Day 21 - Rosebery to Zeehan

It was heavily overcast and spitting with rain as we left Rosebery for a short 36 km drive through a few mountains to Zeehan.  

We passed the turnoff to Montezuma Falls, the highest waterfall (104m) in Tasmania but because the weather was so inclement and because there is a three hour walk to the falls, we gave them a miss.  Nonetheless, we found a photograph of the falls for the record.

170315 Montezuma Falls

Zeehan is a spread out, smallish ex mining town, which relies predominantly on tourism for its survival.  We were surprised at its size but it may be due to the fact that it is on a mini plain in an open area of forest but more likely it is because it was a big town in its mining heyday. The area, which of course has a mining heritage as long as your arm, has one of the oldest histories of any part of Tasmania.  

Abel Tasman sighted this part of the state in 1642. An early port for Zeehan was Trial Harbour but it was very precarious in its location on Ocean Beach and was overtaken by Strahan.  Zeehan was established as a mining field, then as a town after the Zeehan-Dundas silver-lead deposits were found in 1882.  Mount Zeehan Post Office opened on 1 August 1888 and was renamed Zeehan in 1890. The peak period for mining was up to the First World War, though lead mining continued on up to 1963 at mines such as the Montana and Oceana. The population of Zeehan-Dundas peaked at 10,000 about 1910, over ten times the current population.

It was clearly in competition with the mining town further south, Queenstown, and while the silver boom lasted it was known as the "Silver City". In the first decade of the twentieth century it was on a par with Launceston and Hobart for size. With a main street over 3.2 km long, it also claimed over 20 hotels. In the 1970s it saw increased activity due to operations at the nearby Renison Bell Tin mine, and again in the 1990s.  Renison Bell Mine still operates.  We acquired a photograph of the mine, also for the record.

170315 Renison Bell Tin Mine

Its mining heritage is amply demonstrated in its West Coast Pioneers Museum, which is in the old School of Mines building.  We spent some time in the Museum and we would have spent more time if the building had not been so cold. The museum contains memorabilia, relics and photographs, too many to mention, and its minerals collection is magnificent.

170315 Retorts for mineral assays

170315 Yellow - native sulphur, white - gypsum, gold - a mock up of the
Viscount Canterbury Nugget found at Rheola in northern Victoria

170315 One of the several galleries housing minerals displays

170315 Galena - lead sulphide 

170315 Crocoite - lead chromate

170315 Stichtite -  A carbonate of chromium and magnesium

170315 Gypsum - calcium sulphate dihydrate 

170315 Appophyllite with imbedded Galena particles

170315 One of the several pictorial galleries

170315 Pictures of mines in the Rosebery area 

170315 A model of the Arcadia 2 in its war time livery,
now used for the Pieman River cruise

You may have gathered the weather is inclement, so we have hunkered down in our home away from home, turned the heater on and are listening to the rain pitter patter on our roof. Fortunately, there is no wind.

Tomorrow, well that's another day.