Dawson Mine Viewing Platform, Moura

A short drive from Moura provides travellers and locals with an incredible view of the Dawson mine, a large open-cut metallurgical, and export thermal mine (a fancy name for a coal mine). The mine is located at the Southern End of the Bowen basin and exports a whopping average of about 4 million tonnes of coal each year. From the lookout, you can watch the operation of the coal mine, the monster trucks, excavators, draglines, face shovels, loaders and so much more work non-stop to produce and export coal.

Whilst the view and enormity of the mine are absolutely mind-blowing, the history tells a more heartbreaking tale.

Over the lifespan of the Dawson mine, a total of 36 lives have been lost from three separate incidents. The first occurrence in 1975 saw 13 miners die, the second in 1986 saw 13 miners lose their lives, and the last tragedy, occurring in 1994, claimed the lives of 11 miners. Over the course of this mine’s lifespan, some of these tragic events lead to abandoning the recovery attempts for the bodies and the mine being sealed at the surface.

Getting there: From Moura, heading North East along the Dawson Highway towards the township of Banana, take a right at Three Chain Road, then follow the signs to the Viewing Platform.