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Coal found Hunter Valley NSW
Australia’s first mining export with coal going to India
First gold discovered in Australia
First railway in Australia constructed by AACo. Coal transported from their mines to the wharf in Newcastle
Lead, tin and copper mined in South Australia. The “Copper isle’ and the “Copper Kings” in Australia out-compete Cornish mines in the U.K.
Coal mined in Queensland
First commercial iron smelting works opens at Nattal (Mittagong) NSW
Alluvial gold found in NSW and Victoria. The gold rush begins
Gold rush of 15,000 diggers in Cannona Queensland
Multiple gold finds in Rockhampton district
Peak Downs copper mine started
Copper mined Lynd River
Gold discovered by Richard Daintree at Cape River. Silver discovered by Daintree and Hann at Einsleigh. Gympie goldfield discovered
Gold found at Ravenswood. Copper found Cloncurry
Gold found on the Gilbert River
Gold found on the Etheridge (Georgetown)
Jupiter Mossman discovers gold at Charters Towers. Mt Bischoff tin mines in Tasmania started
Gold discovered on Palmer River by Frederick Warner on Hann’s expedition
Gold discovered by J.V. Mulligan at Palmer River. Tin discovered at Granite and Cannibal Creeks
Mulligan’s fifth expedition finds tin on Wild River
J.V. Mulligan discovers gold on Hodgkinson. Cairns and Port Douglas vie for gold trade. Telegraph arrives in Cooktown. Tin miners can now negotiate sales
Over 600 tons of concentrate exported through Cooktown from Palmer river tin fields
Tin found on the Tate river Queensland. Atherton finds tin at Tinaroo
Gold declines on local fields
Tin mining begins in Herberton. Silver discovered at Dry river near Herberton
Tin found at Irvinebank
Great Western Tin Lode discovered at Watsonville
Tin discovered at Coolgarra. Copper discovered at Mt Garnet
Copper discovered at Mt Molloy. Lead found Montalbion
Copper discovered at Chillagoe
Silver discovered at Montalbion. Mining bubble bursts
Silver crash
Chillagoe boom
Bauxite found on Cape York
Coal discovered at Mt. Mulligan Australian Workers Union forms at Irvinebank. STRIKES
Mt. Mulligan coal mine disaster. Third worst coal mining accident in Australia. Mine operates until 1957.
4 Tin Dredges work in the Innot Hot Springs and Mt Garnet area
Herberton declines
Tin mining revives
Massive Queensland coal mining expansion
Jumna (formerly All Nations) tin mine opens. Closes in 1987.
Kidston Gold Mine commences. Closes in 2001. World tin price collapses
Red Dome mine opens. Over the next 11 years 1M ounces of gold, 35,000 tons of copper extracted from 15M.T. of ore
Great Northern Battery sold for scrap
Consolidate Tin Mines (Aurora) commences operations at Mt Garnet.
World metal prices soar
Kagara Ltd commences operations at Baal Gammon mine. Company goes into liquidation 2014
Mungana gold mine commenced operations by Auctus. Mine placed in care and maintenance mode in 2019. Aurora Metals acquires mine but company placed in adminstration 2023.
Mt Carbine tungsten project begins open cut mining
© Herberton Mining Museum History Association 2026