Burra, South Australia: Travel guide and things to do

By any measure Burra is a fascinating town. It calls itself 'An Historic Copper Town and the Merino Capital of the World', a title justified as it was declared a State Heritage town in 1994 because it has a wealth of outstanding historic buildings and offers a rare opportunity for the visitor to appreciate what life in a 19th century copper mining town was like. In more recent times the area around Burra has been used as a setting for films including the highly regarded 'Breaker Morant'.

Located 156 km north of Adelaide, Burra is on the edge of marginal land. It is a pretty and historic town where the visitor can easily spend a full day exploring the town's rich mining history.

No one knows how Burra got its name or where the word comes from. There is a school of thought that contends that the original name of the area was 'Burra Burra' (and there is written evidence to support this) but some claim 'burra burra' means 'great great' in Hindustani - a word which came from the early shepherds - while others argue that 'burra' is so common in Aboriginal languages (Tibooburra, kookaburra for example) that it has definite Aboriginal roots.

Copper was first discovered in the Burra district in 1845 by two shepherds, William Streair and Thomas Pickett. The area was so substantial that it was initially known as 'The Burra' and divided into a number of separate communities which reflected the origins of the miners. There was Redruth for the Cornish miners; Aberdeen for the Scottish miners; Llychwr for the Welsh miners and Hampton for the English miners. All these remnant villages still exist and can be explored.

By 1851 the excitement produced by the copper had led to 5,000 miners moving to the area but by the middle of the decade many had left hoping to experience vast riches on the Victorian goldfields.

In the early days the miners believed the copper lode would last for hundreds of years but it was exhausted after 32 years. By 1877 the open cut mining had stopped. Fortunately the town was not dismantled. It became an important regional service centre and, with a fine sense of its own importance, it became a State Heritage Town. Today visitors can experience something of the flavour of a fascinating boom mining town on the edge of South Australia's vast desert area.

Things to see

The Historic Passport
Local Tour Program which covers a total of 43 heritage sites (yes, there are that many) and includes details of an 11 km walk. There are some of the historic sites that need to be opened by a key and that is provided with the Historic Passport. For details contact (08) 8892 2784. The historic sites available to the Passport purchasers include:

The Burra Mine Site and Powder Magazine
Take the turn left off Market Street and drive up the hill (this is north of the town centre). This is a huge old copper mine which ensured the town's continuing existence. This area also offers excellent views from the Lookout (you don't need the key) and vast amounts of information about the mines which are contained on photographic boards around the site. A notice at the beginning of the site announces: 'The Burra Mine Open Air Museum has been developed to conserve the history and extensive remains of the Burra Mine. The Burra Mine which operated between 1845 and 1877 was once the largest in Australia. The site is one of the most significant mining heritage sites in Australia. Explore the site along self-guided walking tracks. Interpretive panels at key points explain the various mining operations.' In the same area, and only available to people with the key, are

Morphett Enginehouse Museum
A remarkable building which has been fully restored and has a number of displays of Beam Engines and Engine Houses. Also available is access to