WHAT WAS THE INITIAL REACTION OF THE HERITAGE COUNCIL OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA UPON LEARNING ABOUT THE DISCOVERY OF THE LARGE GEARS?
The Mint notified the Heritage Council as soon as the historic find occurred. Heritage Council officers agreed the gears were rare surviving evidence of the late nineteenth century industrial technology used at the Mint. The site was recorded in detail which included taking measurements, photographs, and a 3D scan. The two gears, mounting plates and fixtures, were then carefully removed by experienced contractors.
CAN YOU SHARE SOME INSIGHTS ON THE RESEARCH PROCESS YOU UNDERTOOK TO INTERPRET THE FINDINGS?
Early plans and photographs confirmed that the location of the pit matched to the original rolling mill machinery. Old sales catalogues of Birmingham machinery manufacturer, Taylor and Challen explained the mechanics of nineteenth century rolling mills. A series of gears transferred power from a large steam engine to the rolling mills. The gears were connected by metal shafting that ran in a series of pits underneath the mills.
COULD YOU ELABORATE ON THE ROLE OF THE UNCOVERED GEARS IN THE ORIGINAL OPERATIONS OF THE PERTH MINT?
The Mint’ s coining machinery was originally powered by a large steam engine positioned in the centre of the Coining Room. This was connected to a huge boiler in the room next door. Power was transferred to the rolling mills by a series of driving gears. The driving gear arrangement had one small and two much larger gears. The small and one of the large gears were recovered.
WHAT DOES THE DISCOVERY MEAN FOR THE PERTH MINT HERITAGE COLLECTION?
The gears are an exciting addition to The Perth Mint heritage collection as few parts of original machinery still exist. Most have been replaced with newer technology, changing the layout of machinery on the factory floor. The gears will be conserved, and plans made for their display to explain how the Mint’ s machinery was powered during its early years.
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