The Moonta Mines
Moonta is a stunning seaside town along South Australia‘s pristine coastline. The town itself is a place of great history to the area, formerly booming during the 1800s due to rich mining opportunities.
Copper was discovered in the Moonta area in 186, which triggered a boom period and numerous mines remaining open through to 1923. During this time, the town grew with many new residents drawn from all over, in particular Cornwall, to pursue mining careers. Moonta was even nicknamed ‘Little Cornwall’ for this reason.
Despite this being a prosperous time for mining, it was also a time of tragedy, with a number of epidemics sweeping through town and killing hundreds. The mines were also to see their fair share of tragedy, which has no doubt led to the rumors that the old mines and theirs ruins are today, haunted.
Haunting of the Moonta Mines
The Moonta Mines certainly have reason to be haunted. Many people died while working on this site for a variety of reasons extending to accidents involving being crushed, or health-related problems such as heart issues. Two Engine Houses that today remain incredibly intact are places where paranormal investigators have attempted to reach out to the spirits of the mines. Supposedly, these investigators have had some success and interesting experiences in these areas. Sightings of shadow figures and hearing voices seemed to be a common theme.
Personally, I didn’t experience much at the Hughes Engine House, yet the Richmans Engine House proved to be quite interesting. It was here that audible and unexplained voices were heard and a general feeling of uneasiness was present. It remains to be told just who may be haunting these sites or if there are other active parts of the Moonta Mines, given that they stretch over a large area of land.
Visiting the Moonta Mines
The Moonta Mines are a must-visit attraction if passing through town. The engine houses are able to be visited at any time of day or night, and tours of the area can be taken via train during daytime hours.
If you are interested in learning about other haunted places in South Australia, I recommend checking out the notorious cemetery in Kapunda and the Old Adelaide Gaol.
Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Posted by Max Warmington on July 14, 2024
Hi Amy,
My name is Max and I grew up in Moonta Mines. I’m descended from some of the first miners from Cornwall who settled in the area.
I spent a lot of time playing and camping around the mines, and used to walk around Hughes’ Pump and Richman’s Plant at night quite a bit. I never saw or heard anything I could not explain around Hughes’ Pump, but I did see two things around Richman’s when I was in my late teens (mid-late 1980’s) that I still can’t explain to this day. One was witnessed by my girlfriend at the time (who is now my current partner), but I was by myself when I saw the other one.
I also had a strange experience near the Moonta Mines Museum (the old Primary School) one afternoon.
I’d love to tell you about my experiences if you’re interested.
Regards,
Max