Glengowla Mines

About the museum

Glengowla was worked as a silver and lead mine in the 1800s and was abandoned in 1865. The Geoghegan family's ancestors lived in Glengowla, worked in the mine and farmed the land. After the mine closed, the family moved into the former Mine Agent's Cottage and lived there until 1989.

The family later restored the old workings, and the mine opened to visitors in 1998. Guided tours begin in a small museum with minerals and objects found during the restoration. Visitors then put on hard hats and go underground, where they pass marble chambers, crystals of fluorite and quartz, and the original chisel marks left by miners. Above ground there is a gold panning station where children can keep the stones they find.

The site is still a working family farm run by Keith Geoghegan. Alongside the mine tour it offers sheepdog herding and turf-cutting demonstrations, and the grounds have been used as a location for films and television series.

Highlights

• Guided underground tour of a mine abandoned in 1865
• Marble chambers with fluorite and quartz crystals
• Small museum of minerals and finds from the restoration
• Gold panning station for children
• Sheepdog herding and turf-cutting demonstrations

Permanent exhibition

• Mine museum and underground tour – A small museum with minerals and finds from the restoration, followed by a guided walk through chambers of a mine that closed in 1865.

Founded

1998

Operated by

Geoghegan family

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The mine site and museum are described as accessible. The underground route includes stairs and narrow passages and is not suitable for buggies.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Hands-on stations

There is no age limit for the mine tour, but the underground route is not accessible to buggies, so small children may need to be carried. Children can pan for minerals above ground.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop

There is no food service, but a self-service coffee machine, soft drinks and snacks are available. The gift shop sells local crafts, woollen goods and souvenirs.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit