Telfer, Administrative division in Shire of East Pilbara, Australia
Telfer is a mining town in Western Australia's Great Sandy Desert, located about 1,300 kilometers northeast of Perth. The settlement developed around gold deposits and functions as a work center for employees who fly in from larger cities.
Newmont Mining claimed mineral deposits at Telfer in 1972 and named the location after A. H. Telfer, a former Under Secretary for Mines in Western Australia. The operation has since grown into one of the country's largest mining enterprises.
The population of Telfer reflects mining town demographics with a male-to-female ratio of 2.4 to 1 and 40 percent international residents.
The location is accessible only by air, as infrastructure was designed specifically for a rotation system where workers commute from distant cities. Visitors should understand this is a working site without commercial tourism facilities.
The mineral deposits at Telfer contain 591 tonnes of gold and 640,000 tonnes of copper, making it one of Australia's largest mining operations.
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