Burra Heritage Loop
Copper mines, miners' cottages and a self-drive passport through one of Australia's great mining towns.
The plan
Burra sits at the northern edge of the Clare Valley region, and it rewards a dedicated day of its own. The key is the Burra Heritage Passport - a self-drive package that includes a map, a key to locked historic sites, and entry to the town's museums. With it you can move at your own pace through mine workings, miners' dugouts and cottages that tell the story of the 1840s copper rush that drew Cornish, Welsh and German miners to this corner of the Mid North.
The route
Start at the visitor centre to collect your Heritage Passport and key, then drive out to the Monster Mine site to stand at the edge of the great open cut. Work through the Bon Accord and other museums for the human story, walk the preserved miners' dugouts along the creek, and finish among the stone terraces of Paxton Square. If you can, stay the night in one of those very cottages.
Tips
The passport sites are spread around town, so this is a self-drive loop rather than a walk. Allow most of a day. Wear decent shoes for uneven ground at the mine, bring water in summer, and check museum opening hours before you go. For the full effect, book a night in a Paxton Square cottage and let the town empty out around you after the day-trippers leave.
Day 1
4 stops-
1
Burra Heritage Passport
BurraCollect the passport and key - the master ticket to the whole town.
See place → -
2
-
3
-
4
Paxton Square Cottages
BurraRestored 1850s miners' cottages - and a place to stay the night.
See place →
On the map
More like this
Top 10
Best things to do in Clare Valley
Our pick of the best things to do in the Clare Valley, from world-class Riesling cellar doors and the Riesling Trail to Burra's copper-mining heritage, grand manors and panoramic lookouts.
Guide
The Heritage Towns Loop
Beyond the vines, the Clare Valley hides one of Australia's richest concentrations of 19th-century history. This loop links its finest heritage towns.
Top 10
9 Best Things to Do in the Clare Valley
There is far more to the Clare Valley than wine. From a flat rail trail to a copper-mining boom town and a Georgian mansion, here are ten ways to fill your days.
Top 10
The Best Things to Do in Burra
Burra is one of Australia’s great heritage towns. These are the essential stops on a visit to the old copper capital.
Top 10
Where to stay in Clare Valley
Our pick of the best places to stay across the Clare Valley, spanning historic homesteads, vineyard cabins, holiday parks, heritage cottages and country pubs with rooms in towns from Clare to Burra.
Guide
A Burra Copper Trail Day
Spend a day unlocking Burra’s extraordinary copper heritage, from the Monster Mine to the riverbank dugouts and the old gaol.
Image credits
- Azurite, Burra Mine, South Australia.jpg by JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) , CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons