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Part of the original photograph - Grahamstown
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"Fascinating to see the detail of the "pond" in the photograph. Initially in the original format I thought it was tailings or waste from one of the industrial sites in the area. The colourised view however shows incredible details of a sandbag type construction, was it therefore more likely a water reserve for public or business use?"
Discussion:
Thanks to feedback from David and Russell we can look again at the 'pond' thanks to their knowledge and understanding of mining history.
Point 1: When looking at these colourised images, we should be weary of the colours portrayed and how we may consequently influence what 'we see'. The change process is automatic so wrong colours may be assigned to an area. Is the 'pond' area actually a pond containing water or bare land. Given the sandbag like construction, the possible reflections, shape of the structure with banks it would appear a reservoir of some nature is correct.
MyHeritage has details on how the colourisation process works, plus they have added a new facility that allows the researcher to modify / correct colour mistakes.
Point 2. A reliable water supply was vital, and without it batteries were unable to operate. During summer therefore, many batteries were unable to work, thus leading to the urgent need for a reliable water source for the town and businesses. (The water race opened in 1876) The Prince Alfred Battery is an example of a battery having a salt water reservoir.
"Steam was the major power source for the operation of batteries on the flat. In lieu of sufficient running water, wood resources (for fuel) were exploited very quickly. As the battery numbers increased, coal soon became the main fuel (imported from the Northland coalfields)...The batteries that had water wheels tended to be further up in the valleys where the water supply, while less, was more easily able to be tapped into as batteries were generally very close to the streams." Skeet, R
Point 3. Using salt water to power machinery was not without its challenges and accidents! As was the case in the Kuranui boiler accident in 1874.
In the Daily Southern Cross 18 December 1868, there was a comprehensive report on the Kuranui Battery, which also gave details on the use of water reservoirs on the Thames Goldfield - in this instance sited on the beach. Part of the report follows: "A large reservoir has been cut in the rock on the beach, which serves to store about sixty thousand gallons of water, to supply the machine when the tide is out."
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| Daily Southern Cross 18 December 1868, |
Reservoirs
There are numerous reports in the newspapers on the construction of reservoirs related to mining activities. For instance, the Thames Crushing Company's reservoir was completed March 1869 and the Kuranui Company's reservoir was enlarged and lined with timber in June 1869.
In the Daily Southern Cross 23 October 1869, the importance of quality water was discussed in relation to the new reservoir built for the Prince Alfred Battery on the flat at Grahamstown. The new reservoir under excavation was planned to be a hundred feet square and eighteen feet deep.
The use of water was regulated and applications for use were necessary. While this is off topic, there are full details in the newspapers of the day along with parliamentary papers and acts.
A great example is published in the Daily Southern Cross 6 March 1868. The subsection for Water Rights outlines rules and regulations.
Closing:
Following review and discussion we have been reminded of certain key points.
- Water was vital on the goldfield for mining activities, while getting rid of underground water often hindered mining operations.
- Salt Water was better than nothing, but its use posed problems to the integrity of the machinery.
- Lastly, while enjoying the colourised photographs, be open to the fact that colour selection and display is not necessarily correct without further fine tuning and modification.
Sources:
Skeet, R and Wilton, D - Email communications 18 May 2020.
Wilton, D: THE THAMES WATER RACE (1876 - 1947) Treasury Journal.
