# Garfield water wheel

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Historical water wheel in Victoria, Australia

Garfield water wheel Garfield water wheel and stamper battery (Source: State Library of Victoria)[1] Interactive map of Garfield water wheel 37°04′20″S 144°15′34″E / 37.07222°S 144.25944°E / -37.07222; 144.25944 Location Chewton, in the North Central region of Victoria, Australia History Built 1887 Built for Coliban Water Supply Scheme Demolished c. 1904 Victorian Heritage Register Official name Garfield Waterwheel Quartz Gold Mining Site Type Registered place Designated 20 August 1982 Reference no. H1356 Category Mining and Mineral Processing

The **Garfield water wheel**, sometimes referred to as the **Forest Creek Mine water wheel**, was a large [water wheel](/source/Water_wheel) used to power a [stamper battery](/source/Stamp_mill) at a gold mine near [Chewton](/source/Chewton%2C_Victoria), in the [North Central](/source/North_Central_Victoria) region of [Victoria](/source/Victoria_(state)), Australia. Constructed in 1887, the water wheel was used until 1903 and then was dismantled in 1904.

Some remnants at its location were added to the [Victorian Heritage Register](/source/Victorian_Heritage_Register) on 20 August 1982.[2]

## History

There was insufficient water in local streams to power a water wheel. The Garfield mine and others in the area originally relied upon steam engines to power their stamper mills. It was not until the construction of the Coliban System of Waterworks (now [Coliban Water](/source/Coliban_Water)) that the gold mining areas had a reliable source of water, diverted from the [Coliban River](/source/Coliban_River), for both domestic and mining purposes. Eventually, at least seven water wheels were built and operated in the Castlemaine-Chewton area.[3][4][5][6]

Constructed in 1887, the Garfield water wheel was used until 1903 then was dismantled in 1904.[3]

## Technology

Water flow to the Garfield wheel was via a 240-metre-long (786 ft) elevated [flume](/source/Flume)—38 centimetres (15 in) wide by 25 centimetres (10 in) deep and mounted on a timber [trestle structure](/source/Trestle_support)—which connected to a branch race of the water supply near the top of an adjacent hill. The flow to the wheel itself was controlled by an arrangement of levers. The tail water from the Garfield wheel powered another water wheel – 12 metres (40 ft) in diameter – belonging to the Manchester mine, approximately 400 metres (1,300 ft) away.[3][7]

The wheel was stopped, when required, by diverting the water, from the overhead flume directly to the [tail race](/source/Mill_race), via a vertical bypass chute that allowed the downstream water wheel to continue working. The wheel was started, by feeding water so as to fill buckets part way up the wheel; once motion was achieved, the water flow was applied to the upper buckets and the wheel could then be run at up to its full power.[3][7]

The [backshot water wheel](/source/Water_wheel#Backshot_wheel)[1] was 22 metres (72 ft) in diameter, and 64 centimetres (2 ft 1 in) wide. The spokes of the wheel were made of wood, and its structure was strengthened by circular iron bands. It carried 220 [galvanised iron](/source/Galvanised_iron) buckets of 23 litres (5 imp gal) capacity each. At a flow rate of approximately 6,000 litres (1,300 imp gal)s per minute, the huge waterwheel was capable of 20 kW (27 hp). The wheel rotated once every 45 to 55 seconds, corresponding to 1.33 to 1.09 [rpm](/source/Revolutions_per_minute). Power was transferred via an iron gear wheel, mounted on the wheel at about two-thirds of the distance between its centre and rim. That arrangement reduced the torque applied to the axle of the water wheel, allowing the wheel to be of lighter construction than if power was transferred via its axle. Cogs on the gear wheel engaged with a [pinion](/source/Pinion), which in turn drove a power transfer shaft, at a far higher rotational speed than that of the water wheel. The transfer shaft powered a 15-head stamper battery—probably later extended to 25 heads—via an arrangement of [pulleys](/source/Pulley#Belt_and_pulley_systems) and [flat belts](/source/Belt_(mechanical)).[3][7][6][8] The battery ran at 78 to 86 falls per minute;[3] there being typically two cam arms per stamper head, the shaft of the battery probably ran at 39 to 43 rpm.

## Remnants

The stonework supports of the water wheel and the water races remain at the site, which is now part of the [Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park](/source/Castlemaine_Diggings_National_Heritage_Park).[9][4][10] The Garfield ruins are the best preserved of at least seven water wheels that once operated in the [Castlemaine](/source/Castlemaine%2C_Victoria)-Chewton area and powered stamper batteries.[3][8]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_1-1) ["State Library Victoria - Viewer - Goldfield Gold Mine near Chewton"](https://viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/). *State Library Victoria*. Retrieved 5 September 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Garfield Waterwheel Quartz Gold Mining Site, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H1356, Heritage Overlay HO703"](https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/5254). *Victorian Heritage Database*. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 20 May 2026.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:1_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:1_3-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:1_3-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-:1_3-6) Davies, Peter; Lawrence, Susan (2013). ["The Garfield water wheel: hydraulic power on the Victorian goldfields"](https://www.asha.org.au/pdf/australasian_historical_archaeology/31_04_Davies_and_Lawrence.pdf) (PDF). *Australasian Historical Archaeology*. **31**: 25–32.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_4-1) ["Garfield Wheel and Northern Castlemaine Diggings"](http://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/castlemaine-diggings-national-heritage-park/attractions/garfield-wheel-and-northern-castlemaine-diggings). *www.parks.vic.gov.au*. Retrieved 4 September 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Joseph Brady's Coliban System of Water Works, an historical guide"](https://coliban.com.au/files/2019-06/CW_JBrady_collated-Web.pdf) (PDF). *Coliban Water*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:4_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:4_6-1) ["Friends of Mount Alexander Diggings, Garfield Waterwheel"](https://www.fomad.org.au/garfield-wheel.html). *www.fomad.org.au*. Retrieved 5 September 2022.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:3_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:3_7-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:3_7-2) ["Immense Water Wheel at Chewton"](http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65599606). *Kerang Times and Swan Hill Gazette*. 22 April 1887. p. 1. Retrieved 4 September 2022 – via Trove. [National Library of Australia](/source/National_Library_of_Australia).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:5_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:5_8-1) denisbin (12 March 2016), [*Chewton. The ruins of the Garfield Gold Mine Waterwheel. A 72-foot diameter waterwheel turned on an axle on this stone structure to power the ore crusher.*](https://www.flickr.com/photos/82134796@N03/25842466216/), retrieved 4 September 2022

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Welsh Village Maps"](https://ccmaps.au/welsh_village/welsh_village.htm). *ccmaps.au*. Retrieved 5 September 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Garfield Water wheel (Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park)"](http://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/sites/garfield-water-wheel). *www.parks.vic.gov.au*. Retrieved 8 September 2022.

## External links

- [Friends of Mount Alexander Diggings - Garfield Water Wheel](https://www.fomad.org.au/downloads/Garfield_waterwheel.pdf)

v t e Waterways of the North–Central catchment, Victoria, Australia Rivers Avoca Avon (Grampians) Campaspe Coliban Little Coliban Little Murray Loddon Murray Richardson Creeks Andersons (North Grampians) Axe Back (Bendigo) Barkers Barr Beckworth Bendigo Bet Bet Birch’s Box Bradford Bullabul Bullock Burnt (Central Goldfields) Campbell (North Grampians) Campbells (Mt Alexander) Creswick Cherry Tree Cochranes Dog Trap Fentons Five Mile (Macedon Ranges) Forest Glenlogie Greenhill Gunbower Homebush Jews Harp Jim Crow Joyces Kangaroo (Hepburn) Kangaroo (Macedon Ranges) McCallum McIvor Middle (Pyrenees) Middle (Hepburn) Mosquito (Gunnawarra) Mount Pleasant Muckleford Myers Myrtle Number Two Pipers Pohlman Pyramid Rutherford Sailors Sandy (North Grampians) Serpentine Sheepwash (Bendigo) Spring (Loddon) St Arnaud Tullaroop Wallaloo Lakes (natural) Lake Bael Bael Lake Buloke Kow Swamp Reservoirs Cairn Curran Eppalock Laanecoorie Lauriston Malsmbury Tullaroop Upper Coliban Other Garfield water wheel Rivers of Victoria Lakes of Victoria Reservoirs in Victoria North-Central catchment

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Garfield water wheel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garfield_water_wheel) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garfield_water_wheel?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.