A symbol of our rich mining legacy

Mount Isa Mines’ historic Urquhart Shaft and Headframe holds a special place in Mount Isa’s iconic skyline and is acknowledged as a significant piece of Queensland’s European heritage.

Originally named No. 1 Ore Shaft, the infrastructure was built between 1929 and 1931 to aid in the commencement of zinc-lead production at Mount Isa Mines, hoisting its first ore in 1931.

At the time, the hilltop site for the shaft and headframe was selected as it was just outside the 'known' ore bearing regions of the zinc-lead mine and was in an ideal location to feed into the mill site and smelting workings.

The original plan was to extend the shaft to 9 Level, however while sinking it from 4 Level, a large water inflow just below 5 Level prevented further development.

To overcome this problem, an internal ore shaft, known as the No. 2 Ore Shaft, was sunk in a more suitable area 800 metres deep into the underground mine and ore was transferred on 5 Level to be hoisted to the surface by the Urquhart Shaft.

It operated for more than 20 years until it was eventually replaced in 1951 by the No. 2 Ore Shaft (known today as R62) which was extended to the surface to haul both copper and zinc-lead ores as a part of the Copper Expansion Project. 

This was not the end for the Urquhart Shaft winder. It was dismantled and reinstalled on the new headframe of No. 2 Ore Shaft (R62) where it hauled more than 1,000,000 tonnes of copper and zinc-lead ores until becoming redundant in 1958.

Today, the Urquhart Shaft Headframe, which still sits hillside, is a community landmark and a symbol of Mount Isa Mines and is one of five Queensland European heritage listed assets originally built by the company.

It was inducted into the heritage register in 2005 due to its importance in demonstrating the early development and growth of Mount Isa Mines, which as we know has been catalyst for growth and economic prosperity in this region.

It is also surviving evidence of the establishment of large-scale mining in Queensland and of Mount Isa Mines, one of Australia’s most well-known mining operations.

Other European heritage listed historical infrastructure built and owned by Mount Isa Mines include the Lawlor Shaft and Winding Plant, Mount Isa Mines Experimental Dam, Mount Isa Mines Power Station and Casa Grande.

The Urquhart Headframe, which used an American A-frame rather than the usual four power frames of the period, was considered innovative at the time. Like much of Mount Isa Mines' early infrastructure, the Urquhart Shaft was named in honour of one of the key players in the company’s almost 100-year history.

Originally from Turkey, John Leslie Urquhart, Chairman of London-based Russo-Asiatic Consolidated Limited, was one of Mount Isa Mines’ early financiers and accepted technical control of the operation while also forming a London board of Mount Isa Mines.

He held the position of General Manager and Chairman of Directors from 1927 until his unexpected death in 1933.

Urquhart, who also held mining interests across the globe and spoke several languages, is credited with importing the latest technological advancements in mining equipment and employing the finest workers from all over the world.

He was responsible for developing the mining community known today as Mineside, which included housing quarters and dormitories, shops, a hospital and recreational facilities for Mount Isa Mines employees.

In 2016, Mount Isa Mines received a letter from a resident of Cheshire, England who located a 1930 original plan for the Urquhart Shaft and Headframe, while clearing out her loft. While it is unknown how exactly the plans came to be there, we can only speculate that it is related to Leslie Urquhart and his London-based company Russo-Asiatic Consolidated Limited.

Mount Isa Mines would like to thank local resident and historian, Barry Merrick for his insightful contributions to this article, and for his continued pursuit and dedication to preserving our rich mining history.