Garfield water wheel

The Garfield mine and others in the area originally relied upon steam engines to power their stamper mills.

[2] Water flow to the Garfield wheel was via a 786 foot (258 m) long elevated flume—15 inches wide by 10 inches deep (0.375 x 0.25 m) and mounted on a timber trestle structure—which connected to a branch race of the water supply near the top of an adjacent hill.

The spokes of the wheel were made of wood, and its structure was strengthened by circular iron bands.

At a flow rate of around 6,000 litres per minute, the huge waterwheel was capable of 27 hp (20 kW).

[8][3][9] The Garfield ruins are the best preserved of at least seven water wheels that once operated in the Castlemaine-Chewton area and powered stamper batteries.