Historical Sites of Mining in NSW

European settlement heralded a new phase in the history of mining in Australia. Coal was discovered in 1791 at the mouth of the Hunter River by the convict William Bryant and has been continuously mined in the Newcastle/Hunter region.

Copper mining began in central west NSW in the 1840s at Copper Hill near Molong and at various locations around Bathurst. Gold and copper have been continuously mined around Orange since the early 1850s. Further north, the region of Gunnedah has been mined continuously since the 1870s. Cobar in the north west of NSW has also been a stronghold of mining since the 1870s with the discovery of copper, followed by gold, lead, zinc and silver.

One of the most renowned mining regions of NSW is the outback city of Broken Hill, where the so-called ‘Big Australian’, BHP (now BHP Billiton), had its iconic origins.  Broken Hill’s massive lead, zinc and silver deposits have been mined continuously since 1883.

Gemstones have also been mined since the nineteenth century such as diamonds in the Copeton-Bingara district from the 1870s.

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History of Mining in NSW