|
| North Burra
from the Burra Mine Open Air Museum
viewing point |
Burra
Historic copper town - one of the historic
highlights of South Australia
By any measure Burra is a fascinating town. It
calls itself 'An Historic Copper Town and the
Merino Capital of the World', a title justified
as it was declared a State Heritage town in 1994
because it has a wealth of outstanding historic
buildings and offers a rare opportunity for the
visitor to appreciate what life in a 19th
century copper mining town was like. In more
recent times the area around Burra has been used
as a setting for films including the highly
regarded 'Breaker Morant'.
Located 156 km north of Adelaide, Burra is on
the edge of marginal land. It is a pretty and
historic town where the visitor can easily spend
a full day exploring the town's rich mining
history.
No one knows how Burra got its name or where
the word comes from. There is a school of
thought that contends that the original name of
the area was 'Burra Burra' (and there is written
evidence to support this) but some claim 'burra
burra' means 'great great' in Hindustani - a
word which came from the early shepherds - while
others argue that 'burra' is so common in
Aboriginal languages (Tibooburra, kookaburra for
example) that it has definite Aboriginal roots.
Copper was first discovered in the Burra
district in 1845 by two shepherds, William
Streair and Thomas Pickett. The area was so
substantial that it was initially known as 'The
Burra' and divided into a number of separate
communities which reflected the origins of the
miners. There was Redruth for the Cornish
miners; Aberdeen for the Scottish miners;
Llychwr for the Welsh miners and Hampton for the
English miners. All these remnant villages still
exist and can be explored.
By 1851 the excitement produced by the copper
had led to 5,000 miners moving to the area but
by the middle of the decade many had left hoping
to experience vast riches on the Victorian
goldfields.
|
| Pavilion in
the centre of Burra which was erected by
the residents in memory of King Edward
VII |
In the early days the miners believed the
copper lode would last for hundreds of years but
it was exhausted after 32 years. By 1877 the
open cut mining had stopped. Fortunately the
town was not dismantled. It became an important
regional service centre and, with a fine sense
of its own importance, it became a State
Heritage Town. Today visitors can experience
something of the flavour of a fascinating boom
mining town on the edge of South Australia's
vast desert area.
Things to see:
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The Historic Passport
Local Tour Program which covers a total of 43
heritage sites (yes, there are that many) and
includes details of an 11 km walk. There are
some of the historic sites that need to be
opened by a key and that is provided with the
Historic Passport. For details contact (08) 8892
2784. The historic sites available to the
Passport purchasers include:
|
| Peacock's
Chimney near the Burra Mine Open Air
Museum |
The Burra Mine Site and Powder Magazine
Take the turn left off Market Street and drive
up the hill (this is north of the town centre).
This is a huge old copper mine which ensured the
town's continuing existence. This area also
offers excellent views from the Lookout (you
don't need the key) and vast amounts of
information about the mines which are contained
on photographic boards around the site. A notice
at the beginning of the site announces: 'The
Burra Mine Open Air Museum has been developed to
conserve the history and extensive remains of
the Burra Mine. The Burra Mine which operated
between 1845 and 1877 was once the largest in
Australia. The site is one of the most
significant mining heritage sites in Australia.
Explore the site along self-guided walking
tracks. Interpretive panels at key points
explain the various mining operations.' In the
same area, and only available to people with the
key, are
Morphett Enginehouse Museum
A remarkable building which has been fully
restored and has a number of displays of Beam
Engines and Engine Houses. Also available is
access to
Miners Dugouts
In Blyth Street (east of the town centre) these
dugouts were built in the 1840s as a simple kind
of accommodation for the miners who flocked to
the diggings. They were very basic accommodation
in a time of great hardship. By any measure they
are extraordinary and it is still possible to
walk inside and inspect these simple dwellings.
The 1851 census recorded that out of a total
Burra population of 4400 about 1800 people lived
in dugouts along Burra Creek and its
tributaries. Of these one-third were children
under the age of 14 and the unsanitary living
conditions contributed to outbreaks of typhus,
smallpox and typhoid fever. During 1851 alone
there were 153 deaths in Burra, many of them
young children in the dugouts.
Also available by key is the
Police Lock-up and Stables
On the corner of Ludgvan and Tregony Streets the
police station was completed in 1847 when, after
a number of years as frontier town some
semblance of law and order arrived. As well
there is
Redruth Gaol
Located off Tregony Street it was built in 1856.
This gaol now has an interesting collection of
pieces depicting the kinds of prison conditions
which existed in the 19th century. It was used
extensively during the filming of Breaker Morant
and there is now a room devoted to 'Breaker
Morant' with suitable memorabilia from the film.
The placards around the gaol offer a rare
insight into the life of the prisoners. A couple
of favourite captions: 'In 1902 on escaping two
girls cut their hair, donned boys caps and
breeches and roamed for ten days in the guise of
two lads looking for work ... In 1919 three
girls Violet Benson, Ada Newchurch and Ursula
Cruse were on the roof, dancing, singing low
songs, swearing downright insolence, destroying
the government property and undressing and
exposing themselves to all passersby in only
their flannels and bloomers.'
The key will also provide access to the
Unicorn Brewery Cellars (in Bridge Terrace and
built in 1873) and to Hampton, the ruins of the
village which originally housed the English
miners.
Bon Accord Mine Complex
Located on the corner of West and Linkson
streets, the Bon Accord Mine Complex is an
interpretative centre which allows visitors to
experience what Burra was like in the 1850s when
it had a population of over 5,000. For details
of opening times and conducted tours contact
(08) 8892 2056
Burra Market Square Museum
Located off Market Street and opposite the
Anglican Church this museum includes recreations
of a family home, a general store and a post
office all of which have their original
furniture and fittings. For details of opening
times contact (08) 8892 2154.
Malowen Lowarth
Located on Paxton Square (just across the Burra
Creek from the town centre) this delightful run
of cottages was built between 1849-52. One of
the cottages is open for inspection and some of
them are available as accommodation for
visitors. Contact (08) 8892 2154 for details.
Hampton Township
Of particular interest (you will need a map
because it is on the edge of town) is Hampton
Township which was the original settlement for
the English who came to live in Burra. It is
distinguised by the fact that there are now no
complete buildings. All the town is in ruins.
Over the years locals have pilfered bricks from
the site. It offers the best view over the town
but it was the last to receive electricity and
water and consequently people moved from Hampton
into the main town.
