted for its classical arches, symmetry and balustrades along the parapet roof. This is the finest commercial building in Moonta. Note the wooden louvred rounded window on the southern wall, the bricked up one, and the five half rounded windows of grand proportions and two half rounded doors on the front. Note the fine scrollwork around the windows. You can still faintly see “Union Bank” on the front parapet.

Smeatons Tower, Plymouth
The infamous lighthouse that was once out to sea now on the shore in Plymouth.

Arches View
View of 'Smeaton's Pier' extension (1890's), in St.Ives Harbour, looking out across St.Ives Bay through the arches. [ these were designed to allow water movement and reduce sand build up.]

A World Without Britons
A World Without Britons Imagine a world without Britons. In traditional white, we have Newton: the giant upon whose shoulders the team can stand. The defence is built on solid foundations courtesy of Thomas Telford. He is assisted by Logie Baird who is there to see the bigger picture with Alexander Graham Bell being a good communicator. The midfield is a real engine room, though Richard Trevithick and Robert Stephenson could steam in too much, though James Watt could be relied upon to provide energy and workrate. Bazalgette would always be a good outlet with Barnes Wallis being a crashing and innovative presence on the right. Whittle would be a jet speedster upfront with Faraday providing a spark. In change strip red, we have Nelson setting a platform for the team. Smeaton would build the foundations, much the same as Telford, but with Darwin alongside him defining the origins of how the game evolved. Turing and Babbage would the mainstays of an analytical right hand side with computer-like efficiency. Jenner and Fleming on the left would guarantee ultimate protection. Dunlop in midfield would make sure everyone else would be more mobile, whereas Harrison would keep perfect timing. Up front, a real Rolls Royce partnership.

Smeaton’s Pier, St Ives
53848034519_2b3c957263_b

Smeaton's Bridge.
1766-71. River Tay, Perth, Scotland.

Towers of the Sea
New Brighton lighthouse tower construction began in 1827 by Tomkinson & Company using blocks of interlocking Anglesey granite using dovetail joints and marble dowels. It was designed to use many of the same construction techniques used in the building of John Smeaton's Eddystone Lighthouse 70 years earlier. Perch Rock lighthouse. New Brighton Wirral Peninsular.

automaton
Smeatons Tower, The Hoe, Plymouth

the morning after
The Hoe, Plymouth, Devon

In Smeaton woods
Competing perspectives … AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER versus AMATEUR TREE SPOTTER. In the dark wood the wind was blowing the branches and I had to use a very high ISO to prevent motion blur. The quality of the image is therefore too low for an accurate identification of this tree. One suggestion is PRUNUS SEROTINA but I need to go back again with my SPOTTER brain switched on!