Gold Battery Traditional Cache
storchburp: Disabling this cache as it has no recent finds and is likely missing. I no longer live in the state and can't replace or maintain it.
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Difficulty:
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Size: 
(small)
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My first cache, among several placed by others in the area highlighting the history of gold mining in Creswick.
The Creswick State Battery was installed in 1902 to crush quartz and basalt. It is one of six gold batteries remaining in the state and no longer operational. Mining and digging transformed the local landscape through the movement of topsoil, the creation of mine shafts and water races, and the clearing of vegetation for housing and firewood.
Gold dust was extracted using toxic heavy metals including mercury, cyanide and arsenic. A small reed-filled pond within the fenced area of the site is extremely contaminated and there is a heavily rusted sign, barely legible, warning people about the danger. Despite the locked gate, looters have entered the battery in the past to pinch small items.
Due to the strong likelihood of poison having leached into the nearby ground and being taken up by plants, visitors should AVOID EATING BLACKBERRIES GROWING ON THE SITE.
The area has very light muggle traffic. Joggers are very occasionally present, but local residents prefer the nearby bitumen road.
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Treasures
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