The Interior of the New Cahill Expressway Tunnel, Sydney, 7 July 1962
The New Cahill Expressway tunnel opened in Sydney in 1962 to much criticism. People were worried it would it would cut them off from the Sydney’s waterfront. However, this engineering marvel proved to be vital in linking the eastern and northern suburbs.

Underground House, Coober Pedy, South Australia. 1970

Known as the opal capital of the world, Coober Pedy is a small town in South Australia where residents have long avoided the scorching daytime heat by constructing underground homes called dugouts. The name “Coober Pedy” comes from the local Aboriginal term kupa-piti, which means “white man’s hole.”

Essential Services, Melbourne Sewer, Victoria

The extent of facilities like sewers, cables, and drains that exist beneath Australian cities is almost inconceivable.

Nat Oliver’s Jazz Band, basement of the Royal George Hotel, Sydney, 1959

During the 1950s, Australian jazz bands would take their lengthy, improvised rehearsals underground, seeking a setting without disruption.

Cellar Master at Gramp’s Orlando Cellar at Rowland Flat, Barossa Valley, South Australia, 1966

Ancient, cool cellars are the ideal environment for maturing wine. Here, a cellar master at South Australia’s Gramp’s Orlando Cellar peruses his collection.

The Bath at the Hero of Waterloo Hotel, The Rocks, Sydney, New South Wales, c. 1972

The stone cellars underneath the Hero of Waterloo Hotel in The Rocks, Sydney once housed prisoners and convicts. Here, in 1972, drinkers enjoy the atmosphere of the old bath.

For Their 1999 South Australian Outback Tour, the Australian String Quartet Performed Shostakovich’s Quartet No. 10 in A Flat for the Workers at the Roxby Downs Uranium Mine (1999)

The Australian String Quartet performs for the workers at the Roxby Downs uranium mine.

Last Pit Pony, Collinsville, Queensland, 1986
As tunnels increased in length, miners employed ‘pit ponies’ to carry the coal over great distances. Here, a donkey is guided in Collinsville, Queensland.

Three Women Pick Mushrooms in a Disused Railway Tunnel, South Coast New South Wales, c. 1956
Although it brings its own challenges, there are few places better for growing mushrooms than in a dark, cool underground tunnel.

Tasting Wine, Penfolds Cellars, Barossa Valley, South Australia, 1958
While most subterranean work in Australia was synonymous with back-breaking blue collar labour, sometimes the finer things in life found their way underground.

On the Frozen Sea in a Cavern Eaten Out by the Waves Under the Coastal Ice-cliffs, Adelie Land, Australian Antarctic Expedition c. 1913

In 1911, Australian explorer Douglas Mawson left Sydney on a three-year Antarctic expedition. On board was Australian photographer Frank Hurley. Here, along the shore of Antarctica’s Adelie Land, Hurley captures a long cave hollowed out by waves.

Frank Moon Lying Underneath Some Stalactites, Buchan Caves, Victoria

Undiscovered caves were an ideal place for Australian adventurers to explore. Here, a man rests underneath stalactites in the early 20th Century.

Snowy Mountain Authority tunnel, New South Wales, 1959
The Snowy Mountain Hydro-Electric Scheme began in 1949 as a way to divert the water into southern NSW, increasing electricity-generating capacity. What is known as the greatest tunnelling effort ever in Australia provided a less than ideal working environment for its 100,000 workers.

Timbering Operation at the 400 Foot Level in Uranium Mine at Radium Hill, South Australia, 1957

One of the most immediate hazards to miners is falling rocks. To prevent their escape route from collapsing, miners in South Australia construct a timber support.