Brukunga Pyrite Mine site map and rehabilitation details, Adelaide Hills South Australia

            Brukunga is the name adopted in 1953 for a settlement at the Nairne pyrites mine on section 5279, Hundred of Kanmantoo, laid out by the South Australian Housing Trust.

Iron sulphide (pyrite minerals) was extracted at Brukunga: a key ingredient in the production of sulfuric acid needed for the manufacture of superphosphate fertiliser.
The superphosphate fertiliser was used to sustain the rapid expansion in agriculture that occurred in South Australian following World War Two.

A world shortage of sulphur in 1951 led to the formation of Nairne Pyrites Ltd (a consortium of three local fertiliser companies) to develop deposits of pyrite (iron sulphide) at Brukunga.
The project was sponsored by the South Australian Government and investigation work was carried out by the Department of Mines.

Open-cut mining commenced in 1955 and ore containing more than 5% pyrite was processed by crushing, grinding and concentration by flotation. Concentrate containing 40% sulphur was railed to Birkenhead for conversion into sulphuric acid for superphosphate manufacture. The township of Brukunga was established to house company employees.

Overburden was deposited in two main waste dumps, and fine waste slurry (tailings) from the flotation process was pumped into a settling dam. The face of this dam can be seen to your right.

The mine closed due to a change in the price guarantee for Australian production and the availability of cheaper sulphur from Canada. By this time, more than one million tonnes of concentrate had been produced from about five million tonnes of ore.

Mining ceased at Brunkunga 31 May 1972. 

References: 
District Council of Mount Barker
Department of Energy and Mining
Engineering & Water Supply Department
Manning’s Place Names of South Australia

   

Taken on: January 11, 2020

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Brukunga

Adelaide

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Hd of Kanmantoo

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superphosphate

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Nairne

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Mines

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rehabilitation

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Camera: Panasonic DC-TZ90, f/3.3, 1/1000 sec, 4.3mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Panasonic DC-TZ90
Lens:	N/A
Aperture:	f/3.3
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/1000)
Focal Length:	4.3mm
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Landscape
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Gain Control:	Low gain up
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Windows Photo Editor 10.0.10011.16384
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