Cornish Mining Heritage - History Trust of South Australia

Cornish Mining Heritage
The significance of the Australian Cornish Mining
Heritage Site – Burra and Moonta Mines
Greg Drew
Senior Geologist
Mineral Resources Group
Primary Industries and
Resources SA
Member
Cornish Mining Heritage
Working Group

Justification for Inscription
The Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape was inscribed on the
World Heritage List under the following criteria.
Criterion (a) (ii):
Exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span
of time, or within a cultural area of the world, on developments
in…technology…
Criterion (a) (iii):
Bear a unique, or at least exceptional, testimony to a cultural
tradition…which is living or which has disappeared.
Criterion (a) (iv):
Be an outstanding example of a type of … technological ensemble
or (and) landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in
human history.

“World Heritage status recognises
Cornish mining’s fundamental
influence on World hard rock
mining, ore dressing and in
particular steam engine technology
during the 19th century.
During this time Cornwall
developed a distinctive regional
identity which took on global
significance with mass migration of
Cornish culture after 1840.
Cornish technology embodied in its
engines, engine houses and
mining equipment was exported
around the world along with its
mining culture”.

The significance of the Australian Cornish Mining
Heritage Site – Burra and Moonta Mines (1845-1923)
Criterion (a) (ii):
Exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time,
or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in…technology…
Technological advances
• Cornish mining and ore dressing methods
• The Cornish Beam Engine and enginehouse
Criterion (a) (iii):
Bear a unique, or at least exceptional, testimony to a cultural
tradition…which is living or which has disappeared.
Cornish people and cultural traditions
• Mine management
• Tribute and Tutwork employment systems
• Survey or Setting Day
• Sampling Day
• Engine Opening Day

Cornish Mining
A Cornish mine, 1830
• Mining in Cornwall dates back to c.1800BC.
• The first underground mining began in the 16 th
Century.
• By 1750 copper mining began on a large scale and
by 1800, Cornwall was the principal mining area of
the World.
• This dominance continued until 1850, when
Cornish mining was at its peak and from then
declined until the great crash in 1866 and by 1880
copper mining had virtually ceased.
• For more than a century Cornish miners were
regarded as the best hard rock miners in the world.

Cornish Mining Methods Criterion (aii)
• Cornish mines worked tabular or
rectangular mineral deposits known
as veins or lodes.
• Depending on the dip of the lode,
a shaft was sunk vertically to
intersect the lode or inclined
following the lode.
• At 10 fathoms depth (60ft or 18m)
a horizontal level or drive was
excavated in both directions and
further shafts sunk at intervals of
50 fm for ventilation.
• Further levels were driven at 10
fm intervals thus dividing the mine
into masses 50x10 fm.
• These were further subdivided by
internal shafts or winzes into
masses 16-20x10 fm.

• These masses were then surveyed
into blocks called pitches.
• Opening up of the mine was called
tutwork which prepared the lode for
extraction of ore or tribute.
• Hence two kinds of work were
undertaken – development and ore
extraction. These were carried out
simultaneously allowing the concept
of ore reserves (or eyes) to be
established.
• In raising ore, miners worked from
the back or upper part of one level
towards the bottom of another.
• The resultant excavation or stope
arranged for ore to fall to the level
below and wheeled in trucks
(tramming) to a hauling shaft.

Level Intervals
1-11 10 fathoms
12-16 15 fathoms
17-29 20 fathoms
Plan

Shot holes were drilled by hammer and tap method
until the 1890s when replaced by drilling machines.

Hand drilling blast holes at Wallaroo Mines, c.1910

Overhand stoping at Wallaroo Mines, c.1915.

Loading from an ore stope in a well timbered drive, Wallaroo Mine c.1915

• The practical direction of all
Cornish mines was undertaken by
mine captains. These included
underground captains and surface
or grass captains. The principal
captain was usually the mine
manager.
•Other salaried staff included the
Purser (or accountant), Assayer,
Pitman, Engineer and Doctor. All
staff were provided with housing on
the mine property.
• At its peak, the Moonta Mine
employed almost 1600 men and
boys, including 18 captains and
other officers.
Mine Management Criterion (aiii)

• Cornish mines were worked by forms
of contract employment called Tribute
and Tutwork.
• Tutwork involved the development of
the mine (dead work) by sinking of
shafts and driving of levels.
• Tribute was used for extraction of ore
and each party of miners or pare was
paid a proportion of the value of ore.
• The underground workings were
surveyed into blocks or pitches.
• Each pitch and tutwork contract or
take was numbered and let by public
auction on Survey or Setting Day for a
period of two months.
• Each pare was responsible for
breaking and sorting ore, tramming to a
shaft, and paying for hauling and ore
dressing of ore, candles, tools and
gunpowder.
Tribute and Tutwork Criterion (aiii)
Examples of tributors’ ore records, Burra Mine 1865

Longitudinal section along Hoggs Lode, Moonta Mine c.1880
Enlargement showing
tribute pitches

Survey or Setting Day Criterion (aiii)
• Each contact or take lasted for two months
after which another contract was let.
• The day when miners were paid for the
previous take and took new contacts was
known as Survey or Setting day. This was a
traditional holiday for Cornish miners.
• The pares bid against each other for the
various tribute pitches and tutwork contracts,
the lowest bid being successful.
• The bids were given as a value per £. eg. 1/6
tribute would mean the pare would be paid 1/6
for each £ of the total value of their ore.
• The tribute was controlled by the richness of
the ore contained therein. If it were rich
perhaps 4/- or 5/- tribute would pay the men
fair wages, whereas if it were poor 10/- or more
might be required.
• At the next renewal of the pitch, the tribute
rate was readjusted until the lode failed. A
subsist was advanced to pares until the next
survey day.

Cornish Ore Dressing Criterion (aii)
• Ore from shafts was hand-picked at the
surface into high grade (prills), low grade
(drage or halvans) or waste (attle).
• Prills reduced to walnut size and sent
for smelting.
• Drage reduced to sand size and sent to
ore floors for concentration or dressing by
jigging and buddling.
• Up to the introduction of mechanised
dressing machinery after 1860, ore
dressing was very labour intensive
employing large numbers of men and
boys.
• Women or bal maidens were also
employed in dressing ore but this tradition
was not implemented at Burra or Moonta
Cornish ore dressing process, c.1850

Ore sorting floors
Wallaroo Mine, 1890

Cornish crusherhouse,
c.1860
Richmans Crushing and Dressing
Complex, Moonta Mine, 1890

Cornish Hand jigger
Dressing floors, Sliding Rock Mine,1875

Burra Ore Dressing Floors, 1858

Cornish buddles, Moonta Mine, c.1890

• During a take, each pare’s
concentrated ore was placed in a
separate pile.
• These piles were flat topped and
up to 0.75m high with and 4m
square.
• At the end of a take each pile
had to be sampled to determine
the amount of copper as the
miners were paid on that basis.
• To ensure a representative
sample, the tributors ensured that
the pile was thoroughly mixed by
re-turning and cutting.
• The company sampler then
bagged a small sample for assay.
• A set of portable scales was
then used to weigh the pile a
hundredweight at a time.
Sampling Day Criterion (aiii)
Sampling Day, Burra Mine 1858. From a painting by Wm Bentley

Settling Up Criterion (aiii)
• A weighed amount of each sample
was dried and re-weighed to determine
the water content.
• This ore sample was taken to the mine
Assay Office where the copper content
was determined by fire assay.
• This assay value and the net weight of
the tributors’ pile allowed the total
amount of copper and hence its value to
be calculated.
• The assay value was critical as it
determined the pare’s payment.
• Many disputes arose concerning the
value so an independent value was
obtained for comparison.
• Dissatisfaction with the company’s
assays led to a four month strike at
Burra in 1848.

Cornish Steam Technology Criterion (aii)
From the early1700s, Cornwall
played a leading role in the
development of the stream engine
used to pump water from its
mines, haul ore to the surface and
crush it.
Newcomen engine, 1712
Watt engine, 1769
The first engine installed was a
Newcomen engine in 1712. This
was later modified by Boulton
and Watt and first installed in
Cornwall in 1777.

The Cornish Beam Engine
• Steam power was the greatest technical
innovation of the Industrial Revolution and
Cornwall was central to its introduction and
development.
• After 1800, Cornish engineers began to
develop the high pressure steam engine
into what became known as the Cornish
Beam Engine.
• This was further advanced by other
Cornish engineers reaching its peak about
1850. More than 2000 were erected in
Cornwall of which about 200 survive.
• Cornish engineering technology was
exported to other mining areas from the
mid 1820s including Mexico, S. Australia,
Spain and S. Africa.
• In SA, 23 Cornish engines were erected
in the period 1848-1888 and the last to stop
work was in 1923. All were made in
Cornish foundries. In the 1860s and 1870s
about 16 were working at one time in SA.

Cornish Engines in South Australia
(4)
(10)
(1)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(3)
(8)
(1)
(1)

The Cornish Enginehouse
The enginehouse supported the engine
cylinder and beam and was part of the
structure of the engine. There were four
types of enginehouses.
Balance
weight
Shears
Front view
Man Capstan
Side view

Draft Enginehouse, Kapunda Mine, 1849
30-inch beam rotative engine erected in 1848 –
the first in Australia

Elders Enginehouse, Wallaroo Mines
80-inch pumping engine erected in 1888 –
the last in South Australia

Pitmen in front of Elders Enginehouse,
Wallaroo Mine c.1900
Cornish Pitmen
Pitmen tending Cornish
pumping gear, Cornwall

Cornish Pitwork
Burra Mine
Clack piece
Strapping plates
Rising main
Cistern

Beam pumping and winding enginehouses, Burra Mine
Cornish Enginehouses
Examples of all four variations
of Cornish enginehouses
survive in South Australia
In-house beam enginehouse, Worthing Mine, Hallett Cove Bull enginehouse, North Rhine Mine

Cornish Mining Landscapes Criterion (aiv)
Moonta Mine, South Australia Great Flat Lode, Cornwall
Real del Monte, Mexico Linares, Spain

• From the advent of steam
technology it became a traditional
Cornish custom that the starting
day of a steam pumping engine
was celebrated with much pomp
and ceremony.
• This custom continued in SA
with most of the 15 Cornish
pumping engines erected
between 1848 and 1888 having
recorded Opening Days.
• On starting of the engine, a
bottle of wine was broken against
the beam and christened with the
name of mine owner, director or
mine official.
• Then followed a day (and
evening!) of festivities by
directors and miners.
Engine Opening Day Criterion (aiii)
Schneiders Enginehouse, Burra Mine, 1858.
Schneiders Engine was christened on 16 September 1852.

Bremer Mine, c.1865
Leggs Pumping engine at left was
christened in July 1859
BREMER MINE, CALLINGTON - Amongst the various developments in progress in this
colony, it affords as much satisfaction in recording the great event for the district of the
successful working of a 60 inch cylinder steam-engine at this mine, on Friday, the 24th inst.,
Midsummer-day (a day always observed by miners as a holiday in commemoration of the first
coinage of tin in Cornwall). A large concourse of persons assembled from the mines in the
district and the surrounding country to witness the interesting spectacle, the engine being the
first of the kind erected in the district, and the second in size and power in the colony. About 5
o'clock the engine was started, and worked much to the satisfaction of all concerned…..
…..At 6 o'clock about 20 gentlemen sat down to an excellent dinner prepared by Mr. Lean,
after which several toasts were drunk in honour of the mining and other interests. A
substantial dinner was also given to the men belonging to the mine at the Tavistock Hotel,
where all appeared to enjoy themselves, and every one expressed satisfaction with the
proceedings of the day, the whole of which went off with great eclat.
Observer 2 July 1859

Conclusion
Cornish Mining has been inscribed as a World Heritage Site
for its outstanding Universal Value. It was noted by UNESCO
that the story is incomplete without the international transfer of
Cornish mining technology and culture overseas.
The Australian Mining Heritage Site encompassing Burra and
Moonta Mines State Heritage Areas is exceptional testimony.
Burra Mine