Glen Davis Oil Shale Ruins

Located in the Capertee Valley the Glen Davis Oil Shale Ruins were once a thriving industrial complex. Established in 1940, the Glen Davis Shale Oil Works were a strategic investment that produced petrol for New South Wales while at the same time providing work for unemployed miners. The process involved mining shale using the underground bord and pillar method. This shale then underwent treatment at the adjoining plant to extract the oil. Refining the oil produced petrol which at the time was important for the war effort.

Dwindling shale reserves, old machinery, and poor productivity led to the facility closing in 1952. All removable items were sold leaving only the buildings which are now ruins.

Getting There

Located in the Capertee Valley, the ruins are on private property, with access by guided tour only. We drove from Kandos, through the beautiful Capertee Valley and met our guide at the gates to the property. Payment is either by bank transfer prior to the tour, or cash on the day. Electronic payments can’t be processed because there is no phone reception.

On arrival, wait at the gates to “The Poplars” in your car until the guide arrives. They will let you through the gates and run through a safety briefing before starting the tour. While we waited we took the chance to look at the amazing valley walls that make up the Capertee Valley. Covered in gum trees, with the setting sun giving the rocks a red glow was a bonus to the trip.

Remember to bring lots of water and sunscreen because it can get very hot.

The Glen Davis Oil Shale Ruins Tour

Running around two hours, the tour takes you through the remaining structures on site. The guide was very informative and covered everything from the area’s history, how the plant worked and why it closed. For many of the buildings, he had photos of how it used to look.

The site has been used for TV show such as SAS Australia, so the guide pointed out where it took place.

The tour takes a loop through the site, so you are always seeing new sites, rather than back-tracking through places you have already see. This is great because it means the whole two hours was full with no repetition.

Unfortunately the ruins are not heritage listed, so have no protection. Also, the current owner is selling the property (as of November 2023), so a new owner is not obliged to provide tours, or even keep the buildings as they are.

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To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.