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CD record

Historic Burra South Australia

This CD shows photographs of all headstones in the Burra Cemetery, South Australia

It was the two significant discoveries of ore in 1845 by shepherd William Streair and later Thomas Pickett which quickly turned this sheep grazing area into such a significant copper mining area. Collectively known as `The Burra' the area consisted of several townships including the South Australian Mining Association company town Kooringa, Redruth (Cornish) Aberdeen (Scottish) Llwchwr (Welsh) and Hampton (English). The settlement quickly grew to an established community of some 5,000 in 1851 when  Adelaide's population stood at 18,000.

The lode, though initially rich in ore lasted only some 32 years. In its lifetime the mine produced ore worth (then) 5 million pounds.  In the early 1850's much of the mining labour scrambled to the lure of gold at the new fields in Victoria. In 1877 through diminishing production and a rising water table, the mining interests were abandoned and the mine closed.

Today the town of great historical value guards its mining heritage with high determination and a regard for preserving its fascinating past. Burra is an old copper mining town, with many historic buildings, pretty Cornish cottages and National Trust sites still remaining. The area is known as Burra Burra and has gained its name from both the Hindu meaning of Burra (great) and the Aboriginal meaning of Burra (creek). Around the town you really get to see how the Cornish miners and other residents of Burra used to live. You can visit the Dugouts along the creek, Malowen Lowarth and other cottages on Paxton Square, as well as the Market Square Museum. The buildings are beautiful and the atmosphere is fantastic. You can also visit the Redruth Gaol, Burra Mine Museum, Elegant Band Rotunda used in the film and the Bon Accord Complex, which supplied the town's water until 1966.