Gold Mining equipment abandoned at Cherry Tree Creek
We continue our search for information on the Cherry Tree Gold Mines and the relics shown below.
According to The Clarence & Richmond Examiner, some of the equipment was purchased in England Circa 1890
Recently while enjoying a NZ photography web site, I spotted the bell shaped item and sent an email, here’s the reply.Hi Jack, I’m not an expert, but I understand the bowls had heavy grinding weights in them that further broke down quartz into a slurry after the stamping batteries had down their work. It’s a further refinement stage to extract more gold. Cheers, Rob Suisted Nature’s Pic Images http://www.NaturesPic.comAnother email was sent, this time to Paul Mahoney, Dept of Conservation Historic Heritage
Hi Jack – the one with the bevel gear is called a berdan.  It was used for
grinding crushed quartz into a paste to extract the gold.  cheers Paul Mahoney

A search of google for Berdan Pan returned five sites, one showing another Cherry Tree relic, a Huntington Mill.

BERDAN PAN – The bar on the right could have been the control, engaging a gear or dog clutch
Berdan Pans

A machine for crushing ore, patented in 1852. Consisted of a circular pan or bowl, set of an angle and rotated by a central shaft. Iron balls or blocks inside the pan crushed the ore by grinding it against the sides of the pan as it revolved. Lighter particles slopped over the side of the tilted pan. Usually used for the final regrinding of gold concentrates with mercury added to amalgamate released gold.
Jude discovering the bit
Here are the top and bottom halves of a Huntington Mill abandoned at Cherry Tree Creek
Huntington Mill

A machine for crushing ore in use from the 1890s. Operated as a centrifugal roller mill, with steel rollers rotating against the side of a cylindrical iron pan. Carried out the same functions as the stamper battery, and though by no means as common, is still found either complete or in pieces on some sites
For More information:
https://www.911metallurgist.com/blog/huntington-mill
The action is that the mill is fed through a hopper with ore and water, the interior rotating rollers and scrapers throw the ore against the ring-die, where it is crushed by centrifugal force of the rollers. The pulverized ore and water is thrown through screens, and leaves the pulp in good condition for concentration. The rollers are so accurately fitted the concentration passes freely over the quicksilver and amalgam without further grinding. It is said that for wet crushing and gold saving to have no equal, while its cost is less than a stamp battery.
http://www.nelmes.fsnet.co.uk/paxman/pax1890s.htm
The remains of the smelter and some bits next to what could have been a house up near the creek mouth
Taken from near the creek
Square chambers for smelting the gold ?

 

 
Cracks in the brickwork show the hillside will overcome this one day

The long tray has slots cast inside, probably to hold a screen and there are bits of cast wheels that ran on a track