Wheal Hughes
Encyclopedia
Wheal Hughes was a copper mine in the 19th century, but is now a tourist attraction in Moonta, Yorke Peninsula
, South Australia
.
The mine is named after Walter Watson Hughes
a Scottish sea captain who had emigrated to South Australia
in 1840
and purchased land in the vicinity of Moonta for keeping sheep.
Minerals were discovered on his property at Moonta in 1860 by James Boor, a shepherd working for Hughes at the time
.
One of the first mines to be discovered in the area, it remained workable as an underground mine until 1868, producing large quantities of copper
and significant amounts of gold. Further deposits were extracted for a short time in 1890.
.
It was subsequently worked using open-cut techniques between 1900 and 1993, and eventually reopened in 1998 as tourist attraction.
It is now run by the Moonta Branch National Trust of SA in conjunction with other venues: Tourist Train, Miners Cottage, Museum, Old Fashioned Sweet Shop and Local & Family History Centre. Visitors can go underground to see the tunnels and large stopes.
Yorke Peninsula
The Yorke Peninsula is a peninsula located north-west and west of Adelaide in South Australia, Australia, between Spencer Gulf on the west and Gulf St Vincent on the east. It has geographic coordinates of...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
The mine is named after Walter Watson Hughes
Walter Watson Hughes
Sir Walter Watson Hughes was a pastoralist, public benefactor and founder of the University of Adelaide, South Australia.-Early life:...
a Scottish sea captain who had emigrated to South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
in 1840
and purchased land in the vicinity of Moonta for keeping sheep.
Minerals were discovered on his property at Moonta in 1860 by James Boor, a shepherd working for Hughes at the time
.
One of the first mines to be discovered in the area, it remained workable as an underground mine until 1868, producing large quantities of copper
and significant amounts of gold. Further deposits were extracted for a short time in 1890.
.
It was subsequently worked using open-cut techniques between 1900 and 1993, and eventually reopened in 1998 as tourist attraction.
It is now run by the Moonta Branch National Trust of SA in conjunction with other venues: Tourist Train, Miners Cottage, Museum, Old Fashioned Sweet Shop and Local & Family History Centre. Visitors can go underground to see the tunnels and large stopes.