Out of the Mail Bag
…
Spanish
REFERENCE to towns with French names in the South East (‘Mail’ 8/9/45) reminds a contributor that South Australia has one town with a Spanish name. The little northern town has not been particularly proud of this distinction during recent years.
But when copper mining was booming at the Burra, the nearest port for shipping the ore was Port Wakefield, and Spaniards with mule teams did the carting. There was a stopping place approximately half-way between Burra and Wakefield, and the Spaniards referred to it as Mintaro, in their language meaning resting place.
By the way, it is just a century since copper was discovered at Burra.
