Breakthroughs in processing technology in the 1980s heralded a shift from underground to open pit gold mining in Australia. The new-found ability to extract gold economically from low-grade orebodies spawned a generation of open pit mines across Australia, particularly in WA. But after 40 years, these once-lucrative opportunities are increasingly difficult to find. Its not that there is no gold left in Australia, far from it. But the opportunities are now much deeper. Thanks to amazing advances in technology, we have never been so well-placed to find those large, high-grade orebodies lurking deeper in the earths crust. The combination of the shallow deposits being mined out and the growing ability to explore at depth means Australia is about to see a swing back towards underground mining as its dominant source of gold production. This will require a workforce with a host of new skills across the industry. As one door closes, another will open for companies, resource industry professionals, technology drivers and investors alike. While change always creates uncertainty, there is much to like about this trend, particularly given the global push for higher environmental, social and governance standards. The truth is that underground mines leave a much smaller footprint than their open cut cousins. The need for land clearing is far smaller, the impact on the wider surroundings is far reduced and requirement for rehabilitation considerably less. It will be a little of bit of history repeating as declines and shafts are once again at the forefront of Australian gold mining. *This is an abstract only. No full paper was prepared for this abstract.* CITATION:Beament, B, 2019. Underground mining: we are just scratching the surface, in Proceedings World Gold 2019, p 2 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).