RV TRAVEL
GOLDEN FREE-CAMPING
The old Cumberland goldmine site, which was in operation for just under 10 years before finally closing in 1897 due to hardships, sits to the west of Georgetown. A lone chimney stands as a silent reminder as to what used to be.
This old site has free-camping beside a dam that was built as the town’ s water supply in the late 1800s. With a huge viewing deck, it’ s a beautiful place to watch the birdlife, even in drier times. The camping area has bins and information boards for an insight into the mine’ s history and more.
The discovery of gold in Georgetown opened up several new areas to the south that included the little town of Forsyth and Einasleigh further east.
These two towns survived a little longer than Georgetown as a rail line was built to move mine material back to Chillagoe for processing.
Today, the line is used by the Savannahlander tourist train company, which attracts thousands of visitors a year. Einasleigh once had a large working copper mine but since closure the only surviving building in town is the local hotel, but across the road is the stunning Copperfield Gorge with amazing rock formations created over millions of years.
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