Entertainment
7 December, 2025
Exploring pivotal mine
Mercy Place Cairns residents visit crucial Mt Carbine tungsten site
RESIDENTS from Mercy Place Cairns have been enjoying a series of day trips across Far North Queensland, thanks to volunteer driver Paul Van Staveren, who regularly loads up the village bus and takes small groups on historical, scenic and educational excursions.
The most recent outing involved residents, including Lyn Dempster, travelling up the Kuranda Range and along the Mulligan Highway to Mt Carbine, home to one of Australia’s most significant tungsten deposits.
Perfect weather
The day, Wednesday 19 November, was blessed with “perfect weather,” Mrs Demspter Lyn noted in her field diary, capturing the scenery and details of the trip.
“We only had one stop for a red light on the way up the range,” she wrote, laughing, “though on the way home we managed to hit all four red lights between Port Douglas and Cairns”.
Mr Van Staveren, who volunteers his time to plan and lead the heritage tours, said these trips gave residents something stimulating and different.
“It’s an important local resource and it supplies the world,” he said of the Mt Carbine mine.
“With military tensions going on around the world and everybody beefing up, it’s a good resource for our own defence forces.”
Along the Mulligan Highway, residents enjoyed views of flowering trees, ant hills, aviaries and distant ranges, with Lighthouse Mountain drawing admiration.
Mrs Dempster described the scenery as “just beautiful country, a lovely outing even before we reached the mine”.
Rare look inside mine
At Mt Carbine, a mine representative gave the group an engaging talk on the site’s history and current operations.
Residents learned that wolframite, the ore from which tungsten is extracted, was discovered there in 1890.
The township once had 300 residents, three hotels, a police station, a school and several small businesses.
Mining ceased in 1920 when global demand dropped, then revived in 1960, and today EQ Resources operates the mine with a mix of modern technology and traditional extraction methods.
Mrs Dempster’s notes detailed the process:
Drill blasting with 89mm holes and ammonium nitrate-based explosives
Mapping ore veins and extracting the ore
Crushing rock down to 0.8mm
Separating tungsten using gravity tables to produce a 50% concentrate
Sending the concentrate to refineries worldwide.
‘Prize-winning scones’
She also highlighted the morning tea, praising the “prize-winning scones” baked by a worker’s daughter, alongside shortbread.
The residents were also able to inspect the open-cut pit and the gravity plant, gaining a rare behind-the-scenes look at one of Australia’s significant mineral operations.
Meaningful connection
Mr Van Staveren says these outings are about more than sightseeing – they provide social engagement, education and connection to local heritage.
“We want to give people experiences that take them out of the ordinary,” he said.
“Some of the places we visit have so much history and character.
“The outings give people a chance to reconnect with the region.”
Mrs Dempster’s observations underscore this impact.
She noted the joy and excitement on residents’ faces, the stories shared along the way and the chance to revisit places many had known for decades.
“A beautiful day, great company, fascinating history and an excellent driver,” she wrote. “We’re very lucky.”
Day of adventure
After touring the mine, the group continued through the scenic landscape, sharing stories and enjoying the open views before returning home.
For the residents, it was a day of adventure, education, and companionship.
For Mr Van Staveren it was another opportunity to give back to the community he cares deeply about. “Anything that keeps people active and part of the world – that’s what matters,” he said.
