Blackwater International Coal Centre — Attraction in Blackwater

Also east of Emerald, at the gateway to the Central Highlands, lies the town of Blackwater, which emerged as Queensland’s coal capital in the 20th century.

Coalmining peaked here in the 1970s, but is still the main employer, with six huge open cut and one underground mine.

If industrial heritage piques your interest, the Blackwater International Coal Centre is a showcase for the Australian coalmining industry as a whole.

The museum has all kinds of interactive exhibits and models explaining the past and present of coalmining, incorporating a highly-detailed timeline 50 metres long.

There’s also some colossal mining equipment to check out, and you can book a tour of a functioning open-cut pit, to see this outsized machinery in operation.

Back at the centre is a Japanese garden for a moment of...

Save your $5, this building does not hold any local mining history it is not a mining museum. The whole of central Queensland has been mined by the wealthy Mining Corporations and yet it was easy to see that the money has not gone into any cohesive Mining display. All of the basic interactive displays do not work, the lights were off making it hard to see the printed material. The few local mining photos of the Mines Rescue Teams were sitting on the floor. A mining memorial was placed on an Aurizon electrical locomotive simulator, inappropriate and without explanation. For a town built on mining this centre is a hard rock disappointment. The outdoor garden and the Comet Museum offered more in local history. No acknowledgment of the past and present people that have spent their lives building...

Service is ridiculous waited in line for 10 minutes. People in front of me got served. And got their orders before they even looked at me to serve me. Had to ask for service because the coffees i ordered by phone were made and sitting there. Going cold would not recommend this place ever. The manager was there as well and just ignored me totally and walked the other direction even tho ppl after myself were waiting for service...