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| The Moonta
Railway Station |
Moonta (including Port Hughes and Moonta
Bay)
Historically significant copper town
Located 165 km northwest of Adelaide and 20 m
above sea level, Moonta promotes itself as
'Australiaıs Little Cornwall'. It is part of the
region known as the 'Copper Triangle' which
includes the towns of Kadina and Wallaroo.
When Matthew Flinders passed along the coast
near the present day site of Moonta in 1802 the
region was inhabited by the Narrungga
Aborigines. Moonta takes its name from an
Aboriginal word, either 'moontera' or 'moonta
moontera' which has commonly been translated to
mean 'place of impenetrable scrub'. This was a
perfectly reasonable description because the
mallee scrub was 'impenetrable' when the first
settlers moved into the area in the 1830s.
Copper was discovered at Moonta in 1861. The
story is that the copper deposits at both
Wallaroo and Moonta were found by shepherds
working on the large sheep run owned by Walter
Watson Hughes. In the case of Moonta the
shepherd's name was Patrick ('Paddy') Ryan. His
name is still celebrated in Ryan's Pumping
Station which was named after him. It is said
that Ryan found the copper in a wombat hole
although it is true that Hughes was aware, from
the colour of the local rocks, that there was
copper in the district.
The richness of the local copper deposits was
such that Hughes needed no capital to start the
Moonta mine. The lodes were rich and the mine
prospered. A history of the mine written in 1914
records that 'The Moonta Company during its
existence produced £5,396,146 worth of copper,
and distributed £1,168,000 among shareholders.
It had the distinction of being the first mining
company in Australia to pay over £1,000,000 in
dividends.' This event occurred in 1876. At its
peak Moonta concentrates averaged 20 per cent
copper. The copper was relatively easy to
access. Within some 800 metres there were five
important lodes running roughly north-south for
about 1 km.
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| The Hughes
Pump Engine House and Chimney with
Elderıs Shaft in the foreground
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The process of mining is recorded at the
Moonta Railway Station. 'The copper ore occurred
at irregular lodes filling steeply dipping
cracks in the country rocks. The initial grade
of ore worked averaged 30 per cent copper - a
very high figure by modern standards - but by
1908 the average grade had dropped to 4 per
cent.
The town was laid out in 1863 and formally
opened by the Governor Sir Dominick Daly that
same year. Three years later a horse-drawn
traction tramway was completed which connected
Moonta and Wallaroo. With a fine sense of wit
the locals called the coaches 'Prince Albert'
and 'Garibaldi'.
In order to attract miners to the area there
was an advertisement which read "Free.
Emigration to Port Adelaide, South Australia.
Married agricultural laborers (sic), shepherds,
blacksmiths, wheelwrights, employers, tailors,
shoe-makers, brick-makers, builders and all
persons engaged in useful occupations may obtain
a free passage to South Australia where they are
within the regulations of the Colonial
Commissioners. Meeting to be held at Bodmin at
10 o'clock on October 15.'
The first miners at Moonta were Cornishmen,
using methods developed in Cornwall over several
centuries. A miner began his working life as a
'picky boy' whose job was to sit at a table or
conveyor belt sorting good ore from waste. After
a few years he could join a team working
underground at the rock face sinking shafts and
opening drives; this was known as 'tut work'.
Miners showing promise would then be invited to
enjoy a 'tribute' team working the exposed ore
body and paid on the amount of value of ore
shifted. Tributers tendered for an area
underground and could make a very good living in
rich ore zones. The tribute system was
supervised by mine 'captains' appointed by the
company. While the lodes were rich and ore could
be seen by candlelight, the tribute system
worked well. However tribute mining was
abolished at Moonta in 1910 owing to falling ore
grades.'
By 1875 Moonta had a population of over
12,000 people and was the second-largest town in
South Australia. By 1917 the district had
produced so much copper that the wealth
generated exceeded all other mining in the state
since its inception in 1836.
The main mines closed down in 1923. Since
then mining has continued in the area in fits
and starts. There were small syndicates working
various mines during the 1930s and World War II
and the Wheal Hughes Mine (now a tourist
attraction) operated in the 1980s although it
only employed 13 miners.
Today Moonta is one of the most historically
significant towns in South Australia. The ruins
of the old copper works are fascinating. The
historic buildings have been well cared for. The
museum and the Wheal Hughes mine are both well
worth visiting.
Things to see:
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Moonta Railway Station
Driving into town from Wallaroo you will pass
the Moonta Railway Station which serves as the
local tourist information office. The ceiling at
the Moonta Railway Station is an interesting
example of a pressed metal ceiling which was
commonplace at the time of construction. The
Moonta Railway Station is an ideal starting
point for anyone wanting to explore the town as
it is the only place where tickets for the Wheal
Hughes Copper Mine tour can be purchased and it
has a good range of brochures and maps which
will help the visitor to find their way around
the major site and ruins.
Moonta Mines Museum
A truly impressive and detailed history of the
mining and the people engaged in mining in the
local area. There are hands-on exhibits for
children which demonstrate the cycle of mining.
There are also very substantial rooms full of
memorabilia which is well displayed. A number of
good books on the area are available for sale.
There are also interesting displays relating to
the lodges and friendly societies which operated
in the town and an entire classroom has been
left intact as though the teacher only departed
a few minutes ago. It dates from 1900.
Built as school 1878, open Wednesday,
Saturday, Sunday 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., public
and school holidays 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. -
(08) 8825 2152 or (08) 8825 1988
The Old Sweet Shop
Over the road from the Moonta Mines Museum is
the Old Sweet Shop, a genuine and delightful
trip into the past with large jars of sweets
adorning the walls. It also has very good
Cornish pasties for those who are eager to try
the local 'delicacy'. The building was formerly
the Moonta Mines Post Office.
Wheal Munta & Tourist Railway
No more than 50 metres away from the Museum is
the local Tourist Railway, a narrow gauge rail
journey which takes about 50 minutes. The
journey passes the reservoir and ore sorting
floors, goes through a tunnel in Ryan's tailing
heap, stops at the old precipitation works and
then continues on to the old Moonta Railway
Station.
Departs hourly on Saturday, Sunday, public
and school holidays; leaves from station
adjacent to museum.
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| Richman and
Taylor's mine from the huge 'The
Himalayas' |
Richman's Concentrating Plant
Located only a few hundred metres up the road
from the museum (continue on the road to
Arthurton) Richman's Concentrating Plant is
basically a ruin and a huge skimpings (tailings)
heap. You can see the remnants of Richman and
Taylor's mine in the distance because the giant
skimp heap (known locally as 'The Himalayas') is
like a small mountain in the flatlands around
Moonta. In recent times a proper walkway and
stairway has been constructed from Richman's
Engine (the pumping station at the base of the
skimp heap) and it is possible to walk to the
top where there are excellent views over the
surrounding countryside.
Hughes Engine Pumping House (1865)
Return to the main road and continue a few
hundred metres further towards Arthurton until
you come to the signs to Hughes Engine Pumping
House which stands forlornly and prominently on
the right hand side of the road. Once the centre
of the main mining area (it is worth finding
photographs which show how central it was) the
Hughes Engine was a huge piece of equipment used
to pump water out of the mines. It is now in
ruins but the chimney remains intact and, with
the help of photographs and illustrations, it is
easy to see how the giant pump worked when it is
was in operation. Today the house is home to
flocks of pigeons and the surrounding area is
barren and flat.
A sign outside describes the origins of the
building in the following terms: 'This Pumping
House contained a Cornish pumping engine built
by Harveys of Cornwall. The Engine House and its
associated chimney were built in 1865. This pump
was essential for the operation of the Moonta
mines, removing the water which constantly
seeped into the deep shafts and drives. The
brackish water extracted from the mine was used
in the ore crushing process and for firefighting.
Excess water was run out to sea near Moonta Bay.
This same engine operated a pump at Taylors
Shaft 300 metres to the north. Taylor's Shaft
was 768 m deep compared with the 366 m deep
Hughes shaft. Flat rods from the Hughes engine
ran in a shallow channel along the ground to
Taylor's shaft. Parts of this channel are still
visible on the direct line to the Taylorıs Shaft
to the north of this sign. The pumps in the
lower level of Taylor's Shaft raised the water
to the 366 metre level from where it flowed
across to the pump at the base of the Hughes
shaft.'
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| Moonta Mines
Wesley Methodist Church
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Moonta Mines Wesley Methodist Church
(1865)
This is well worth making the effort to see. A
truly remarkable church which shows how deeply
Methodism characterised the mining community
(particularly the Cornish and the Welsh) at the
peak of local operations. Methodist churches are
usually characterised by great simplicity and
asceticism (part of John Wesley's disapproval of
Roman Catholic images and iconography). This is
a singularly impressive church which, while it
has no iconography, has a huge gallery which
holds hundreds of people and a truly beautiful
pipe organ. It is said that literally everyone
went to church (its capacity is 1250 people) and
that the Mine Captains always sat up the back
and took mental note of any miner or worker who
was not present on Sunday. Today the church is a
remarkable reminder of the religion which was
brought to the South Australian copper mines.
Open during Sunday services and Saturday/Sunday
p.m. October to May.
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| The parlour
at the Miners Cottage
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Miner's Cottage and Garden
Built in 1870 this is a very typical cottage of
its era. The cottage was originally built by
John Wood, a brickmaker, with clay coming from a
quarry nearby. A charming and beautifully
preserved old miner's cottage full of
memorabilia. The rooms have been carefully
furnished to reflect the utensils and furniture
of the time. There is a parlour, a lounge room,
a kitchen, a bedroom. It is well worth visiting.
Open Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday 1:30 p.m. to
4:00 p.m.; public and school holidays 11:00 a.m.
to 4:00 p.m. Contact (08) 8825 2172
Other Buildings in the Town Centre:
Freemasons Hall (1875)
Located in Blanche Terrace and built in 1875
this is the oldest hall built by the Freemasons
in Australia. Recent changes regarding the
secrecy of Freemasons mean that if you can
organise it (and the effort is well worthwhile)
you can go inside and inspect the unusual ritual
regalia. There are few buildings I have been in,
in Australia which I have found more
fascinating. It was like entering a foreign and
alien world. Nothing prepared me for the ornate
and beautiful chairs and the placement of the
lodge members around the room.
Uniting Church (1870s)
Located in Robert Street this was formerly a
Wesleyan Methodist church and, amazingly, was
one of 16 Methodist churches in Moonta. It has
Gothic style turrets and shallow flying
buttresses and overlooks Queen Square.
National Bank
Located in George Street and built in 1867 this
is a symbol of the town's prosperity during the
years when copper brought wealth to the
district. There is a drinking fountain outside
which was constructed in 1891 to celebrate the
fact that the town finally had a reticulated
water supply.
The Hotels
The Cornwall Hotel and the Royal Hotel both date
from the mid 1860's and the Moonta Hotel was
opened for business in 1863.
Around Moonta
Cemetery
Although it has been subject to considerable
vandalism the Moonta cemetery is of great
interest. Of particular note are the large
number of unmarked childrens graves (just beyond
the main gates). A plaque records that these
simple mounds hide the bodies of children killed
by disease which raged through the town due to
the unsanitary conditions around the mines. For
more information contact (08) 8825 2410
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| The entrance
to the Wheal Hughes mine shaft
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Wheal Hughes Mine
The highlight of any visit to the mining
triangle of South Australia is the opportunity
to go down into a mine. In recent times a very
well organised tour of the remnants of the Wheal
Hughes Mine has made this possible. Visitors
have to purchase their tickets at the Moonta
Railway Station Information Office. There is a
people mover which takes people down the open
cut section of the mine to the entrance of the
tunnel. From that point visitors, complete with
protective head gear, gumboots and battery
operated lights, head down into the darkness.
The main features worth reflecting on are that
this is rock which is so hard that the idea of a
roof collapse is quite impossible and that at
those points where ground water seeps through
there are bright green patches where the leached
copper has been deposited on the rocks. In
summer time the mine is wonderfully cool.
History of Wheal Hughes Mine
'Wheal' is a Cornish word meaning 'mine' and
Walter Watson Hughes was an important mine owner
in Moonta. This modern open cut mine was opened
in the 1980s and closed in 1993. Two years later
it was purchased by the Copper Coast Council and
turned into a tourist attraction. For more
information contact (08) 8825 1892.
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| The jetty at
Moonta Bay |
Moonta Bay and Port Hughes
Located only five minutes from the centre of
Moonta, Moonta Bay and Port Hughes are part of a
delightful stretch of the Spencer Gulf. It is
known for its fishing (good from the jetties but
not worth bothering about from the beach or the
rocks), sailing, sailboarding and diving. It is
possible to hire a boat from Copper Triangle
Charters to fish the waters off Port Hughes.
Contact (08) 8825 3814 or 017 868 190 for
details. There is also the Moonta Wildlife Park
at Rossiters Road, Moonta Bay which native
animals and birds as well as a barbecue area.
Contact (08) 8825 1888 for more information.
Kernewek Lowender
Promoted as 'the world's largest Cornish
Festival' and held in May each year this is a
powerful reminder of how the Cornish impacted on
this whole area. There are dances (the Furry
Dance), craft displays, Cornish folk singers,
pasty making competitions and a myriad of other
activities. For more information contact Brian
Harris on (08) 8823 3333 or the Yorke Peninsula
Visitor Information Centre.
