Aboriginal Australians and Mining

Prior to European colonisation, Aboriginal Australians had relatively sophisticated mining operations, producing high-quality stones and ochre, which led to the establishment of trade routes across the country. Stone, including silcrete, chert and quartz, was used to make implements for gathering and processing food.  Ochre was used in religious and artistic practices such as cave paintings. There are 183 identified Aboriginal mine sites in NSW: 144 stone quarries and 17 ochre mines, with the remainder unidentified. Known sites in NSW include Newcastle, Cobar, Crescent Head, Point Plomer and Moore Creek near Tamworth. 

Information sourced from NSW DPI, 2007, Primefacts, Mining by Aborigines - Australia’s first miners, Primefact 572