Burra Mine Site

The Burra Mine Site is a historic copper mining complex at Burra in the Regional Council of Goyder, South Australia, about 160 km north of Adelaide. Established after copper was discovered in 1845, it became Australia's largest mine in the late 1840s and a major Cornish mining settlement. The open-air site preserves an open cut, enginehouses, ruins and shafts within the Burra State Heritage Area and Australian National Heritage listed area.

Visitors can explore an extensive open-air historic mining landscape with the large open cut, Morphett's Enginehouse (1858), boiler house, powder magazine, mine shafts and stone ruins. The site is spread over undulating ground with gravel paths, interpretive signage and lookouts over the pit. Access is via the Burra Heritage Passport Trail with self-guided walking and driving routes, plus the nearby Burra Mine Museum displaying mining artefacts and history.

Copper discovered in 1845 by shepherd William Streair and later by pastoralist S. C. Dutton. The Burra Burra Mine was established in 1845 by the South Australian Mining Association and became Australia's largest copper mine and largest mine of any kind in Australia by the late 1840s, producing over 50,000 tonnes of copper until closure in 1877. It drove significant Cornish immigration and is preserved as part of the Burra State Heritage Area, listed on the Australian National Heritage List in 2017.

Represents South Australia's early mining boom and Cornish mining heritage, with well-preserved Cornish enginehouses, miners' cottages and industrial archaeology. The site is central to the Burra State Heritage Area and reflects the cultural traditions of Cornish miners who shaped the town's architecture and community.