Glen Osmond Mine Tour

Useful Information

Location:	Adelaide. Meet the guide in the Burnside Council carpark at 401 Greenhill Road, Tusmore
Open:	On the third Sunday of each month 13:45. [2004]
Fee:	Adults AUD 7, Children AUD 4. [2004]
Classification:	Silver Mine
Light:
Dimension:
Guided tours:	D=2 h.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Glen Osmond Mine Tour, Wheal Watkins Street, Adelaide, South Australia, 5064, Tel: +61-8-8366-4224.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

FEB-1841	silver accidentally discovered by the Cornish immigrants Hutchins and Thomas.
1843	Wheal Watkins opened up.
1844	Glen Osmond mine began working.
1846	Wheal Gawler mine bought by Herman Conrad Stakemann.
1851	all mines closed and all miners left the area for the gold fields in Victoria.
1855	Wheal Watkins worked by the Adelaide Silver Lead Company.
1898	mining finally ceased.
1916	last and unsuccessful attempt by the Tarcoola Development Syndicate.

Description

Glen Osmond Mines are the oldes metalliferous mines in Australia. The silver was accidentally found by two Cornish immigrants named Hutchins and Thomas. The wheel of a passing dray broke off a piece of rock and exposed the silver. So the first mine was founded called the Wheal Gawler, named after Governor Gawler.

More mines were opened up soon called Wheal Watkins, Wheal Augusta, Enterprise, Eagle, Wheal Hardy and Glen Osmond mine. The South Australian Mining Association was founded and soon the first mineral export from Autralia took place, 31 boxes of ore. Most of the early ore was transported to England for smelting. But South Australia acquired its own smelters on East Terrace and at the Glen Osmond Mine. The mines at Glen Osmond provided work for more than one hundred miners for several years.

The tours are conducted by the Burnside Historical Society The two hour tour includes points of interest enroute to and from the mines and an inspection of the workings in Wheal Watkins.