Burra, South Australia
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Burra (33°40′ S 138°56′ E (http://kvaleberg.com/extensions/mapsources/index.php?params=33_40_S_138_56_E_region:AU-SA_type:city)) is a town in the mid-north of South Australia. It is east of the Clare Valley in the northern Mount Lofty Ranges.
The Bon Accord copper mine was established in 1848 by miners of the copper deposit discovered in 1845. Miners and associated people migrated to Burra from Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, Germany and other places. The mine first closed in 1877, and briefly opened again early in the 20th century. The income from the copper mined at Burra saved the struggling colony of South Australia from bankruptcy.
The name Burra is Hindustani for "great" and Scottish for "fortified place". Either may have been the source of the name. The town as a whole was named Burra in 1940, consolidating a number of (mostly culturally-based) small villages.
The town and mine are both well-preserved as they were. The open cut mine contains green copper-tinged water at the bottom. The pump engine house is preserved and houses a museum. Several chimneys from the mining industry also still survive. A tourist trail shows the old Redruth Gaol, miners dugout cottages in the creek bank, a row of miner's cottages built in 1850 and other historic places.
Burra is in the federal Division of Grey, the state electorate of Stuart, and the Regional Council of Goyder.
The movie Breaker Morant was filmed in the area in 1980.
External links
South Australian History - Burra (http://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/burra.htm)
