In Australia, there are currently over 65 gold mines operating throughout our glorious island continent. Here we take a look at the top 6 biggest gold mines currently in operation.
It also depends on your defintion of big - and whether you mean highest production, largest pit size, deepest pit, oldest or largest mineral deposit. A large number of gold mines in Australia are located in the Goldfeilds of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. Gold deposits and yellow metal can be found across the whole country, but is most definitely a Western-Australia led industry. Gold is a precious metal, but also a precious industry to Australia and the third largest mining metal in the country (after coal & iron ore). If Australia invests heavily in gold expansion projects, it will have two of the most productive mine projects in the world within a few years. Australia holds the 14th largest gold reserves on earth. While China is the largest gold producing country by output, accounting for 13% of the world's production in June 2022, Australia's gold production is exploding by comparison. Last year, Australia produced 310 tonnes of gold, or nearly 10 million ounces—the country's greatest yield in 20 years. The five biggest gold mines, for example Cadia Mine, Boddington Mine, Tanami Gold Mine, Telfer, and Cowal Gold Mines produced a combined 2.89m ounces of gold from 79.76 mmtpa* of ROM in 2021.
Kalgoorlie Super Pit
The Super Pit is the largest gold mine in Australia by size. It covers an area of 3.5km² and is located in the city of Kalgoorlie, in Western Australia right in the heart of the goldfeilds. The Kalgoorlie super pit is situated in Western Australia and is owned by Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines. This is Australia's most prolific mining country and gold is the fourth most valuable industry.
Image courtesy of Newcrest Mining.
Cadia Gold Mine
Cadia Valley Gold has officially remained Australia's most important producer. Newcrest Mining discovered a gold deposit at Cadia Hill and, in the same year, Cadia East was discovered. Owned and controlled by Newcrest, the Cadia Mine are located in the Cadia Valley 20 km southeast of Orange City, New South Wales, and consist of several large underground and open-cut copper ore deposits. Cadia Valley is Australia's second-highest open-cut mine behind Kalgoorlie Super Pit.
Boddington Gold Mine
The Boddington Mine ranks third and is the largest producing mining company in Australia up until recently lies approximately 130km southwest of Boddington city on the Saddleback Greenstone Range in Western Australia. Owned and operated by Newmont Goldcorp, this mine commenced operations in 1987 with Newmont Newcrest and Anglo Gold Ashanti. Newmont was the sole ownership until 2009 after Newcrest had exited Newcrest and purchased Anglo Gold Ashanti Shares. There will be at least 2 decades of operation at the mine. Boddington is expected to expand further after the $400M budget was approved.
Photo courtesy of Newmont Corporation.
Tanami Gold Mine
The Tanami Mine is one of the deepest gold mines in Australia, reaching depths of 2.8 km below ground. The mine is located in the remote desert region of the Northern Territory, approximately 850 kilometers northwest of Alice Springs. Newmont Mining Corporation and Barrick Gold Corporation jointly own and operate the mine.
Telfer Gold Mine
Telfer Mine, owned by Newcrest is one of the oldest mines in Australia and it produced 6 million tons of gold between 1975 and 2000. The mine began producing more than five million tonnes of gold in 2004 with a total production of 425,536 tonnes in 2022. Telfer is a massive site that contains two open mining and an underground mining operation, and Newcrest is taking action to minimise this intrusion.
