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victorwkf Says: There is a memorial at Wilkins Park (next to the Molonglo River, along the main road) which commemorate the former mining activities of Captains Flat and surrounding areas. The town was formed as a result of mining for gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper and iron pyrites in the...
victorwkf Says: When you are on top of the old mining hill area of Captains Flat, you will have good views of the surrounding areas, especially the rolling green hills.From here, you will have a great view of the entire town of Captains Flat, as well as the nearby reservoir.
victorwkf Says: Next to the old mining area is the old railway area, which you can still see the remains of the old railway tracks as well as an area where the minerals are loaded onto the trains to be sent to other parts of Australia.
victorwkf Says: Reverend W. B. Clarke, a geologist, discovered gold in the Captains Flat area in 1852. He reported his discovery to the local landholders who, not wanting thousands of prospectors all over their land, managed to keep the news quiet until 1874. By 1881, substantial deposits...
victorwkf Says: The Captains Flat Hotel was built during the second mining rush of the 1930s. This hotel is a reflection of the prosperity of this town at that time. The Captains Flat Hotel once boasted the longest bar in the Southern Hemisphere (it is still there). The location and contact...
victorwkf Says: Captains Flat was formed as a result of mining for gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper and iron pyrites in the hills surrounding the upper reaches of the Molonglo River. The town boomed from 1881 to 1899 then went into a rapid decline until 1939 when rail access revived mining...
victorwkf Says: Why is this town called Captains Flat? Well, this is because there was a bullock named "Captain" from Foxlow station (12 km away) which grazed here, and hence the place name. It has nothing to do with Captain Cook or any other human captains :-)Currently, the population of...
Follow the old railway to The Flat
tiabunna Says: With the closure of the mine, the Captains Flat railway also closed in 1968. But there was one last hurrah – twelve months later, the very last train steamed along the line as part of the film Ned Kelly and a cardboard “Glenrowan” was built alongside the tracks at The Flat....
tiabunna Says: If you cast back my ‘Intro’ page, you will remember that the town had an initial main period of growth in the 1880s-90s. Consequently, the main ‘official’ buildings date from that period. Here are some of the public buildings. You’ll find the former Post Office (now a...
tiabunna Says: The Captains Flat hotel was opened in 1938 when the mine was newly reopened and, I guess, the possibilities for the town seemed endless. So it seems to have been made for a substantial population. When it was built, it was claimed to have the longest bar in the Southern...
tiabunna Says: Australians will remember our former Prime Minister Keating, who famously made a comment about “…the recession we had to have”. The main photo for this tip shows ‘Keating’s Collapse’, which has nothing to do with the Prime Minister, but rather shows the recession left in the...
The Outsider Gallery (and Coffee Lounge)
tiabunna Says: It isn’t very often that I feature a place in two different ‘tips’ categories, but ‘The Outsider’ definitely is a deserving exception. Gunther Deix is an interesting bloke. The brochure for his gallery says that he “is overtly eccentric”, and that’s probably a fair comment –...
tiabunna Says: When the mine operated, tailings heaps containing millions of tons of rock were left behind – near the road, these tailings heaps were over 40 metres high! Needless to say, they were unstable and leaching minerals. Consequently, the Molonglo River was a polluted aquatic...
tiabunna Says: From the mine reopening in 1937 until it closed in 1962, the Lake George Mine produced substantial amounts of zinc, lead, copper, silver and gold, from over four million tonnes of ore. I estimate that the minerals extracted, on current (2007) values, would be worth over $2...
tiabunna Says: The good folk of the Captains Flat Community Association have created a Heritage Trail around the little town, taking in the main buildings and also the old mine workings. While the old buildings are interesting and, indeed, are some excellent examples of period...
Start your visit at the Miners’ Memorial
tiabunna Says: Whichever way you reach ‘The Flat’, you will pass along Foxlow Street, the main street through the town. You will find the Miner’s Memorial in Wilkins Park opposite the fire station. It was dedicated to the former miners and their families in 2000, and features the original...
tiabunna Says: You will need a tent or a caravan, but free camping is available to travellers in Wilkins Park, near the Miners’ Memorial, toilets and BBQ. Essentially it’s a matter of bringing everything, but the shop is just across the way.For those who do not wish to go camping, the pub...
Helpfulness
Run by Gunther (who serves) and Christine (who cooks), the food tends toward the Mediterranean in style, with main courses featuring heaps of lovely salads and chargrilled vegetables. With a largish group, we recently visited for an evening meal and found the main courses ranged from $22A to $26A. The servings were substantial, so a main course plus a dessert will more than suffice for most people! We had kangaroo fillet stuffed with prawns and it was excellent; others had Moroccan lamb, sirloin steak, and chicken. Everyone in the party advised they were completely satisfied.
For dessert, Pauline and I shared a “pancake stack” – not to be tackled by those on diets unless nobody is looking! Imagine a pile of pancakes and fruit some 75mm high, laced with cream, ice cream and maple syrup! It costs $10A and is truly memorable. On a later lunchtime visit, I had savoury pancakes with sundried tomatoes, olives and salad, while a friend had quiche and salad. We all were satisfied. The coffee was also great, every bit as good as in any city restaurant and far better than you’re entitled to expect in a little bush town!
The service is best described as ‘good country casual’ and you are welcome to tour the galleries (see ‘to do’ tip) while waiting for your order. After the meal, we were pleasantly surprised when Gunther’s reaction to our $71A bill was “Oh, just round it down to $70”– they don’t do that in cities!
Open Friday to Sunday and public holidays, 0900 – 1700 (also Friday and Saturday evenings on reservations only). No EFTPOS or credit cards.
Main photo:The trademark “Pancake Stack” (and jar of maple syrup behind)
Second photo:Savoury pancakes with salad
Third photo:Quiche with salad
Fourth photo:Blackboard menu.
Fifth photo:Window sign – don’t forget the BYO!
Favorite Dish: If you had to choose just one dish - it would have to be the pancake stack! Price below is typical for main courses.
Updated Apr 2, 2007
Address: 86 Foxlow Street, Captains Flat NSW 2623
Phone: (02) 6236 6160
Website: www.outsidercafe.netfirms.com
Helpfulness
Favorite thing: If you want to find out about the history of Captains Flat, it will be very easy because there are many information boards located at this historical mining sites of this town. I think the authorities have done a good job in providing information and old photographs to visitors, and preserving the remains of the mines for future generations to learn about the history of this place.
Updated Dec 11, 2009
The ups and downs of CAPTAINS FLAT
The story is that it all started with a bull by the name of ‘Captain’. Back in the mid 1800s Captain lived on a nearby property, but was prone to wandering. When he’d put a smile on the face of all......
Captains Flat - Former Mining Town
Firstly, I would like to express a big thank you to George (VT member tiabunna) who gave me a great tour of this place and surrounding areas as well. Captains Flat is a small and laid-back town in......
Build your own Captains Flat page
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