‘A rare find, a unique offering’: Former Captains Flat Mine site up for sale

It’s not every day you stumble across a mine site on the market, so when the former Lake George Mine was listed on Allhomes, our eyes couldn’t believe what they were seeing as we swiped through the photos.

Remnants of the bygone site in Captains Flat can be found in the backyard of the property at 5 Old Mines Road, from the old mine’s concrete silos and surge bin to the dilapidated bridges and tunnels. 

The site, which spans 37.55 hectares, comes with a four-bedroom house, a workshop, a laboratory and a smelting room. The property offers a unique opportunity for property hunters to own a piece of history.

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The site had operated as a mine during two periods, from around 1881 to 1899 and circa-1937 to 1962, records show.

During the first period, Lake George Mine was a gold and silver mining operation; it later became a predominantly copper business. By the second period, it was one of the most important mining sites in the country, producing lead, silver, zinc and sulphur and, to a lesser extent, copper and gold.

During both periods, the site was one of the largest mines in the Southern Tablelands region and was economically significant as an employer in the town.

However, due to the negative impact on the natural landscape and the depletion of ore, the mine closed down by 1962.

Since then, parts of the site have been given heritage consideration, including the four concrete silos and a part of the house that houses the laboratory and smelting room.

Recent photos show much of the house has remained untouched, with the exception of repainted walls. Selling agent Dominic Johns of Belle Property Queanbeyan said the property, despite its age, had “charm and character to it”.

“There’s definitely room for improvement in the house. This is a rare find, a unique offering and a great opportunity for those who are into history to get a hold of,” he said.

“With plenty of free bushland backing the property itself, there are endless spaces to explore, hunt or even ride.”

Government records show the property was last purchased in 2019 for $530,000. The buyer, now the seller, used the property as a weekend getaway, Mr Johns said.

“Whenever he needed a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, he’d escape here for a few days, ride his Polaris around and enjoy the space,” he said.

Since listing the property, Mr Johns said he had been swamped with interest from different types of buyers.

“We knew the interest would be different compared to our normal residential properties but considering the nature of the property, the former mining site, interest has been really good,” he said.

“During the first open for inspection, we had a lot of families and former miners walk through it. These are no time wasters, these are buyers who want it.

The sellers decided to part with the home after they purchased elsewhere.