Wallaroo Mines
SA 5554 • South Australia
About Wallaroo Mines
Wallaroo Mines is a small historic locality on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, situated adjacent to the township of Wallaroo approximately 160 kilometres north-west of Adelaide. Covering just 2.9 square kilometres, it falls under the Copper Coast Council and forms part of the region known as "Little Cornwall" — a trio of towns including Kadina and Moonta transformed by a copper mining boom beginning in the 1860s. With a 2021 Census population of 408 residents and a median household income near $43,000, Wallaroo Mines is a quiet community shaped profoundly by its extraordinary colonial mining history.
The locality takes its name from the Wallaroo Mines copper operation, one of the largest and most significant copper deposits worked in 19th-century South Australia, which drew thousands of Cornish miners and their families to the region. Today, heritage-listed mine sites and remnant industrial infrastructure attract history enthusiasts, while the broader Copper Coast offers beaches, fishing, and the biennial Kernewek Lowender Cornish festival celebrated across Kadina, Wallaroo, and Moonta. Wallaroo township, immediately adjacent, provides a harbour, ferry connections to the Eyre Peninsula, shopping, and services for residents of the wider area.
Wallaroo Mines falls under postcode 5554 and is governed by the local council Council (LGA). For state elections, residents vote in the Narungga electorate.
Location
Transport & Commute
Bus Services
- Regional Express Coach — Adelaide CBD (Central Bus Station) Approx. 2.5 hrs
Commute to Adelaide CBD
🛣️ Car is essential; Copper Coast Highway (A2/B83) is the main route to Adelaide
Limited local amenities within the locality itself; adjacent Wallaroo township is walkable for basic services
Supermarkets Nearby
No major supermarkets listed for this suburb.
Schools
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George Street
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Doswell Terrace
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Lipson Avenue