Sapphire
Postcode: 4702
Sapphire is a town in Queensland, Australia. Situated in a region called the Gemfields, sapphires are mined extensively in the area.
With a name like that you can only guess what can be found – Sapphires. There is a sense of fun and adventure in Sapphire, fossick for your own sapphires and absorb the history of this fascinating area. Mined since the late 1800’s the moon-like landscape is as much a part of the lifeblood of Sapphire is the rich treasures in the earth.
Enjoy a guided tour of the Sapphire Gemfields, tours provide the opportunity to fossick for your own sapphire. Half and full day tours are available. Fossicking areas include ‘Graves Hill’ and ‘Big Bessie’.
The Big Ring, Big Spanner and Big Pick and Shovel can all be found in and around Sapphire.
Sapphire, originally called Sapphiretown, has developed into a commercial hub offering a variety of facilities and services including a medical centre, multi-purpose centre, mining equipment sales and tyre service. Visit the Piano Tuners Grave at Retreat Creek.
The history of sapphire gems in Australia stretches back over 150 years. One of the first reports is from 1851 when sapphire was recovered during gold mining on the Cudgegong and Macquarie rivers in New South Wales. In 1854 sapphire was reported from the New England area of New South Wales and in 1875 Sapphire was discovered in Retreat Creek, Central Queensland. Numerous small deposits have been found up and down Eastern Australia.