page_title: Norton Goldfield
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Norton Goldfield / Description
caption_attribution_description: English: Norton Goldfield, Chimney (2009)
context_page_description: Norton Goldfield is a heritage-listed former mine at Norton Road, near Nagoorin, Boyne Valley, Gladstone Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1870s to 1941. It is also known as Milton Goldfield. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 27 October 2006.
context_section_description: The Norton Goldfield is accessed via Norton Road which exits the village of Nargoorin to the east. Travel along this roadway in a northeast direction for approximately 12 kilometres (7.5 mi).
  The gold roasting furnace site consists of four parallel 22 by 2.75 metres (72.2 by 9.0 ft) brick plinths with collapsed brick arched roofs, interpreted as being roasting furnace bases. The plinths are separated by approximately 5.25 metres (17.2 ft) spaces between them, one of which at least is paved (the others are largely covered with soils and rubble). The furnaces fed in pairs into two chimneys via brick and stone flues, interconnected with a cross flue between each pair. The furnace bases have flat floors that appear to have been 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) wide internally, with arched roofs about 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) high, and the floors step up towards the flue-end by one course of brick every 3 metres (9.8 ft). There are vaulted tunnels/boxes under two of the furnaces about 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) from the end opposite the flues, but there are no apparent fireboxes. The furnace bricks are not firebricks, and there is no vitrification or slag deposit in them, suggesting they were used for roasting rather than smelting.
  One chimney remains upslope of the furnaces, to 10 metres (33 ft) height. Downslope of the furnaces is a brick paved area, with water tanks and machinery footings stepping down the slope from it. Close to the creek are footings and base-logs that may have been the footings for a water pump.
  The remains of another furnace is located some 45 metres (148 ft) to the east. This furnace is approximately 16 metres (52 ft) long, with a rubble plume extending another 35 metres (115 ft), possibly indicating a fallen chimney and the extension of the kiln itself.
  The four conjoined furnaces, together with the separated one, are interpreted as being the five "reverberatory" furnaces built in 1886.
  On the banks of Norton Creek are the remains of a 375 yards (343 m) long water-race that is said to have been associated with the arrasta. The water-race appears to have been lined along its sides with bricks as remains of these can be seen in some sections.
  The 10-head stamper battery with steel frame is located about 80 metres (260 ft) from the creek. A concrete engine footing is located adjacent to the battery to the southeast. The posts for a partly-collapsed gantry, level with the top of the battery, lead south 22 metres (72 ft), then in a series of separate low embankments back to a mine adit 120 metres (390 ft) to the south. This appears to be the support embankment for a tramway linking the mine and is not demonstrated.
  Some small brick rubble piles around the area may indicate other buildings. The area is also dotted with more recent core-drilling pads, is quite eroded and an upgrade of the access road to the adjacent opencut mine tends to confuse the interpretation of the historical remains.
  A concrete-lined brick tank is embedded 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) deep into the hillside, and may be a header tank for battery water.
caption: Surviving chimney on the Norton Goldfield, 2009
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