MOONTA
Moonta is the first of the towns that
make up the ‘copper triangle’
Moonta extends to the coast at Port
Hughes that now includes recreational water sports. Moonta is very
much a heritage town with dozens of buildings carrying heritage
listing.
    
It is
thought that the name "Moonta" is derived from Moontera, an
(Indigenous) Narungga word meaning 'impenetrable scrub'
British settlers arrived in the Moonta area in the 1840's, as
pastoralists, but there was no significant development until the
1860's, primarily because of the lack of water.
Large
and rich deposits of copper were discovered at Moonta in 1861 by
shepherds from Walter Watson Hughes' sheep farm. This became a
prosperous mine, named Wheal Hughes, with other mines soon to follow.
The town was laid out in 1863 and a horse drawn tramway to Wallaroo
was established in 1863. The mines at Moonta proved to be the richest
mines in the whole of South Australia by 1917.
The
churches in Moonta are cathedral in design. Grand buildings and all
nearly 150 years old.   
The
hotels in Moonta likewise are all well over 100 years old Be
sure to visit the Royal .
You may even catch up with these two happy guys_small.JPG)
The
Moonta War Memorial is located within the bowling club grounds.
The
Moonta Museum is housed in the old school building near the historic
Wesley Church. 
Moonta is one place you will need to
stopover to get the best out of place. _small.JPG) _small.JPG)
Heritage diary 
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