HARD TIMES MINE
The Hard Times Mine tour is more than a tour - it’s an experience!
From the very beginning of the tour you know that this is something special. From the moment you meet your tour guide (who has worked as a miner for most of his life), to the kitting-out in overalls and cap lamps… you’re having fun and can’t wait for what comes next.
Descending in to the mine in the Alimak Cage, you begin to explore the history of mining as the guides enthrall you with their stories of the good times and the hard times that are had working deep under the earth. See how the tunnels are formed and shaped by the majestic boom drills and mucking units. Get up close with the machinery and try your hand at the air-leg drill, and feel the earth rumble with the firing of the blast face.
These magnificent experiences will stay with you forever.
Learn more about the Hard Times Mine at the Outback @ Isa website at www.outbackatisa.com.au
BUCHANAN PARK
Built at a cost of over $20 million, the Buchanan Park Events Complex is the award winning home of both the Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo and the Mount Isa Mining Expo. The main ‘Kalkadoon Arena’, named after the traditional owners of the area can seat in excess of 5,500 people!
In addition to Kalkadoon Arena, Buchanan Park Events Complex hosts large outdoor display areas, ample parking, and the Xstrata Pavilion (an expansive, airconditioned, indoors exhibition area which can also be used for private functions).
Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo
The Isa Rodeo has grown tremendously since its humble beginnings in 1959, and has become one of the biggest events on the Queensland calendar, and is the largest event of its type in the Southern Hemisphere!
The first ever Rodeo, the Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo, was the result of an ambitious young Rotary Club and their vision to put Mount Isa on the map.
With no ground, no stock and no experience, they established a Rodeo organising committee and began the task of staging the first ever Rodeo in Mount Isa in 1959 with prize money totaling 500 pounds - little did these Rotarians know what they had created.
Today, the combined Rotary Clubs of Mount Isa continue to present The Isa Rodeo and the event attracts the best of local and overseas competitors and promises prestige and prize money in excess of $200,000.
The Isa Rodeo offers nothing short of a two week long program of festivities including a ball, mardi gras, horse race, art and photographic exhibitions, and live entertainment.
During the Rodeo period, accommodation outlets report a 100 per cent occupancy rate.
The 2007 Isa Rodeo was also a year of new beginnings as the event said goodbye to Kalkadoon Park and relocated to the new multi-million dollar Buchanan Park complex.
The new venue is a purpose built facility featuring a new rectangular arena in line with the United States. The state of the art facilities accommodate more than 5,500 people and includes a two-tier undercover grandstand, shaded grass viewing areas, corporate boxes and a conference room.
The following information is taken from the Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo website:
‘The Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo is the biggest and richest event of its kind in the southern hemisphere.
It is lauded as one of the best in the world and with the sensational lineup of riders and stock there is little wonder why’
The Mount Isa City Council is proud to be a major Gold Level Sponsor of this event.
More information about the Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo can be found by visiting their excellent website at www.isarodeo.com.au
Mount Isa Mining Expo
The Mount Isa City Council is proud to, once again, be a major sponsor of the Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo.
Mount Isa is well known as the major industrial and commercial hub for the North West Mineral province, and the Mount Isa City Council strongly supports any and all efforts to encourage further development in our region.
The Xstrata Mining Expo is the largest event of its kind on the eastern seaboard, and its value as an industry attraction should not be undervalued. It showcases some of the mining industry’s most innovative ideas and developments, and allows the networking of individuals from all sides of the industry to further their common goals.
Furthermore, the expo serves as a fantastic event to showcase the facilities of the Mount Isa Buchanan Park Events Complex. Built during 2006/07 at a cost of over $20 million, Buchanan Park is the perfect environment to host such a large scale and prestigious event. The Xstrata Entertainment Pavilion is filled with exhibitors and visitors over the expo’s duration (last year more than 8000 attended over the three days), and the Mount Isa City Council is thrilled to see the venue put to such valuable use.
In addition to the positives that the Xstrata Mining Expo brings to the city’s businesses and commercial operators, there are flow-on benefits experienced by the entire Mount Isa population. The increase in visitors to the area, the festival atmosphere, and the family oriented events that are held, advantage the entire community.
The Mount Isa City Council is extremely proud of its strong relationships with many local partners… working tirelessly to foster associations with the Chamber of Commerce, Xstrata Mount Isa Mines, and associated commercial and industrial operators.
More information about the Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo can be found by visiting www.mountisachamber.com.au
THE MOUNT ISA FAMILY FUN PARK
The new Mount Isa Family Fun Park is the largest all abilities playground in Queensland!
Opened in 2009, the park cost over $4.25 million to design and build… and offers locals and visitors alike the perfect facility to play, relax, and enjoy.
The Family Fun Park is built to be accessible to everyone, regardless of their level of ability or movement… and to have something for everyone, regardless of their personal interests!
And best of all… it’s completely free!
The park offers visitors:
- Ample Parking (over 200 spaces);
- Free BBQ facilities;
- Bike Track;
- Large Grassed Areas
- Mural By Local Artists & School Groups
- Sculpture Installation By Award-Winning Queensland Artist Christopher Trotter
- 100% ‘soft fall’ rubberised ground cover for safety in play areas
- Junior play area (for ages 0-6)
- Based on the theme of a pirate ship, this area is fully fenced with ‘pool fencing’ so parents can be confident as to where their children are. The area is located adjacent to a large grassed mount where parents are able to sit and supervise their children.
- Senior play area (ages 6 and up)
- With a variety of challenging installations and play equipment
- Water park
- A first for North West Queensland. With an interactive design, over 20 different installations, recycled water system, all abilities accessible, and sounds and lights!
- Sensory Garden
- Interactive garden built to stimulate the senses (sight, smell, touch, taste)
- Liberty swing
- Built to be all abilities accessible (including wheelchair accessible)
- Double Flying Fox
- Permanent outdoor stage and seating areas
- Toilets
- State of the art, self cleaning, self locking, vandalism resistant, sensor based systems,
- Formal Gazebo Area
- For weddings and special occasions
- Extensive ‘cool technology’ seating
The park operates daily from 8am to 9pm (inclusive of weekends / public holidays), and can be found on Church Street, behind the PCYC and Spashez Aquatic Centre.
CITY LOOKOUT
Get a spectacular bird’s eye view of Mount Isa from the city’s Hilary Street lookout.
The lookout, with its global signpost, offers a 360-degree panorama of the city and mine area.
Visitors must make a second look at sunset or after dark for spectacular views of the Mount Isa mine at night.
ROYAL FLYING DOCTORS
Established at Cloncurry in 1928, the region’s Royal Flying Doctor Service has operated from Mount Isa since 1964. The service offers vital care to the injured or seriously ill among the population of some 40,000 people spread over 500,000 square kilometres, as well as regular clinic care to remote regions and inter-hospital transfers.
The service is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Pilots must be capable of landing their $3 million flying intensive care units on anything from dirt strips and roads to paddocks. Nurses and doctors must get to their patient no matter what conditions they face, even paddling up a gorge in the dark.
A visit to the centre provides a great insight into this essential service, its history and its operations today and features a short movie on the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
SCHOOL OF THE AIR
Queensland’s School of the Air was established in 1960 and is now based in Mount Isa. The School is
one of seven in Queensland and provides education by qualified teachers for 280 students from
pre-school to year 10. They cover an area that extends east from the Northern Territory border to Richmond, and south from Burketown to Birdsville.
Tours through the School give visitors a behind the scenes appreciation of the organisation and logistics required to run a school without classrooms… where the teacher cannot see the students, nor the students see the teacher, or even each other!
Classes are conducted by radio in 30-minute sessions, and students precede with independent study each day with assistance by a home supervisor, usually a parent or governess.
UNDERGROUND HOSPITAL
The first hospital in Mount Isa was a row of tents operated by the company from the earliest years of mining operations. Mount Isa Mines opened a 40 bed Community Hospital on the leases in 1929. Eventually another hospital was built on the Hospital reserve in town.
With the expanded hospital complex it was realised with two competing hospitals, and funding for both, that neither could be run efficiently and residents were encouraged to use the state run hospital. The mine hospital was effectively reduced to a casualty and first-aid station.
With the advent of World War II the impact on Australia was not great until the bombing in 1942 of Darwin. The work on defending the top end of Australia caused the influx of thousands of American troops into Northwest Queensland from April 1942. With the bombing of the Darwin Hospital, precautions were taken to protect the Mount Isa district hospital in the event of an air raid.
