The remains of the Nuccaleena Mine would have to be the best mine ruins site in the Flinders Ranges with most of the stone buildings and structures still intact. It is situated via PAR 3 on Moolooloo Station off a loop road between Blinman to Parachilna Gorge via Glass Gorge.

The eighteen kilometre journey to the mine site quickly becomes a rough, rocky track with frequent washouts keeping you on your toes, as does the few steep entry and exists through red gum lined creek beds. Not far from the start you climb a ridge past a tower with scenic views over the low native vegetation consisting mainly of hop & soapbush with patches of native pine out to the distance ranges.

Copper was discovered at Nuccaleena by William Finke in the mid 1850’s. Sufficient finances where raised in England and by early 1860 with only sixteen men, 100 tons of copper ore were mined in five weeks. March 1861 saw eighty six men employed and working at the mine site, including thirty six miners, five masons, four sawyers, two cooks and a medical officer. The Great Northern Mining Company built a small town around the mine site where the miners and mechanics of the company resided.

By 1863 there were also the Captains apartments, office, stone stables, a goods store, smith’s shop, a workshop, general store, doctor’s house and about twenty huts for the miners. However by 1866 the Nuccaleena Mine had produced only £13,000 worth of copper ore after expending £57,000 on the enterprise. Soon after the mine was abandoned as an enormous financial failure.

Just before the mine ruins you pass the remains of the historic Tam O'Shanter Bushmans Hotel and another stone building nearby. Camping is permitted here next to the old pub only after seeking permission at the Moolooloo Station Homestead. There are no facilities and you will need to bring your own water.

The Nuccaleena mine site has many open cut mine areas and deep shafts. Exercise extreme care when walking around the site.

PAR details

Public Access Routes or PARs are established under the Pastoral Land Management and Conservation Act 1989 to provide public access over pastoral land without the need for travellers to ask permission from the lessee. There are a network of 24 PARs in South Australia.

PARs are not roads or part of the formal road network. They are unimproved and unsurfaced dirt tracks intended to provide four wheel drive access in dry conditions only. The are usually part of the network of tracks used by the lessees to manage their pastoral properties and can be used by a range of vehicles including trucks, semi-trailers and road-trains, as well as for droving stock. As PARs are not fenced, be aware of wandering livestock, especially near yards and waterpoints.