Copper in the northern Flinders Ranges! Discovered by William Finke, a part time explorer, prospector, and pastoralist in the mid 1850s, at a placed named Nuccaleena, in the northern Flinders Ranges region of South Australia.
By 1860, after raising the funds in England, the Nuccaleena mine had produced, in six weeks, by just sixteen men, 100 tons of copper ore. By March the next year, 1861, there were 86 men employed at the mine site! These included 36 miners; 5 masons; 4 sawyers; 2 cooks; and a medical officer.
The Great Northern Mining Company built a town around the mine, including a pub, a Mechanic / Mines Institute, apartments, a blacksmith’s shop, a workshop, a general store, doctor’s house, and huts for the workers.
But…by 1866 it was all over! The whole enterprise had cost £57,000 to build, but had only produced £13,000 worth of copper. The mine closed as a massive financial failure!
As you can see from the pics below, the buildings were well built. Those 5 masons knew their stuff!
The nearest building in front of the chimney housed the crushing plant. The next building housed the engine room. Note the quality of the masonry / stonework in this and the other pictures. Copyright © Colin Judkins. Used by permission.
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Constructing these buildings was not light work! Note some of the massive stones used. These massives had to be put in place without modern machinery! Copyright © Colin Judkins. Used by permission.
The AussieSheepskin stubby / drinks holder is a pretty cool bit of gear.
Look at the workmanship that has gone into that chimney. Different types and sizes of stones indicate that the workmen had to make use of what was available. Some of those stones are massive and would have taken some lifting. No modern cranes available then! Copyright © Colin Judkins. Used by permission.
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Note again the size and variety of the stones used in the stonework. They would have required some lifting! Copyright © Colin Judkins. Used by permission.
AussieSheepskin UGG Boots are hand made in Australia. Comfortable and long-wearing. And pretty cool and stylish!
The condition of these ruins is amazing, given that they were abandoned more than 150 years ago. Perhaps Cornish stonemasons were involved in the construction? There are many miles of stone walls in the area south west of Geelong in western Victoria, that were all built by Cornish stonemasons at about the same time. Copyright © Colin Judkins. Used by permission.
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Looking back at the mine buildings from across the creek, where the workers’ accommodation was. The wildness and ruggedness of the area is very striking! Copyright © Colin Judkins. Used by permission.
AussieSheepskin SNOX are really comfortable wool pile slippers. Great in the house. Also great for keeping your feet warm in bed!
In the foreground you can see other ruins, most likely part of the town that was built there. The mine buildings are in the distance. Copyright © Colin Judkins. Used by permission.
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Alongside the track to the mine site. The driving conditions are pretty rugged, so a four wheel drive vehicle is strongly recommended. Copyright © Colin Judkins. Used by permission.
AussieSheepskin Long Gaucho Lace-up UGG Boots. Really cool boots, and really, really comfortable!
Spectacular drive on the way to Nuccaleena Mine. Even the drive would make the expedition worthwhile! Copyright © Colin Judkins. Used by permission.
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Stunning country! At regular intervals there are side tracks up to nearby peaks / hills that give you better views of the surrounding hills. Copyright © Colin Judkins. Used by permission.
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