page_title: Venus State Battery
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Venus State Battery / Description
caption_attribution_description: An old gold mill at Charters Towers. All machinery is still in place
context_page_description: Venus State Battery is a heritage-listed stamper battery at MacDonald Street, Millchester, Charters Towers, Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1872. It is also known as Venus Gold Battery and Venus Mill. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
context_section_description: A group of timber frame, corrugated iron clad buildings comprising an almost intact crushing and treatment plant. The battery shed contains four ore bins, a rockbreaker, four 5 head stamp batteries including three with timber blankets draining to three wilfley tables, and six berdan pans. The battery shed also houses a forge, workshop and office. Brick flues connect with the base of a square brick chimney, the boiler having been removed in favour of electric mains power in 1946.
  Cyanide plant sheds immediately north of the battery shed house seven agitator vats, clarifier vats, solution tanks a Forward Down grinding pan, two motor sheds and a gold room. The place also contains three groups of concrete and brick rendered tailings tanks, a fibro clad assay office, corrugated iron toilet, and a weighbridge and corrugated iron office. A Cornish boiler has been adapted upside down as an elevated water tank. A concrete weir is located on Gladstone Creek. An abandoned house on Lot 1\MPH1536 New Street is adjacent to and associated with the battery.
  Surviving plant includes:
  Forward Down grinding pan
  Five-head battery & frame, mortar box - Walkers Limited No 156
  Five-head battery & frame, mortar box - Walkers Limited No 168
  2 Five-head batteries and frames - no brands
  6 Berdan pans
  7 Cyanide vats
  Rock breaker
  3 Wilfley tables
  Weighbridge
  Cornish boiler (converted to an elevated water tank)
caption: Interior of the Venus State Battery, 2015
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