Burra

Burra is one of the most beautifully preserved towns in South Australia. This former copper mining town is listed on the National Estate Register and also declared a State Heritage Area. Today you can explore the town on Burra's Heritage Passport Trail. Armed with a charming little guidebook and your own key, you'll drive past 65 fascinating sites and learn why Burra was once South Australia's copper central. The 11 kilometre route includes Redruth Gaol, the Monster Mine and 'Creek Street', where 1600 people lived in dugouts along the riverbank. Burra is also a great place to look for antiques, and don't miss Thorogoods of Burra (a boutique cider brewery) and the Burra Art Gallery. You'll also find walking trails, a golf club, bike hire, accommodation and more. It all began in Burra with the discovery of copper in 1845, by shepherds Thomas Pickett and William Streair. A number of townships soon developed and the South Australian Mining Association town of Kooringa, plus Redruth (Cornish) Aberdeen (Scottish) Llywchwr (Welsh) and Hampton (English). By 1851, the settlement now collectively known as Burra had a population of 5,000, second only to Adelaide with a population of 18,000. And after the closure of the Monster Mine in 1877, the town became a service centre for an extensive agricultural and pastoral area.