Helensburgh NSW 2508
Metropolitan Coal Ground Facilities Tour
Last updated 7 July 2026
Ever wanted to see what it looks like at the mine in Helensburgh — without going underground? The ground facilities tour is the public’s best chance. When Peabody Energy opens the Metropolitan Colliery during the Helensburgh Country Fair, visitors can walk through the surface workings: coal handling, preparation plant, stockpiles, and the infrastructure that keeps Australia’s oldest continuously operating coal mine running.
This page features video Ian Piggott shot on the 2012 Country Fair tour. For footage underground, see Inside the Metropolitan Colliery.
2012 ground facilities tour — Ian Piggott’s video
Filmed during the Helensburgh Country Fair mine open day, this walk-through shows what a ground facilities tour looks like in practice — the scale of the operation tucked into the bush valley above the Royal National Park.
What is a ground facilities tour?
Unlike an underground visit, a ground facilities tour stays on the surface. You see where coal is processed and prepared for transport — not the longwall face hundreds of metres below.
Typical areas shown on fair-day tours include:
- Coal preparation and handling — washing, sizing, and stockpiling
- Conveyors and surface plant — the machinery visible from the colliery roads
- Rail connections — coal railed to Port Kembla for export (see also the dump siding over-bridge)
- The mine in its bush setting — Parkes Street entrance, hidden valley, Royal National Park backdrop
Being Australia’s oldest working coal mine, in a unique location between Sydney, the escarpment, and the national park, makes even a surface visit a memorable experience.
Can you take a tour today?
Country Fair tours — Peabody has offered ground facilities tours during the annual Helensburgh Country Fair when the mine has participated. Fair dates vary; the event was cancelled in 2020–2021 (COVID) and 2022 (weather). Check Helensburgh Lions for the current schedule.
Underground access — not open to the public. See Inside the Metropolitan Colliery for rare underground footage.
Enquiries — Community hotline 1800 115 003 · Mine office (02) 4294 7200 · Peabody Metropolitan Mine
Related pages
Video and article © Ian Piggott — August 2013. Footage from the 2012 Helensburgh Country Fair.