1840-1920: Copper The first metal mine in Australia, Wheal Gawler at Glen Osmond, commenced operations within sight of Adelaide in 1841. However it was the mining of copper ores at Kapunda (1844) and Burra (1845), which raised widespread interest in metal mining in South Australia and caused the first major decentralization from Adelaide. Many Cornish miners and their families poured into South Australia to join in the great copper boom. They brought with them their mining expertise and technique to help extract the rich ore. By 1850, South Australia was the third largest copper producer in the world and its mines had added financial stability to South Australia which was an almost bankrupt colony at that time. These mineral deposits had …show more content…
These mines were on large, rich deposits and were worked continuously for more than 60 years. During the 1860s and 1870s, many smaller mines were established throughout the Mount Lofty and Flinders Ranges producing copper, gold, lead and silver. 1920-1970: Iron The second major phase of metal mining in SA was based on iron whose development coincided with the eclipse of copper. The major mining development of that period was based on outcrops of iron ore in the Middleback Ranges and iron ore was the major mining commodity in SA from 1920-1977. Mining operations with the development of an integrated steelworks and shipbuilding yards (for a period) supported the industrial city of Whyalla. Production to date has been from large open cut operations based on about a dozen principal deposits. 1970-Present: Copper, Uranium and Iron Re-examination of old mining districts in the 1960s, led to the reopening of several old copper mines by the early 1970s, including Burra (1969), Kanmantoo (1970) and the Cattlegrid orebody at Mount Gunson in 1974. Entire these mines had closed due to copper prices falling by 1980. Uranium exploration was also revived based on the possibility of uranium accumulation in younger sedimentary