Powder Magazine

Blasting through granite to gold

Restored by the National Trust in 1966, this building is a unique addition to the precinct. With its thick, granite walls it once was a storage room for gunpowder. Miners by law were required to leave bulk gunpowder in this building overnight.

Today, visitors can see the engineering that created this sturdy and quite rare building, designed so that any explosion would travel upwards rather than outwards. Visitors can examine many of the safety features of the building such as wooden nails, lightning rod and solid outer wall.

Volunteers will tell you about the history of the building, the procedures involved in receiving and dispatching gunpowder, and the importance of the building in a booming gold town.

The Powder Magazine is located away from the Precinct and will require transport or a leisurely walk to access it.