Helen Stephenson's Australian Pictures - February/March, 2000 - Callington & Kanmantoo

The towns of Callington and Kanmantoo were copper mining centres during South Australia's early days, and old mine workings can still be found in the area. Mining at Kanmantoo reopened during the 1970s and mining waste was reprocessed to extract the remaining copper. Open cut mining also took place at this time, but when the ore available by open cut methods was exhausted the mine closed again, as the price of copper was insufficient to justify the expense of sinking a shaft.

Callington remains a small town on the bank of the River Bremer. Here is a view of the single lane road bridge over the Bremer; and the view of the Bremer as seen from the bridge. The River Bremer joins the Mount Barker Creek a few miles on the Strathalbyn side of Callington, and often more water seems to flow from the Mount Barker Creek than from the River Bremer!

The Bremer Mine is on the outskirts of Callington. I visited it with a school friend who was brought up in Callington and very casually told me not to worry about the "keep out" signs! I figured that she probably knew where not to step as she used to play among the old mine workings as a child.

Pictured are the Powder Magazine and the main mine building of the Bremer Mine.

This picture of an old chimney at Kanmantoo was taken on another rather brighter day. Look at how the chimney climbs the hillside at ground level for a considerable distance before reaching the vertical stack.