The Woolgar Goldfields Industrial Archaeology of Capitalism 1879-1939 by Victor Jean Taylor.
Chillagoe, Queensland, Australia.
The forerunner to the later established Chillagoe smelter was a piecemeal smelter
project by Moffat in 1894 to handle the copper from the nearby Boomerang mine. The
Calcifer was the only treatment plant erected by Moffat that was without a dam
presumably because the small creek running through the smelter site was only fed by an
insignificant spring (Kerr 1995: 19). In any event the lifespan of the small smelter and
the fading ore bodies of the Boomerang mine curtailed the Calcifer’s production to a
mere 6 years before the better financed and equipped Chillagoe smelter was established
nearby (Kerr 1995: 20-1). The history of Calcifer’s smelting is well documented by
Kerr (1995) and has been particularly chosen to demonstrate the marginality of frontier
mining towns. The field diary’s notation is of the opinion that the archaeology of this
small settlement is probably that of a palimpsest that includes the 1937 reworkings of
the Boomerang, Harper and Christmas Gift mines. The presumed remnants of the
smelter would seem to be an engine bed besides a concrete pad on the northern side of
the creek. The part of a boiler’s steel chimney mentioned by Kerr (1995: 21) had
disappeared by the time of the author’s short visit in 2002 armed with a copy of a
photograph of the area that was said to have been taken in 1900 (see Figure 7:14).
Figure 7—14: Calcifer Smelter and township circa 1900 (photo John Oxley Library)
Access to the site is via a well marked ‘Private’ driveway which passes the remnants of a
stone building on the way to the homestead. The archaeological features of an area near
the smelter site features what looked like four inlaid flagon stone entrances to possible
huts and a very noticeable scattering of intact torpedo-shaped glass lemonade bottles
with no traceable trademark. Bottles of that shape usually date from the late 19th to
early 20th century and seeing that the glass was unblemished indicates a post-1914
manufacture (eg. Arnold 1990: 136-38). In addition, the brick scatter seen in the area
included the occasional Gartcraig brick later found to be of Scottish origin after
conferring with Kerr (1995: 21).
Brian Tarbuck states this brick was found in Augusta, Maine, USA while replacing a water pipe. Allan & Mann, Port Eglinton, Glasgow Alternative brickworks include: Rutherglen Pottery, Glasgow. Mallsmire Works, Myrtle Park, Crosshill, Glasgow. ,
Found by John Barnard at Fitzroy, Falkland Islands. Stein, Castlecary Fireclay Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Stein, Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross, Stirlingshire. Stein & Co, Anchor Brickworks, Denny, Stirlingshire. Milnquarter Fireclay & Gannister Works, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire .
Many thanks to Vladimir Smirnov for highlighting this brick to me which was found in the vicinity of the St. Petersburg Region, Gatchina Region, Russia by a brick collector, Alexander Korolev. It was discovered the stove of a private house. Stein, Castlecary Fireclay Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Stein, Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross, Stirlingshire. Stein &…
Found by Glyn Harrison at an unknown location in New Zealand. This example is not in my possession. Douglas Fireclay Works, Dalry, Ayrshire. The reference to Bigelow on this special undoubtedly refers to the Bigelow Arch Company of Detroit, USA. Bigelow-Liptak Corporation was originally incorporated in 1927 with the merger of the Bigelow Arch Company of…
Found by Ken Sousa in Massachusetts, USA. Gartcraig Fire Clay Works, By Millerston, Glasgow. . . . .
Found by Claudio Ernesto Rios. Claudio states – The bricks were found in the City of Zárate, Buenos Aires, Argentina. In a fridge (almost totally destroyed today) the fridge’s name was Smithfield Refrigerator of English capital, built in 1903, so I would believe those bricks were manufactured in the last decade of the 19th century….
Found by Patricio Peralta in an old bakery, Lincoln, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. “Calder British Made”. Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co Ltd, Bonnybridge. alt Calder Firebrick Works, Airdrie, Lanarkshire. alt Chapelhall Works, Lanarkshire. Hepworth Ceramic Holdings plc (GR-Stein Refractories Ltd. parent co) bought the Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co. Ltd in 1972, closed Bonnybridge…
Found by Senja Salmi in Sääksjärvi, Mäntsälä, Finland. Senja states – We are not sure how old this house is but at least about 100 years old and it was built by the last blacksmith of this village. Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co Ltd, Bonnybridge. alt Calder Firebrick Works, Airdrie, Lanarkshire. alt Chapelhall Works, Lanarkshire….
Found by Hans Nilsson in the sea at Furuögrund, Sweden. Hans states – The brick was found in Furuögrund north of Skellefteå. Furuögrund was the port where wood products from the area where produced and shipped. At many places ballast was left. The ballast, usually stone not found in Sweden…like flint and sometimes even a…
Found by Sarina Martin in Bremerhaven, Germany. Prestongrange Brick, Tile and Fireclay Works, Prestonpans, East Lothian. . . . .
