Copper Coast

*This article is about a region in Australia. For coast of County Waterford, Ireland, see Copper Coast (Ireland).

Copper Coast is a region of South Australia situated in Northern Yorke Peninsula and comprising the towns of Wallaroo, Kadina, Moonta, Paskeville and Port Hughes. The area approximately bounded by Wallaroo, Kadina and Moonta is also known as the Copper Triangle. The area is so named because copper was mined from there in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a significant source of economic prosperity for South Australia at the time. These three towns are known for their large Cornish ethnicity, often called "Little Cornwall". Kernewek Lowender is the world's largest Cornish Festival, held biennially in the Cornish Triangle.

The area continues to make a significant contribution to the economy of South Australia, as a major producer of grain, particularly barley and wheat.

History

The area became established as a source of copper in 1861, when Paddy Ryan found copper traces coming out of a wombat's burrow which was on a pastoral lease granted to Walter Watson Hughes. Hughes formed the Tipara Mining Company, which later became the Moonta Mining Co.

Copper Coast Geopark

The Copper Coast is a stretch of the southern coast of Ireland in County Waterford, extending for some 17 km from Kilfarrasy in the east to Stradbally in the west. It is named for the historic metal-mining industry, the legacies of which now constitute a tourist attraction. The area was declared a European Geopark in 2001 and a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2004 in an attempt to boost the profile of the area as a tourist destination. This geologically diverse area contains records of Palaeozoic volcanism and the last ice age - a heritage which is interpreted locally for the visitor. The geopark trust maintains a visitor centre at Monksland Church in Knockmahon.

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