The WASM Wallabies are a student run organisation that compete in the National and International Mining Games.
The WASM Wallabies are based at the Curtin University, Bentley Campus and represent the oldest tertiary mining institution, the Western Australian School of Mines. We are a student run organisation that competes at national and international levels in traditional mining techniques, formally known as the Mining Games. We also provide opportunities for professional development and exposure to the in
dustry through networking events. This organisation is primarily aimed at students studying mining related degrees such as mining engineering, metallurgy, geology, chemical engineering, surveying, geochemistry, geophysics, mineral economics as well as others. International Collegiate Mining Games:
In the morning of May 2nd, 1972 fire broke out in the Sunshine Mine, near Kellogg, Idaho,USA. Deadly smoke, heat and carbon monoxide gas rapidly spread through the mine tunnel, hampering efforts to rescue the 173 working miners. Initially, 85 miners escaped safely and two were rescued seven days later. On May 13, the last of the 91 victims were brought out, and 91 workers sadly died from smoke inhalation or carbon monoxide poisoning. Established in 1978, the International Collegiate Mining Games has become a yearly tradition that honours the memories of the fallen miners from the Sunshine Mine disaster. The highly competitive event allows for mining students from all over the world to come together and compete in an olympics-style games that focuses on maintaining traditional mining techniques alive. Being the largest event of its kind in the world, it is highly competitive, and there is a great amount of prestige for the winners. Teams representing countries from all over the world, including the United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, and Australia, have the opportunity to compete in men’s, women’s, co-ed, and alumni divisions for a fierce fight to be crowned the winners. The competition is comprised of seven events which represent old style mining techniques:
• Airleg: drill into a vertical rock or concrete face using a pneumatic airleg drill.
• Handsteel: drill into a block of concrete using a four pound sledge hammer and a 7/8 inch wide steel chisel.
• Survey: given a starting point, calculate the coordinates of a finishing point using an old fashioned surveying equipment.
• Gold pan: find five flattened lead or copper ball bearings in a pan full of dirt and rock.
• Swede saw: saw through a 6 by 6 piece of pine timber with a 36 inch bow saw.
• Trackstand: set up and tear down a five metre section of track, including sleepers, rail, connecting plates and bolts.
• Mucking: run an ore cart down a 75 foot section of track and fill it with muck (dirt and rock) using shovels.
24/05/2026
🦘 WASM WALLABIES AGM 🦘
If you’re interested in becoming more involved with the club next season, we encourage you to nominate yourself at our AGM!
Being in the WASM Wallabies committee is a great opportunity to contribute to the club by assisting with trainings, organising events, supporting competitions, connecting with industry and more.
Date: Wednesday 27th May 📅
Time: 12pm onwards ⏰
Location: Training grounds 📍
Anyone interested will have the opportunity to give a short speech which is followed by voting to decide committee positions.
We encourage all interested members to nominate and get involved!! ⚒️
01/05/2026
A week ago, the WASM Wallabies Integrated Industrial Co-ed Team competed in the 48th Intercollegiate Mining Games Competition, hosted by the University of Arizona in Tucson, USA! ⛏️
Our Co-ed Team gave it their all, showing strong commitment and teamwork while competing against the best Mining Games teams in the world. It was great to see the effort and sportsmanship demonstrated by all teams throughout the competition! 💪
A special thank you to the University of Arizona for delivering a well organised and successful event. We also extend our appreciation to the organisers, volunteers and fellow competitors who contributed to such an amazing experience. It is always inspiring to see this community come together every year. 🙌
A sincere thank you to all of our generous sponsors for making this opportunity possible, we truly could not have done it without your support and we greatly appreciate your involvement within our community!! 💚💛
23/03/2026
📣 Sponsor Announcement 📣
With our Integrated Industrial Mixed Team soon competing at Arizona, US for the 48th Annual Intercollegiate Mining Games Competition, we would like to thank all of our sponsors for their continued support throughout our 2025/2026 season!
💛 Bronze Sponsors 💛
29Metals
Steel Blue
SafeStyle Eyewear
Curtin University
We are grateful for their contributions which allows us to continue upholding the Mining Games traditions and to connect the mining industry with students at Curtin University.
We look forward to seeing them soon in some of our upcoming events and are ready to give it our all at the 48th Annual Intercollegiate Mining Games Competition! ⚒️
26/12/2025
This year the WASM Wallabies had a great time volunteering at the Perth Gem and Minerals Show at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. It was amazing getting involved with the community and sharing our passion for the Mining Games with so many enthusiastic attendees.
Being able to inspire the next generation of our industry through events like these is always a highlight for us and it was incredible seeing so much curiosity and excitement on the day!
A big thank you to the PGMS event organisers for having us and our sponsors for making this experience possible. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year! ⚒️
22/10/2025
What a weekend in Kalgoorlie! The WASM Wallabies had an incredible time travelling up to Kalgoorlie for the annual Emu Cup, competing alongside some fantastic teams. Congratulations to everyone who took part and a special thank you to the WASM Wombats for hosting us and putting on such a fantastic event. ⚒️
Beyond the competition, we thoroughly enjoyed attending the WASM Guild Ball and the WASM Social Club, it was a great opportunity to connect with the wider mining and student community at Kalgoorlie and experience the amazing spirit that defines WASM. For many of our members, this was their first visit to Kalgoorlie and highlights like checking out the Super Pit made the trip even more memorable.
We’re incredibly grateful to our sponsors for their ongoing support in making opportunities like this possible. A special thank you to Integrated Industrial, who also supplied our PPE and uniforms, and to Vault Minerals for sponsoring our Emu Cup teams and supporting the next generation of mining professionals. We’d also like to thank Steel Blue, SafeStyle and Big Yellow Mining for providing our team with high quality safety gear that keeps us protected and competition ready.
Experiences like this, where our community comes together with a shared passion, truly showcase the heart and teamwork that defines the mining industry. 🙌
15/10/2025
Thank you to everyone who came down to our BBQ with our special guests from Integrated Industrial. It was not only a great way to come together before competition, but also a moment to reflect on over a decade of incredible support from our sponsors.
For more than 10 years, the team at Integrated Industrial have kept us equipped with high quality uniforms, safety gear and everything we need to perform at our best. Your ongoing support ensures that our team can focus on training, competing and representing our community with pride. We’re so grateful for everything you do behind the scenes that makes everything possible.
We couldn’t have asked for a better way to send the Wallabies off to Kalgoorlie to compete in the Emu Cup! 💪
21/09/2025
Huge thanks to Macmahon for coming along to our Networking Night! Events like this are such a great chance for students to meet industry professionals, hear real insights and get a better idea of where their careers could take them.
We really appreciate the team from Macmahon coming down to talk with and share advice to the next generation! 🙌
14/09/2025
The APAC Mining Games have been an unforgettable experience for the WASM Wallabies! Over the weekend our teams had the chance to showcase months worth of training, connect with peers from all across Australia and proudly represent our community on the national stage.
A huge thanks to all of our sponsors for the event, we couldn’t have done it without your help. With Integrated Industrial and Dyno Nobel sponsoring our Men's A and Mixed Teams respectively, we are proud to be supported by leaders of the industry. Your support allows our members to compete, develop and help shape the future of the mining industry. We extend this thanks to Steel Blue, SafeStyle and Big Yellow Mining Pty Ltd for keeping us safe and providing us with high quality PPE.
We are extremely proud of our teams, with each member giving it their best throughout every event, despite the downpour and cold. Congratulations to the Dyno Nobel WASM Wallabies Mixed Team on their outstanding achievement, taking home 1st place in the Mixed Division and to the Integrated Industrial WASM Wallabies Men's Team for securing 5th.🥇
Earlier, the WASM Wallabies also participated in the New Leaders Summit, where our members met with and heard from industry leaders and forged lasting relationships with like-minded students.
A big thank you also goes out to AusIMM, event sponsors, organisers and volunteers who made these events possible. It was truly inspiring to see the effort and teamwork displayed from everyone to be able to make this come to life.
We’re excited to see what’s next and can’t wait to welcome the opportunities ahead! 💪
14/09/2025
Capturing the spirit, skill and determination of our teams throughout the competition with key moments documented through some outstanding photography. These images highlight the commitment, resilience and teamwork demonstrated by the WASM Wallabies at the APAC Mining Games.
Thank you again to Integrated Industrial and Dyno Nobel for your generous support, we couldn’t have done this without your valuable contributions. We’d also like to give another thanks to AusIMM, along with the organisers and volunteers, for delivering such an outstanding event. 🙌
12/09/2025
The WASM Wallabies recently competed in the Swan Cup and what an experience it was! Our teams showed determination, teamwork and sportsmanship throughout every event. It was amazing to see the energy and support from our members and community as a whole. 💪
A huge job well done to the Vault Minerals WASM Wallabies Co-ed A team for winning 1st place! 🏆
A huge thanks to our sponsors, volunteer judges and to everyone who helped set-up, run and pack-up the event. It truly was a team effort from everyone involved. 👏
It was truly such a fun and memorable event, and there’s more competition to come soon. Stay tuned! 🙌
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