Today the open-cut Balaclava Mine is a place for tourists to come and gaze down from the lookout points and reflect on the life of the miners back in 1853.
The entrance to the mines has been closed to the public due to safety hazards. At the main lookout point you will find a plaque explaining the history of the mine. Here it explains how the mine shaft was filled in by the Mines Department in 1960.
Through the life of the mine it was required to close several times due to the shortage of water, then due to heavy rainfalls. Sadly by 1881 there were only 150 employed miners left. Hence the town now being known as an Australian ghost town.
After the gold mining era the main local industry was the iron bark wood cutting from the surrounding forests.
Balaclava Mine Location
Reedy Lake Rd, Whroo VIC 3612
Nearby Attractions
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