Mount Isa Shovel's Home Town, Qld

We checked out Lake Moondarra, the town's water supply and recreation area, which is 19km out of town, fished at the junction and went for many walks around the unique landscape. Mount Isa is Shovel’s old stomping ground where he was born and bred. It was an amazing experience, the landscape is unique and breathtaking and it was loads of fun hanging with Shovel’s folks.

Before John Campbell Miles stumbled upon rich deposits of copper, lead, silver and zinc in 1923, the surrounding lands were home to the Kalkadoon tribe. The tribe lived a subsistent life off the flora and fauna on the land that the white settlers described as poor grazing land with the odd mineral deposit. In 1880s the Kalkadoons set out on one of Australia’s most successful guerrilla wars to fight for their land. Their success continued on until 1884 where they attacked a fortified position, which resulted in a battle described as a 'rush of blood,' resulting in a large loss of tribe members. This weakened the state of the Kalkadoon tribe leaving them vulnerable to the white settlers. In 1923 John Campbell Miles was on an expedition towards the Northern Territory, during the journey a local aboriginal boy by the name of Kabalulumana, took him over to these large mineral deposits to check out. The rocks were yellow and black, similar to ore found at broken hill. Samples of the rock were sent away, and found to be extremely valuable, turning the land into one of the largest mining operations in the world.