Chillagoe Smelters

Cairns & Far North Queensland

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Part of the Chillagoe−Mungana Caves National Park, these eerie, abandoned smelters are a Chillagoe icon. They operated at a furious pace between 1900 and 1943, treating 1.25 million tonnes of ore and yielding hundreds of thousands of tonnes of copper, lead, silver and gold before more easily accessible smelters put it out of business.

The ruins are full of pitfalls, asbestos and other remnant poisons; stick to the viewing platform with information panels on the site's history.

The smelters are 2.3km from town. Follow Queen St across the creek then turn right at the signpost.

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1. Chillagoe Observatory

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Chillagoe's remote savannah location makes it an ideal place to scan the night skies. This observatory, at Chillagoe Eco Lodge, makes it even better, with…

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