Our Story
Founded in 1995 by a group of passionate mining historians and former miners, Mining Life Australia began as a small initiative to preserve the disappearing stories of Australia's mining communities. What started as weekend visits to abandoned mining sites in the Goldfields of Victoria has grown into the country's leading mining heritage preservation organization.
Our journey began when retired miner William "Bill" McKenzie discovered a collection of forgotten photographs and personal letters in his grandfather's attic - documents that told the untold stories of the 1890s gold rush. Realizing that countless such stories were being lost forever, Bill partnered with historian Dr. Margaret Thompson and mining engineer James Crawford to establish our organization.
Over nearly three decades, we have documented over 2,000 individual mining stories, preserved 15,000 historical photographs, and created educational programs that have reached more than 50,000 students across Australia. Our work spans from the early gold rush era through to modern uranium mining operations, ensuring that the courage, innovation, and community spirit of Australian miners is never forgotten.
Today, Mining Life Australia operates from our headquarters in Broken Hill, with research centers in Kalgoorlie, Mount Isa, and the Hunter Valley. We continue to work closely with mining companies, historical societies, and Indigenous communities to create a comprehensive and respectful narrative of Australia's mining legacy.
