Blog Review: Mount Isa Day 1

Submitted: Thursday, Jun 11, 2026 at 08:51

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Day 8 Mount Isa

Today we started looking at Casa Grande a heritage-listed villa designed by Donoghue, Cusick & Edwards and built in 1949 to serve as the principal residence for the then MIM (Mount Isa Mines) mine

LynnieB

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There's some serious geology photos there Lee-Anne!Well done you. Isn't Lake Moondarra lovely? I have fond memories of stinking hot afternoons, watching goannas seemingly running on water. Totally weird and very beautiful!

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Reply By: Member - Kevin and Lee-Anne - Friday, Jun 12, 2026 at 06:43

Friday, Jun 12, 2026 at 06:43

Hi Lynne
I was thinking of you whilst in Mount Isa a lot. When we went to the museum there were so many different samples of ore, minerals, crystals etc I have some photos of some really unusual ones just didn't add them all to the blog. Lake Moondarra was amazing I was not expecting to find such a large expanse of water, the locals would love it in summer. Off to Mataranka today.

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Follow Up By: Batt's - Friday, Jun 12, 2026 at 17:13

Friday, Jun 12, 2026 at 17:13

I was in Mt Isa back at the end of 1989 for nearly 12 months hot but we were advised not to swim there because of duck lice so we use to swim at various water holes around the region.
The Maltese cross was another crystal found in the region.

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Reply By: Member - McLaren3030 - Saturday, Jun 13, 2026 at 07:57

Saturday, Jun 13, 2026 at 07:57

Hi LynnieB,

Great photos, and a great read. Those birds huddled together are known as White-breasted Woodswallows. I looked them up. They are actually not a true swallow, but we’re misnamed by early European settlers owing to they way they congregate close together similar to the European swallow. They are actually more closely related to the Australian Butcherbird and Australian Magpie. Not sure if they have a “song” like butcherbirds and magpies.

Macca.