Coober Pedy is a small town in the South Australian outback, more than 1,000 miles from Canberra. It was once the site of the world’s largest opal mine. Coober Pedy was formerly inhabited by the indigenous Australian people.
By 1916, Europeans had settled there and established a mining town. After World War I, soldiers had mined the opal at Coober Pedy extensively. Today, mining for this rare mineral is banned. Many opal mines have been abandoned and become temporary shelters for residents.
The average annual temperature in Coober Pedy is extremely harsh. In summer, temperatures often reach nearly 50 degrees Celsius. According to ABC, the area has very little rainfall and water is scarce. People have to carry water from the Great Artesian Basin, about 24 kilometers away.
Going underground actually helped the residents of Coober Pedy escape the heat. Even though the temperature outside was as high as 50 degrees Celsius, underground it was only around 24 degrees Celsius. Finding cooler shelter helped the miners stay in Coober Pedy. According to Coober Pedy District Council, the town now has a population of around 2,500. Today, around 80% of the town’s population lives underground.
Despite living underground, the Coober Pedy homes are very modern and not as spartan as some might initially imagine. The underground homes have all the amenities of a normal home, from internet to electricity and running water. The only difference is the material of the walls and the lack of natural sunlight.
Since 1960, Faye Nayler, a resident of Coober Pedy, dug and expanded the basement to build her own underground house. Later, Faye and two friends built a bar, a swimming pool, a living room and a convenient kitchen. Currently, Faye's house is one of the famous tourist attractions in Coober Pedy.
Entire houses with bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms and other essential facilities such as bookshops, churches and bars are built into the underground walls of Coober Pedy. Over time, an entire underground town has been formed. Tourists can choose to stay at the Desert Cave Hotel in Coober Pedy. Inside the hotel there is a bar, billiard room, restaurant and souvenir shop.
