About | Victoria Battery
Walk through a bit of New Zealand’s history as you wander through the remains of the Victoria Battery, which was New Zealand’s biggest.
The battery was constructed in 1987 to process ore from the Martha Mine in Waihi. It was named after Queen Victoria in her 60th jubilee year. The Victoria Battery was the largest quartz ore processing plant in Australasia and one of the biggest industrial sites in New Zealand in the early 1900s. Then it was the country’s largest producer of gold (10 times more than the next largest battery). At its peak, the Victoria Battery had 200 stampers that crushed an average of 800 tonnes of ore a day to the consistency of sand, six days a week. 200 people on average were employed at the battery throughout its life. Work stopped at the Battery in 1955, where most of the plant was removed and is now a popular tourist spot.
You can go on an underground tour. Look into the life of the gold mining days when the men worked hard, often in not ideal conditions and for very little pay. Head on up to the museum to discover more. Only open certain days so check before you go.
There’s a one hour loop around the Victoria Battery. It starts and finishes at the Waikino Railway Station.
Wear shoes, there can be broken glass.
Nearby
Waikino Station Cafe (and train rides)
Location
You can park along the State Highway and walk across the bridge or at the Waikino Railway.
Photos
We’ve driven past the Victoria Battery so many times but finally decided it was time to make a stop and have an explore. It’s quite interesting walking through and the kids enjoyed running around and playing a little hide and seek. I would love to visit the museum and learn more about it next time, though!
