Ottery Mine, Historic mining site in New South Wales, Australia

Ottery Mine is a derelict tin and arsenic mine on a steep hillside at the head of a narrow gully, 8 km north-east of Emmaville. Its chimney stack stands on the crest, with roasting kilns, two banks of 66 condensation chambers, refinery and cooperage ruins below, plus the burnt timber frame and concrete foundations of the tin processing plant.

Alexander Ottery discovered the deposit in the late 1870s. The Glen Smelting Company worked it for tin from 1882 to 1905, sinking eight shafts and producing 2,500 tonnes of tin concentrate. After a fatal accident in 1906 it closed, reopening in 1920 under William Cooper and Nephews to make 99.7% pure arsenic trioxide from 1921. Operations ended in 1940.

The site shows how miners worked underground with hand tools and faced dangerous conditions daily. Walking through the structures helps you understand the reality of their physical labor and the risks they accepted.

The site lies on a steep hillside at the head of a narrow gully, with walkways and viewing platforms installed during 1993 rehabilitation. Ground is uneven and some structures are unstable, so wear sturdy shoes. The chimney and kilns stand near the crest; the main shaft and processing foundations lie below.

The chimney stack survives almost intact while bricks have been stripped from nearly every other structure on the site. Visitors can also see two large waste dumps blocking the drainage line below the arsenic chambers, and a five-head stamper with its engine standing nearby.