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Blacksmith

The Powder Magazine Museum

Looking down on the magnificent Powder Magazine from the car park at the western end of Camp Street. The magazine looks like a castle or a fortress. It was used to store the explosives used in mining for Gold in the 1850's and 1860's.

It was designed to minimise the damage caused by an explosion. The floor ( now mostly covered ) is designed to throw the force of an explosion upwards, the walls of the building slope inwards to control the outward blast, and the roof is curved.

Above a small section of the original brick floor has been left exposed and although hard to see in the photo, the floor is corigated.

In the event of an explosion, the force of the explosion is forced upwards and the roof would be blown out, minimising damage.

You can see the outside walls of the building slope inwards, and as further protection, the building has lightening rods over it to catch and earth any lightening strikes the building may take.

Inside there is a display of some of the equipment of the times, such as the revolver, gold panning dish, flints and caps, and a pair of wooden shoes, designed so as not to cause sparks inside the building.

Above left is the inside of the magazine. You can see how the barrels of gunpowder and other explosives were stored on wooden racks. You can also see how the roof of the magazine is curved or rounded, to assist the explosion to blow out the roof.

On the right you can see a Fuse Making Machine.

The gunpowder is poured down the funnel at the top of the machine, and the rows of spindles are rotated, winding their "strings" around the central string and trapping the gunpowder.

You will not see another machine like this anywhere.

The Powder Magazine is not open, but keys are available from the Information Centre.

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