Mining under cover has become common place in Australia, especially with the demand for critical minerals being driven by global development. Interpreting large orebodies in the absence of outcrop and beneath challenging cover sequences is a difficult task, requiring reliable data and orebody knowledge. Rio Tinto takes one such case, an operational open pit with its economical ore underneath Neogene-Quaternary detritus units. The formation of a structural model is fundamental to slope stability and design. In bulk commodities such as iron ore, studies are often driven by the need to produce a resource model prior to implementation of a structural mode. Said resource models are heavily informed on grade drilling across a set resource grid that is commonly set perpendicular to the strike of the dominating outcrop. Such a decision made in early study can come with potential orientation bias and uncertainty-based risk should drill hole placement and orientation under sample or miss identifying structures pertinent to mine design. The understanding of The Pit’s structural architecture has matured with focused data collection and mapping capable of talking to regional tectonic styles and trends. The resulting interpretation and modelling work have been paramount in preventing slope instability through informed geotechnical design choices and provided pit optimisation solutions to improve economics, reduce mining impact, sustain and protect sensitive sites. Furthermore, the modelled interpretation when verified by in-pit mapping observations highlight the importance of considering regional geological history when implementing data collection strategies.