Blackwater International Coal Centre

It's a surprisingly interesting tourist spot and museum. Cafe and toilet facilities available to casual passers by, the museum does have a reasonable admission charge. If you're in the Coalfields region, you probably have some interest or history in coal mining, so worth a look. I wouldn't recommend a trip to Blackwater JUST to see this place, but if you're travelling past anyway, it's worth the stop. Kid friendly.

The coal display is EXCELLENT! Best ever! The timeline from 300 million years ago to 2008 is INCREDIBLE.... A MUST SEE for EVERYONE! Unbelievably amazing!

Half of the buttons for the audio-visual were not working. Some of glass display cracked, temporary repaired with grey duct tape. Mine tours not available, but not updated on website, nor at the BICC reception. Japanese garden was very nice.

Very underwhelming, and the staff weren't overly friendly. The coffee is literally the only reason why this is a three star not a one

Also east of Emerald, at the gateway to the Central Highlands, lies the town of Blackwater, which emerged as Queensland’s coal capital in the 20th century. Coalmining peaked here in the 1970s, but is still the main employer, with six huge open cut and one underground mine. If industrial heritage piques your interest, the Blackwater International Coal Centre is a showcase for the Australian coalmining industry as a whole. The museum has all kinds of interactive exhibits and models explaining the past and present of coalmining, incorporating a highly-detailed timeline 50 metres long. There’s also some colossal mining equipment to check out, and you can book a tour of a functioning open-cut pit, to see this outsized machinery in operation. Back at the centre is a Japanese garden for a moment of tranquillity.