Mount Isa workers prepare for last shift as mine goes into caretaker mode

After seven decades of being a giant in the region’s mining history this week marks the end of an era for Glencore’s Mount Isa Mines underground copper operations.

Workers entering the shaft.

After seven decades of being a giant in the region’s mining history this week marks the end of an era for Glencore’s Mount Isa Mines copper operations.

The final shift in the early hours of Thursday marks the end of one of Australia’s longest running and most well-known copper mines with a “symbolic” last lift of the cage.

In an “emotional” moment on Monday, work crews gathered for the ‘last blast”, marking the final time explosives were used underground.

It comes as weeks of discussions and calls for a rescue plan for the company’s smelter and refinery has stalled.

Since the 1950s, the Mount Isa Copper Operations (MICO) has produced hundreds of millions of tonnes of ore for Australia’s critical minerals industry and put Mount Isa on the map as one of the most iconic mining towns.

From humble beginnings the mine has grown to become a vast network underground spanning thousands of kilometres.

Elphinstone 2800 Loader, 1989

Mount Isa historian Barry Merrick said the history of the mines was “deeper than just copper”.

“I’m sad to see the change, of course,” he said.

“But life goes on. What we take with us is a story worth preserving and a spirit that will forever be part of this town.”

Mr Barrick has been gathering and documenting the history of the mine since 1923 to make sure the “important legacy” is forever remembered in both print and digital formats.

Having started his career more than 30 years ago at the zinc-lead mine next door, Glencore chief operating officer Troy Wilson said while operations were coming to an end, the legacy of the mine would live on.

Mount Isa Mine shaft

“Mount Isa Mines (MIM) including MICO has a rich history and for generations Australian miners have considered working at MIM a rite of passage,” Mr Wilson said.

While the copper mining comes to an end, he said Glencore would continue to invest in their George Fisher Mine which has a long mine life up until at least 2042.

“Work is also progressing on development of the Black Star Open Cut zinc-lead-silver project, which if approved, would represent further investment of about A$1 billion and a mine life of 10 to 20 years,” Mr Wilson said.

Originally published as Mount Isa workers prepare for last shift as mine goes into caretaker mode