Blacksmiths’ Shop

Anything made of steel was created by the blacksmith, also known as the ‘smithy’. Blacksmithing and blacksmiths were a fundamental component in gold mining and agriculture.Blacksmiths maintained the mining tools required in the daily operations of the mine. The blacksmith was the equivalent to a modern machinery shop with picks and axes being fashioned and regularly sharpened, and drilling rods being repaired. The hot steel was heated on the forge then it was vigorously pounded into tools or other implements needed to work the mine site.