Corner Country

Mining Heritage

The ancient geology of the Barrier Ranges and adjacent areas has yielded  rich mineralisation. Broken Hill is famous for its silver, lead and zinc deposits, but, across the ranges and north into the Grey Range, were other significant deposits. Tin, limestone, copper, and gold have all been mined at one time or another.

In the south, several small communities sprang up across the Barrier Ranges: towns such as Euriowie, Purnamoota, and Tarrawingee provided employment for hundred of men.  A railway line was built from Broken Hill to Tarrawingee and used to transport limestone to the smelter in Broken Hill, as well as for passenger service.  Such services connected with coach services to and from the north.

In the north, the goldfields of the Albert District lie within two areas of rocky ranges of slate surrounded by undulating country of the Cretaceous formation. For around forty years, from 1880 to the early 1920s, gold was mined across the Albert Fields. The alluvial fields were the most significant, and were located near the Mt Browne Range and The Granites. Reef gold was mined in the quartz veins around the Warratta
Creek.

Most of those who rushed to the new fields of the Albert Gold District were ill prepared for the conditions. They started, with their picks and shovels, and Miner’s Right, on a journey of more than 300 kilometres into an area only recently explored, and described by Sturt as a “ stoney, waterless waste”. Once there they set up their tents or built a hut, pegged their claim, and set to work. Despite the conditions, within three months of gold being discovered at Mount Browne, a mining area of around 1000 square kilometres had been opened up. The lack of water in the area limited the camping areas to sites near waterholes.

For more information click on the report links above.

Accommodation near former mining areas is available at Mt Gipps, Mt Browne and Mt Stuart (Tibooburra).

IMAGES: MINING EQUIPMENT FROM WARRATTA AREA ( NR MILPARINKA/TIBOOBURRA) PROTO RESOURCES