Mintaro Slate Quarries

Useful Information

Location:	Mintaro.
Open:	All year Mon-Fri 7:30-15. Closed on weekends, Public Holidays, Good Friday and Christmas Day. [2004]
Fee:
Classification:	slate quarries, proterozoic siltstones, 900Ma.
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Mintaro Slate Quarries Pty Ltd, Kadlunga Road, PO Box 8, Mintaro, South Australia 5415, Tel: +61-8-8843-9077, Fax: +61-8-8843-9019. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1840s	Mintaro founded and mining started for local use.
1856	leased by the English settler and stonemason Thompson Priest, who began excavating No. 1 Quarry.
1861	Mintaro was described as being superior to any slate previously known.
1879	Sir Samuel James Way, Chief Justice of South Australia, added the land to his Kadlunga estate.
1888	Thompson Priest died and his quarry was acquired by a Melbourne firm.
1911	Mintaro Slate and Flagstone Company Limited was formed.
1912	an area of 16-24 ha was purchased from Sir Samuel Way.
1978	takeover of the Mintaro Slate and Flagstone Company Limited.
1981	again sold and reformed as Mintaro Slate Quarries Pty Ltd..

Description

Mintaro Slate Quarries are, as the name quarry suggests, open cast mine works for quarrying slate. This is not exactly the topic of this website, which is dedicated to underground locations. But Mintaro Slate Quarries is very important, probably the best slate found on earth, so we thought we should mention this place.

The slate at Mintaro is a natural sedimentary rock, to a metamorphic rock as most other slates. It has an exceptional flatness and straightness even in its hand split form. Other superior properties are durability and slip resistance in dry and wet conditions.