The Interior of the Mine.

Early colonial engraving of the interior of the Burra Burra copper mine as it was in 1848.

On 9 June 1845 William Streair a young shepherd in the employ of local pastoralist James Stein, took samples of a rich copper ore into the office of Henry Ayers, secretary of the South Australian Mining Association. Streair had walked the 90 miles from Burra as did Thomas Pickett, a shepherd on a neighbouring property who made a further find. News of the copper find was published on 21 June in Adelaide newspapers, and the site was soon named The Monster Mine. Governor George Grey had amended land grant regulations forcing the hundred of Kooringa to be a 20,000-acre (8,100 ha) rectangle, placing the two copper finds at opposite ends. Due to the £20,000 price the land was divided in two, with each half sold to a different group and the division decided by lot. The surveyed area was named the Burra Creek Special Survey. It is 8 by 4 miles (12.9 by 6.4 km), divided into two squares, 4 miles to a side. A group of wealthy capitalists purchased the southern half of the division and a group of shopkeepers and merchants purchase the northern half. The Burra Burra Mine was established the northern selection, the Princess Royal Mine, in the southern section. In 1846, 347 acres (140 ha) just north of the division was sold to the Scottish Australian Investment Company for £5,550 where they established the Bon Accord Mine. Mining began on 29 September 1845 on the monster Burra Burra copper lode and by mid-1846, the Bon Accord Mining Company had also commenced operations.

The Burra Burra Mine until 1860 was the largest metals mine in Australia. From 1845 to 1877 the mine produced approximately 50,000 tonnes of copper. The initial investors had put up a total of £12,320 and the first dividend was paid on 24 June 1847 and by 1 December 1847 the mine had returned total dividends of £49,280. Over the mine’s 32-year life, less than 100 shareholders received £826,586 in mining dividends.

From the original edition of the Illustrated London News.