Tasmania’s Mining History

tas-map.jpg1820-1870:
The first attempt at mining, though unsuccessful, was the mining of coal at Macquarie Harbour in 1822 by convicts from the Sarah Island penal settlement.  The first successful mine was opened in 1834 at Plunkett Point, which was worked by convicts from nearby Port Arthur.  Coal was also mined at Denison River (East Coast) from 1849 to 1858 and the Mersey Coalfield near Latrobe, between 1850 and the mid 1880s.

1870-1920:
Tin
The discovery of a rich tin lode at Mount Bischoff in 1871 kick-started the Tasmanian mining industry.  In the ensuing seventy years, the world-famous mine produced almost 57,000 tonnes of tin metal.  During 1876, more tin deposits were located south of
Mount Bischoff, which resulted in the establishment of the Heemskirk Tin Field.

Following the success of Mount Bischoff, further discoveries were made in northeast Tasmania between 1874 and 1877 which became the state’s “tin province”.  These discoveries led to the development of alluvial mines along the Ringarooma Valley at Branxholm, Moorina, Pioneer, South Mount Cameron and Gladstone.  The famous Briseis Mine at Derby produced almost 20,800 tons of tin during its eighty-year life from 1876, making it the region’s main producer.

Gold
Tasmania Gold Mine at Beaconsfield was Tasmania’s main gold producer yielding 850,000 ounces of gold between 1877 and 1914.  During the 1880s, there were several goldfields operating in northeast Tasmania. The principal areas include Mangana (1852), Lisle (1878), Gladstone (1880), Mt Victoria (1882), Warrentinna (1883) and Mathinna.  Mathinna’s Golden Gate Mine was discovered in 1858 and operated successfully during the 1860s.  It was reopened in 1888 and closed in 1932 after producing almost 254,000 ounces, which was second only to Beaconsfield as Tasmania’s largest gold producer.

mt-bischoff-c1885.jpgmt-lyell-smelters-c1915.jpgbeaconsfield.jpgzeehan.jpg
Mt Bischoff Tin Mine, 1886     Mt Lyell smelters, c.1915      Beaconsfield Mine, c.1910     Silver Queen, Zeehan, c.1890

Coal
Northeast Tasmania emerged as Tasmania’s principal coal supplier.  The opening of the Cornwall and Mount Nicholas collieries in 1886 and 1888 respectively, were able to replace a declining Mersey Coalfield.  Later developments at Fingal and St Marys has kept the Fingal Valley in continuous coal production.

Silver Lead
In 1882, the discovery of rich silver-lead deposits led to the founding of the now legendary Zeehan “silver city”.  During the ensuing thirty years, the field supported almost 160 mining companies and with an estimated population of more than 8,000 in 1908, Zeehan was the third largest town in Tasmania.

Copper
The discovery of payable gold near Mount Lyell in 1881 resulted in prospecting in the Linda Valley and its “Iron Blow”.  Beginning as a gold prospect in 1890, the “Iron Blow” developed into the famous Mount Lyell copper mine during 1893, and has continued operations for more than a century.  Annual production exceeds 3 million tonnes, with total copper concentrates sent to its company-owned smelter in India.

The other major western mines that followed include Renison tin (1890), Rosebery lead-zinc-gold (1893), Hercules lead-zinc (1894), Magnet silver-lead (1894), Mount Farrell silver-lead (1898), Balfour copper (1901) and Cleveland tin (1908).

1920-1960:
While World War I signalled the demise of the Zeehan, Balfour and Cleveland mines, it heralded the development of osmiridium deposits at Bald Hill (1914) and later at Adamsfield (1925), together with a scheelite lode on King Island (1915).  Limestone was first mined at Railton in 1923, which later developed into the existing Goliath cement works at Railton.  In 1926, the Aberfoyle Company acquired the Storys Creek Prospect and opened the new Rossarden Mine (1931), both being important tin and wolfram producers.

1960-Present:
The opening of the Savage River iron ore mine in 1965 was the state’s first major mine in forty years.  The reopening of the Cleveland tin and copper mine (1968-86) quickly followed.  The Kara Mine near Burnie commenced production of scheelite and magnetite in 1977.  The Que River lead-zinc mine (1981-1991) Hellyer zinc-lead-silver mine (1989-2000) were also worked.

In 1996, Tasmania gained its first major gold producer for more than a century with the opening of the Henty Mine near Queenstown.  The Tasmania Gold Mine at Beaconsfield reopened in 1999, after being idle for 75 years, and in 2006 the Avebury nickel mine near Zeehan commenced production.

Bibliography of Tasmanian Mining History

The Bibliography of Tasmanian Mining History is taken from the Bibliography of Australian Mining History (published in 2002 and updated to 2010)

Tasmanian Mining History Websites