The Copper Coast Museums Loop
Three towns, one copper boom
The plan
The Copper Triangle — Moonta, Kadina and Wallaroo — grew rich on copper in the 1800s, and "Little Cornwall" still wears that heritage proudly. This loop strings together the best of its mines and museums, with a pasty stop built in.
It works as a relaxed full day, or split across a weekend if you want to linger.
Moonta
Begin in the scrub south of town at the Moonta Mines State Heritage Area, wandering between engine houses and ruined workings, then dive into the story at the Moonta Mines Museum and ride the tourist railway across the old field.
Kadina
Drive north to Kadina, the triangle's grand commercial hub. Explore the boom-era streetscape, the quirky Banking and Currency Museum in a former bank, and the Farm Shed Museum on the town's edge.
Wallaroo
Finish at the port of Wallaroo: the Heritage and Nautical Museum in the old post office, the lone smelter chimney towering over the foreshore, and the striped lighthouse at the harbour mouth — a fitting full stop to the copper story.
Day 1
9 stops-
1
Moonta Mines State Heritage Area
MoontaOpen-air precinct of engine houses and mine ruins.
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2
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3
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4
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5
Banking and Currency Museum
KadinaA quirky collection of coins and notes in an old bank.
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6
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7
Wallaroo Heritage & Nautical Museum
WallarooMaritime and smelting relics in the old post office.
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8
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9
On the map
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Image credits
- Hughes Enginehouse, Moonta Mines, North view 20230210 1.jpg by DXR , CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons