Once considered the richest square mile on Earth, miners have picked over Kalgoorlie's famous Golden Mile for more than a century. Today, it's better known as the Super Pit, with record gold prices spurring significant investment and exploration for new reserves.
00:08For more than a decade he worked Kalgoorlie's Golden Mile as an underground miner.
00:13I did 25 years straight on the air leg, hence the steel knees and steel shoulders.
00:21Open cut mining has transformed one of the world's richest gold deposits.
00:26Well there's plenty of boats at the cemetery, if you could line them up around the bloody perimeter here to look at it they would be in stunned belief.
00:34Now back in Australian hands, the collapse of the east wall in 2018 had threatened the super pits future.
00:41It took more than four years but a large cutback has reopened access to the pit floor.
00:47Ultimately we've just opened up the next decades of mining, so massively significant.
00:53Mining of the Golden Mile is now coming full circle, heading back underground.
00:58Nine access portals have been established on the western wall.
01:02As we've drilled those areas we've identified a number of new loads which we didn't know about.
01:06Drilling has found more than a million new ounces of gold in the past year alone.
01:12Obviously a big future at the south for the pit but we certainly see the opportunity in the northern area being underground
01:18and there's plenty more to be had with further drilling.
01:21Work on a three year, $1.5 billion mill expansion is also nearing completion.
01:27When you come back next year you won't be able to see the sky because there will be 100,000 tonnes of crushed ore above your head.
01:33Setting the super pit up for decades.
01:35They're able to process lower grade ore because the prices are so good.
01:40And they're putting their money where their mouth is with the plant upgrade.
01:45Ensuring Western Australia remains a globally significant producer.
01:52I just wish that some of the old guys from 100 years ago and more could come back and see what's happened.
01:58How extraordinary it would be for them.
02:01This place will be going beyond 2050.
02:03In 50 years time, KCGM will still be in operation.
02:07Another chapter for the historic Golden Mile.
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