The Blair Athol mine is an open-cut thermal coal operation located in the northern Bowen Basin of Central Queensland, about 25km north-west of the town of Clermont. The mine produces thermal coal primarily used in power generation and exported to markets in Asia.

Coal was first discovered at the site in 1864, making Blair Athol one of the earliest coal mining districts in Queensland. The area later became notable for pioneering open-cut mining, with large-scale surface mining methods introduced in the early twentieth century and expanded significantly during modern operations.

Commercial production on a major scale began in 1984 under Rio Tinto, with the mine eventually producing millions of tonnes of coal annually for export. Operations ceased in 2012 after reserves were depleted but resumed several years later when TerraCom acquired the site and restarted mining.

Today Blair Athol remains an important thermal coal producer in the Bowen Basin, supported by existing rail infrastructure that transports coal to export terminals on Queensland’s east coast