Sunday History Photo / Tas

Submitted: Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 04:44
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Zeehan is a town on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It lies 139 kilometres (86 mi) southwest of Burnie. At the 2006 census, Zeehan had a population of 845. It is part of the Municipality of West Coast.

The town was named after the nearby Mount Zeehan which had been named by George Bass and Matthew Flinders after Abel Tasman's brig Zeehaen.

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The region has one of the oldest histories of any part of Tasmania, when 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 by Frank Long. 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.

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It was clearly in competition with the 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 two miles long (3.2 km); 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.

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Zeehan was an important railway location — the end of the Emu Bay Railway, and the beginning of the government-owned Strahan-Zeehan Railway service that connected to Strahan and Regatta Point, where the Mount Lyell Railway connected to Queenstown. Also at early stages of the town's history, a series of timber trams spread out from Zeehan towards the Pieman River as well as a number of other locations.
Some of the smaller railway operations east of Zeehan were unique. One had the honour of having the first Garratt steam engine designed and built for its operations.
After the Government rail connection between Zeehan and Strahan closed, the Mount Lyell Company trucked its copper ore to the Emu Bay Railway terminus at Melba Flats, a few kilometres east of Zeehan.

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Reply By: Member - Oldbaz. NSW. - Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 08:00

Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 08:00
Thanks Doug, Those visiting will find an excellent museum worthy of a couple of hours.The local caravan park is in a nice bush setting & a pleasant place to stay.
Zeehan is an ideal touring base & far easier on the pocket than the yuppyville
Strahan down the road......oldbaz.

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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 23:33

Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 23:33
Worth more than a couple of hours OldBaz! We spent a full day there and didn't see everything. Wide variety too, so not boring. I think it only cost us $10 each.

Agree staying at Zeehan is the best choice for exploring the triangle to Strahan and Queenstown.

Motherhen
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Follow Up By: Member - Oldbaz. NSW. - Monday, Jan 30, 2012 at 10:16

Monday, Jan 30, 2012 at 10:16
Aaah..Motherhen...wise as always. We did in fact spend about 4 hrs at the museum,
very good it is too. Planning a trip west through the centre to WA west coast & have
been researching your extensive blogs & extracting the excellent info therein.
cheers....oldbaz.
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Monday, Jan 30, 2012 at 10:40

Monday, Jan 30, 2012 at 10:40
Thanks Oldbaz. Happy to answer any questions, as travelogues for much of WA not done as from earlier years. But no more gossip on Doug's Sunday history Zeehan thread. I always look forward to seeing where he will take us next.

Mh
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Reply By: Member - John Q (QLD) - Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 09:56

Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 09:56
Well done Doug & as stated above the Museum there is so full of history including early shipping, military,& mining etc. In 2006 I spent about 4 hours in the museum & that probably did not do it full justice.

Good work.

John
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1. At Halls Creek (Is he really lost?)
2. East of Cameron Cnr


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Reply By: Member - Min (NSW) - Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 10:46

Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 10:46
Hi Doug,

Thanks once again for your Sunday effort and for the background on Zeehan. It brought back good memories of our last trip to Tasmania especially all around that region.

I agree with the above responses re the museum and the cv park.

Cheers,
Min
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Reply By: wombat100 - Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 10:55

Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 10:55
Doug

How could you write a story On Zeehan- without even mentioning the 'Spray' tunnel??
That is now one of the features of the area, and could be a story in itself.
I hear-tell it may now be closed to through traffic?? Shame!!

Cheers J&D
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Follow Up By: Member - Doug T (NT) - Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 10:58

Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 10:58
Can't tell you every thing, there'd be no surprises left when you got there.

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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 23:39

Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 23:39
Isn't it bollarded off so no vehicular access?
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Reply By: blue one - Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 16:49

Sunday, Jan 29, 2012 at 16:49
Nice one Doug,
Couldn't believe they got steamers into Trial Harbour, though the bloke I was talking to there had some old photos.

He also had some cray pots which were put to good use.

Cheers

Steve
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