Things to do and See in Moonta

The beautiful old Railway Station was a great spot for us to finish off our Moonta Mines day trip. Erected by Gambling & Son and opened in 1909, in 1985 the Moonta Railway Station became part of the Moonta Mines State Heritage Area and is a stately and very special part of Moonta’s history. The Old Railway Station now houses the Moonta Visitor Information Centre, which provides a comprehensive range of tourist information and is manned by a group of friendly, experienced and knowledgeable volunteers. We had to grab some souvenirs from the gift shop (anyone else collecgt stubby holders from places they visit or is that just Tim?) and there was a nice selection to pick from.
On special display, located within the grounds is the 1914 Moonta Memorial Gun. The display holds a fully restored 105mm Light Field Howitzer used in WWI, and a number of other articles with historical significance.
The area received National Heritage listing in 2017.
The building is open daily from 9 am until 5 pm.

Built around 1870, this Cottage in the Mines Settlement is typically Cornish. The land on which the Cottage was built is only one third of an acre, similar to other blocks allocated to miners in the 1870s when they arrived to mine copper, after its discovery, so that they could build a home for their family. It is considered an excellent example of its kind, and was opened to the public by the National Trust in October 1967.
The kitchen and dining room were built of sun dried mud and grass bricks, and the next two rooms were of wattle and daub. Thereafter the parlour and main bedroom were built by ramming clay and mud mixed with lime stones between two building boards about half a metre high and 300 mm apart. This was repeated until the appropriate height was reached – not too high as fortunately the Cornish were of short stature! The walls received an outer layer of lime and sand plaster and finally a liberal coating of lime wash, repeated yearly to keep them weatherproof.
Floors were of compressed earth and later, boards from old packing cases were used. Cement floors caused problems with rising damp and deteriorating plaster. Linoleum became the eventual solution.
The roof was originally split wooden shingles, but were later replaced with corrugated iron. The original shingles are visible through a skylight in the passageway ceiling.
Primitive laundry facilities and ever present dust caused the women of the mines constant work keeping the lovely white bed linen and handiwork clean.
The interior of the cottage now contains furniture, clothing and artefacts donated by descendants of mining families still in the district, giving authenticity, as do old photographs of original family members.
The garden is surrounded by a heritage stick fence – built to keep the children in and the goats out! Original plants are still in evidence as old stumps and vines, but the ancient agonis flexuosa and strelitzia nicolai tower over all in the front garden, needing regular attention, but giving good afternoon shade to the house. “Modern” plants add colour and structure, but where possible, the present volunteers try to maintain integrity of an old heritage garden by using cuttings and seedlings from original plants, also mingling these with drought tolerant varieties.
During term time, the cottage is open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 1:30 PM until 4:00 PM
During SA Public and School Holidays the cottage is open daily from 1:30 until 4:00 PM

The southern portion of this building was erected as a Baptist Church in 1866. The adjacent residence is the original Baptist Manse. The church was purchased by the government in 1891 and converted for use as a School of Mines, the first one outside of Adelaide.
The Moonta School of Mines building now houses an extensive collection of medical equipment from the early days of Moonta, and an apothecary display.
The School of Mines houses the Moonta History Centre. Here you can research your family history; as well as the history of Moonta and its residents, since the establishment of the district. The collection housed here includes a range of newspapers on microfilm; including the Wallaroo Times, Yorke Peninsula Advertiser and People’s Weekly; all newspapers from the Copper Coast region dating back well over 100 years.
The Moonta History Centre is located at Ellen Street in Moonta, in the School of Mines Building and is open Tues, Wed, Sat, Sun 1:00pm – 4:00pm.

One of the most requested little spots for us to pop in and try out, this cute little shop (Cash only we must stress!) is just on the outskirts of Moonta, with some of the tastiest gelati and coffee you will find in the area! A great litlte stop on your travels.

Open every day from 10am til 5pm

Another ‘must visit’ little eating spot we were told to have a look at, which promises (and delivers!) on an authentic cornish pasty experience. Great coffee and relaxing vibes all round, this one is just on the Main Street….can’t miss it!

Open every day 8am til 4pm