Moonta Mine Museum: Amber views some of the history of the Yorke Peninsula region of South Australia

When Irish shepherd, paddy Ryan stumbled across a chunk of copper in a wombat hole in 1861 little did he know how big his discovery would become. Moonta became the biggest town outside Adelaide and within a few years the giant Moonta Mine was employing thousand of mostly Cornish miners and their families.

There's not much left of the gigantic mine site today… but what is left is worth seeing and the enthusiastic local volunteers are only too happy to show you around. Their tourist train explains the enormity of the mine operation and next door, the former Moonta Mines School is now a museum. It tells the story of how tough life was for the thousands of young boys who worked in the mines. They worked as 'picky boys' - expected to sort a ton of ore per shift for one shilling or 10 cents a day - that's before deductions. It was tough dirty work and they were under the stern command of a 'Captain', who could fine them for wasting time. But their lot improved - a little at least with the appointment of Captain Henry R. Hancock.

Liz Coole, Moonta Mine Museum: "Henry Hancock was the superintendent of the mines and he was appointed in 1864 when he was only 28 years old. He was very passionate about children receiving an education and he brought in the rules that the boys could work in the mines but they had to go to school at night."

The Moonta Mines School opened in 1878 with 800 pupils and at its peak, 11-hundred boys and girls were enrolled.

Liz Coole, Moonta Mine Museum: "The young boys were expected to work in the mines but they were also expected to have an education. They also had their jobs to do around the house. They had to help the big families and had to help their mothers and their fathers because their fathers were at work all the time so there wasn't that much time for play."

After 90 years educating the local kids, the school eventually closed in 1968. As a museum it's as much a social record as an industrial one with displays like this dedicated to the music that played such a big part in the Cornish miners' lives.

In another room there's the entire shopfront from "Learmonds Emporium" - a landmark in Moonta's main street. Next door, Bowering's boot shop complete with the tools the resident bookmaker used right up until he retired 1971. They were just some of the businesses that fed off the Copper boom and they show the impact of more than 10,000 immigrants can have on a region. And that's the case throughout the 'Copper Triangle' made up of Moonta, Kadina and Wallaroo.

At Wallaroo, you can relive the booming days with a visit to the Boat Shed Restaurant. It overlooks the jetty where grain ships from across the world still tie up but when the smelters were operating their cargo was copper. But there's more to the copper triangle than heritage. The Copper Cove Marina at Wallaroo is a far cry from the tiny miners' cottages. And overlooking it all is the Wallaroo Marina Apartments. The six-storey complex gives great views of the gulf and town and is close to the Sea SA Ferry that has helped put Wallaroo on the map again.

Craig Costello, Wallaroo Marina Apartments: "The ferry which can take people to the Eyre Peninsula has really made Wallaroo no longer a dead end town - it's actually a through town - you can go from Wallaroo onto a further destination whereas before you didn't have that opportunity."

Rooms range from one bedroom fully self-contained apartments to suites or three bedroom penthouse with private roof garden - all within walking distance to the boat-ramp and jetty. It's a great place from which to explore all the Copper triangle has to offer - and the stunning sunsets are free.

The Wallaroo Marina Apartments overlook the marina on Heritage Drive… rooms start from $159 a night. The Moonta Mines Museum in the old school is on Verran Terrace, Moonta Mines and it's open daily from one til 4.

Wallaroo Marina Apartments
11 Heritage Drive
Wallaroo
Rooms from $159 per night
Ph 8823 4068

Moonta Mine Museum
Verran Tce
Moonta Mines
Open daily 1pm - 4pm (11am-4pm school holidays)

Published 26th July 2009