Discovering the mining history of Collinsville  

Tour guide Ray with Bowen Tourism and Business staff and volunteers, Pam, Cindy, Kim and Glenn. Photo supplied

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Two team members and two volunteers from Bowen Tourism and Business enjoyed a trip to Collinsville, learning all about the history of this mining town in the Whitsundays outback.

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Glenn and Cindy and two volunteers, Pam and Kim, were fascinated by the history and the character of the town and enjoyed meeting the locals.

They had a tour of the old Bowen Consolidated Coal Mines (BCCM ) No.1 Mine site which operated from 1919 until 1964.

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Many of the old buildings are still standing and the tour guide, Ray, previously worked as an underground surveyor.

The group also visited the historical museum - a fascinating display of artifacts that really tell the story of days gone by.

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Volunteer Pam Skinner said that even though she had visited before, this trip gave her a deeper appreciation of the town’s history and significance.

“Going to the BCCM No.1 Mine site was an eye opener regarding the starting point of the Collinsville mining Industry in the early 1900’s.

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“The wealth of knowledge that Ray and Linda have regarding the workings of the mine back in the 1920’s brought the site to life.

“The visit to the Collinsville Scottville and District Historical Museum complemented the mine site experience beautifully.

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“The displays were well presented and made it easy to explore the history behind each exhibit.

Volunteer Kim Tannock said it was an awesome day, and she learnt so much about the history of the area and about the pit ponies used in mining in the past.

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The group also visited the Coalface Experience at the Collinsville Workers Club and the RV Park and Collinsville Visitor Information Centre.

Manager of Bowen Tourism and Business, Leanne Abernethy said tours like this enhanced the knowledge of staff and visitors at the Bowen Visitor Information, ensuring they could continue to provide up-to-date information to all visitors.

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“We promote the entire Whitsundays region and when our team members have first-hand knowledge of what is available, it helps them to become storytellers and encourage our visitors to check out everything that we have to offer in the Whitsundays.”

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