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Mount Isa
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As the only place of consequence for 700km in any direction, the smokestacks, concrete paving and sterile hills at
MOUNT ISA
assume oasis-like qualities on arrival, despite being undeniably ugly. Though the novelty might have worn off by the time you've had a cold drink, the city has a few points to savour before heading on. There's evidence of the area's
Aboriginal heritage
, a couple of unusual
museums
, tours of the mines themselves, Australia's largest
rodeo
every August and, not least, the fascinating situation and the community it has fostered.
The largest city in the world in terms of surface area - its administrative boundaries stretch as far as Cloncurry - Mount Isa sits astride a wealth of zinc, silver, lead and copper, and owes its existence to these reserves and the need for a staging post for interstate travellers. The city's founding father was
John Miles
, who discovered ore in 1923, established
Mount Isa Mines
(MIM) the next year and began commercial mining in 1925. Originally a settlement of canvas and scrap wood, the city enjoyed a forty-year boom under the benevolent hegemony of MIM until the late 1980s saw a decline in profits. New mining developments such as the new Hilton Mine, north of the city, keep business ticking over, but mines further afield, as at Cloncurry, tend to be staffed by workers who live on the east coast and fly in for their shifts, staying on site until they take their money home, completely bypassing The Isa. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Australia,
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