Head northeast out of Adelaide on the Thiele Highway towards the famed Barossa Valley region and you’ll find yourself passing through the unassuming town of Kapunda.
Best known for being the site of one of South Australia’s most recognisable Big Things, the Big Miner, Kapunda is like any number of small country towns in the area. With a population of less than 4,000, most drive through without giving the town a second thought, but what people don’t realise is the important role Kapunda played in shaping the Festival State.
Established in 1839, Kapunda is believed to have taken its name from the aboriginal phrase “Cappie Oonda,” which roughly translates to “water jump out,” a possible reference to the nearby Light River, a reliable water source near where the town was founded.
Kapunda was originally inhabited by a small number of farmers who worked the land. This all changed three years later in 1842 when copper ore was discovered by sheep farmers Francis Dutton and Charles Bagot. While the details aren’t clear about who found copper first, the two men decided to work together. They purchased 80 acres of land and began mining in early 1844.
Predating the more famous Burra Burra mine by 18 months, the Kapunda Copper Mine was the first of its kind in South Australia and the entire country.
Much like the Gold Rush that was to come, every Tom, Dick and Harry descended upon Kapunda looking to make their fortune. The discovery of copper led to the town developing at a rapid rate, and when the railway was established in 1860, it became the rural centre of the northeast. Settlers from Wales, England and Germany flocked to the ‘Copper Kingdom’ during this period, with Kapunda transforming into a thriving mining and agricultural town.
According to the Light Regional Council, the mines not only made a lot of the locals rich but also helped save South Australia from bankruptcy. The money made from copper sales and the increase in jobs boosted the economy and aided other nearby towns, along with the capital Adelaide, to grow and flourish during the tail end of the Great Depression.
But all good things must come to an end, and in 1879, with copper prices bottoming out, the mines were soon closed. Although a big loss to the town economically, the mines had brought a slew of farmers to Kapunda, with agriculture becoming the town’s new lifeline.
Cereal crops, such as wheat, barley and oats, and livestock fueled Kapunda’s economy, along with several high-profile residents like landowner Sir Sidney Kidman, who came to Kapunda in 1870. His annual horse sales often saw more than 3,000 animals sold at auction, with Kidman donating large sums of money to the town to keep the infrastructure in place.
Then there was Dutton, the original copper miner, who was also instrumental in Kapunda’s survival, helping fund Dutton Park, the Kapunda Hospital and many local clubs and groups that continue today.
This boom time in Kapunda’s short history also produced some of the most important people in South Australian history, with 31 members of Parliament either born in the town or having lived there during their early years, including Dutton.
Other notable former residents include Henry Binnery Hawke who created the first hydraulic car hoist, the Broadcast Seed sewing machine and Weighbridge, Albert Hawke who became Premier of Western Australia and current Australian cricketer Darcie Brown.
While tourists still visit Kapunda, these days it’s to take a photo with Map the Miner, check out the many handpainted murals on the Kapandu’s Mural Trail or visit the North Kapunda Hotel, which claims to be “one of the most haunted pubs in Australia.”
We urge anyone keen to understand more about the town’s history to take the self-guided Kapunda Mine Trail before visiting the Kapunda Museum where you can learn about the town’s mining history in more detail.
Kapunda might not be the bustling country town of yesteryear, but it remains an important landmark in South Australian history.
