Copper Coast
Encyclopedia
Copper Coast is a region 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...
situated in Northern Yorke Peninsula
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...
and comprising the towns of Wallaroo
Wallaroo, South Australia
Wallaroo is a port town on the western side of Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, 160 kilometres north-northwest of Adelaide. It is one of the three Copper Triangle towns famed for their historic shared copper mining industry, and known together as "Little Cornwall", the other two being Kadina ...
, Kadina
Kadina, South Australia
Kadina is a town located on the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia, approximately 144 kilometres north-northwest of the state capital of Adelaide. The largest town of the Peninsula, Kadina is one of the three Copper Triangle towns famous for their shared copper mining history...
, Moonta
Moonta, South Australia
Moonta is a town located on the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia, 165 kilometres north-northwest of the state capital of Adelaide. It is one of three towns known as the Copper Coast or "Little Cornwall" for their shared copper mining history....
, Paskeville
Paskeville, South Australia
Paskeville is a town on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula. It is located approximately 20 km east of Kadina on the Adelaide-to-Kadina road route...
and Port Hughes
Port Hughes, South Australia
Port Hughes is a small coastal town in the Copper Coast region of South Australia on Northern Yorke Peninsula. It is considered a satellite town of Moonta which is located directly to the east of Port Hughes...
. The area approximately bounded by Wallaroo, Kadina and Moonta is also known as the Copper Triangle. The area is so named because copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
was mined from there in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a significant source of economic prosperity for South Australia at the time. These three towns are known for their large Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
ethnicity, often called "Little Cornwall". Kernewek Lowender
Kernewek Lowender
The Kernewek Lowender is a Cornish-themed biennial festival held in the Copper Coast towns ofKadina, Moonta and Wallaroo on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia....
is the world's largest Cornish Festival, held biennially in the Cornish Triangle.
The area continues to make a significant contribution to the economy of South Australia, as a major producer of grain, particularly barley and wheat.
History
The area became established as a source of copper in 1861, when Paddy Ryan found copper traces coming out of a wombat's burrow which was on a pastoral lease granted to Walter Watson Hughes. Hughes formed the Tipara Mining Company, which later became the Moonta Mining Co.In the late 1800s, Moonta had the largest urban population outside of Adelaide, with 12,000 people, including many Cornish miners and their families who brought with them their skills, and lifestyle.
Agriculture, but not mining became more important to the region's economy from the 1880s onward. The region has been able to sustain its agricultural productivity as it is below the Goyder Line.
Tourism
The coastal towns of the Copper Coast are popular destinations for tourists, particularly from AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, as well as from regional areas 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...
.
Fishing is a popular recreational activity. There are several local jetties. Also, there are boat ramps available to launch a boat to fish in the local waters.
The remains of the historic mines can be inspected, including the ruins of the old copper smelter at Wallaroo and the old Moonta mines.
The biennial Kernewek Lowender
Kernewek Lowender
The Kernewek Lowender is a Cornish-themed biennial festival held in the Copper Coast towns ofKadina, Moonta and Wallaroo on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia....
is a major tourist attraction in May of each odd numbered year.
Historic sites and museums
Museums
Several museums have been established in the area to preserve the local heritage, including:
- The Farm Shed—located in Kadina, this museum records the history of local agriculture (including development of the stump-jump ploughStump-jump ploughThe stump-jump plough is a kind of plough invented in South Australia in the late nineteenth century by Richard Bowyer Smith to solve the particular problem of preparing mallee lands for cultivation.-The problem:...
). In particular, the development of dry land farming is illustrated. - Matta House—this National Trust museum at Kadina is located in the former mine manager's residence
- Wallaroo Mines--the abandoned copper mines site just southeast of Kadina
- Moonta Mines Museum—located in the former Moonta Mines Model School (which was established in 1878)
Growth and development
In recent years, the population of the region has grown significantly.Several new housing developments have taken place, including:
- Patrick's Cove at Port Hughes
- Copper Cove Marina at Wallaroo
"The Dunes" is a significant development at Port Hughes, including a convention centre, a prestige residential subdivision and the first golf course designed by Greg Norman
Greg Norman
Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...
to be constructed in Australia.
Local industry
A boutique brewery operation, Copper Coast Wines
Copper Coast Wines
Copper Coast Wines is a South Australian brewer founded in 2005 to supply beer for the biennial Kernewek Lowender Festival held in the Copper Coast region of South Australia....
, produces traditional Cornish Swanky beer.
Local government
The local government is the District Council of the Copper CoastDistrict Council of the Copper Coast
The District Council of the Copper Coast is a local government area in South Australia located in the Copper Coast region of the Yorke Peninsula....
, which was formed in May 1997 as a result of the amalgamation of the District Council of Northern Yorke Peninsula and the Corporation of the Town of Wallaroo. The Council area is divided into four wards. The Head office is located in Kadina, and there are Council branch offices in Moonta and Wallaroo.