Here is a summary of the history of silver mining in Australia:
Early Silver Discoveries
Silver played an important role in Australia’s early mining history:
- The first metal mine developed in Australia was the Wheal Gawler silver-lead mine near Adelaide, which opened in the 1840s.[1]
- In 1883, Charles Rasp’s discovery of rich silver and lead deposits at Broken Hill in New South Wales kicked off large-scale silver mining in Australia. The Broken Hill Proprietary Company was formed in 1885 to mine this deposit.[1][2]
- In 1923, John Campbell Miles discovered the silver-rich upper portion of the Mount Isa deposit in Queensland, which became another major silver-producing region.[1]
Major Historical Silver Mines
Some of Australia’s most significant historical and currently operating silver mines include:
- Broken Hill (NSW) – One of the largest producers of lead-zinc-silver, still in operation today.[1][2]
- Mount Isa (QLD) – Rich in silver, has been producing for over 90 years since its 1923 discovery.[1]
- Hilton and Cannington (QLD) – Major silver mines, with Cannington being one of the few where silver is the principal commodity.[1][2]
- McArthur River (NT) – A huge zinc-lead-silver deposit that has been a major producer since 1995.[1][2]
Silver’s Continuing Importance
While many early surface deposits were mined out, Australia has continued making new silver discoveries through exploration, such as Scuddles, Wilga and Hellyer in the late 20th century.[1]
Australia now has the largest share of the world’s economic silver resources thanks to the large deposits discovered, with around 25% of mined output refined to silver metal, mainly
exported to Japan and the UK.[1]
So in summary, while gold was the major drawcard of the 19th-century rushes, silver quickly emerged as an equally important and historic Australian mineral commodity from the 1800s through to modern times.[1][2]
Citations:
[1] https://www.ga.gov.au/education/minerals-energy/australian-mineral-facts/silver
[2] https://investingnews.com/silver-mining-in-australia
[3] http://www.readyed.com.au/Sites/minehist.htm
[4] https://www.mininghistory.asn.au/mining-history/
