Abandoned Mines

The Abandoned Mine Sites database is an inventory of abandoned mine sites recommended by the Minerals Environment Liaison Committee in 1994. Following a fatal accident at an abandoned mine site near Cue in 1997, the Western Australian Government initiated funding for an ongoing program within the then Department of Minerals and Energy to develop an inventory of these sites in the State. The digital product has been released annually since December 2002, and contains records for mining-related features, which cover about 76% of the high priority historic mine sites in Western Australia. This is a comprehensive digital database of abandoned mine sites that includes photographs of individual underground and surface excavations, dumps, and rehabilitation and infrastructure features. Mining-related features are illustrated and described by morphological criteria and key attributes. Selected georeferenced historic GSWA maps and bulletins are also included. The inventory provides baseline data on historical mining-related features in Western Australia, thereby forming a solid foundation for future independent assessments of hazards, heritage value, and environmental impact. The database also provides a valuable contribution to the spatial distribution of mineralization in historical mining areas.