Last One Standing, Hampton Township, Burra P6072358
This is the only complete house still standing in the old township of Hampton. It was interesting wandering among the ruins of the old town.
Hampton is a very rare example of an abandoned nineteenth century township whose ruins and layout are still clearly visible.
Soon after copper was discovered at Burra, the town of Kooringa was laid out by the South Australian Mining Association in 1846. However many miners wanted to live in their own houses, not those owned by the company.
Consequently, Redruth, Aberdeen and other townships were subdivided and sold off to the miners.
In 1857, Hampton was subdivided by Thomas William Powell, the postmaster at Kooringa and named after Edward Hampton, the assayer at the Burra smelting Works. The first land sale at Hampton took place in 1858 and, by 1866, it was recorded that there were about 30 miner’s dwellings in the village, a Bible Christian Chanel and an excellent stone quarry.
With the closure of the Burra Mine in 1877 and the retrenchment of 300 miners, Hampton began to decline, people left and buildings began to fall into disrepair. By 1885, no one in the township earned a living from mining, the majority of landowners describing themselves either as tradesmen or widows.
The last occupants left Hampton in the early 1960s and it has remained deserted to this day.
I hope that building will be well looked after and stay there as a monument. Such a beautiful scene and lovely view. Thanks for sharing the interesting info.
