Queensland mining heritage
The evidence of mining heritage in Queensland demonstrates the technical and industrial expertise, corporate investment management and infrastructure development across the state. A key influence on the location and extent of the mining heritage in Queensland is that the machinery associated with treatment and transport of ore and concentrate has been moved extensively across the landscape to develop new mineral deposits. This occurred with batteries and smelting machinery particularly. What remains are smelter chimneys and flues, the bases of public buildings and houses, and the embankments of tramways. In some places the slag heaps have even been removed for retreating elsewhere. The use of timber and iron as the building materials in Queensland and the itinerant nature of rushes to new mining fields means that there is minimal physical evidence remaining of the miners' huts and lifestyles. Nevertheless houses of mine managers, company directors and business leaders existing in major towns such as Ipswich, Charters Towers, Gympie and Rockhampton survive and are well preserved. A notable number are listed for their architectural values on the National Trust and Queensland Heritage Registers.