Coober Pedy
Coober Pedy is a town of extremes. Very low rainfall makes the town dry and dusty year road while summer heat encourages many people to live underground. The high value of local opal keeps
miners searching for years for the lode that will make them rich and many people do strike wealth.
Click on a picture for a larger version.
Spoil heaps from mines north of town
Mining goes on right in town
View of the town
"First Tree in Coober Pedy", made from an early truck that brought in supplies
Greek Orthodox church: the town has a very ethnically diverse population
Historic graveyard
Eccentric local art
Old mining machinery
Old Timers Mine Tour
One of the early mines, maintained as a museum
Early miners climbed down vertical shafts
Waste material was piled in dead end workings
Material was hauled up to the surface in canvas bags
This part of the mine has been expanded as a museum of the town's history...
complete with 1950s dental equipment...
some interesting sculptures...
and old opal processing itemsUnderground Homes
A small home...
expanded from old mine workings...
typical of the 1920s
A more extensive 1970s home
Recreation of Coober Pedy's unique underground post office
A seam of potch, worthless white opal
A display of old mining toolsDemonstration of Modern Mining Machines
Used underground to create a horizontal shaft
These days material is brought to the surface by a "blower"...
basically a large vacuum cleaner...
that pulverises the waste rock and leaves the waste heapsSoutheast Edge of Town
These signs are all over
Recent waste heaps
Entrance to the Aboriginal camp
Old Police Lockup: built in the early days of the town and never used, most of the time justice was of the frontier variety
A small private mine
Older waste piles
© Tim Cooke 2008
