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| The main
street of Rosebery |
Rosebery
Zinc and gold mining town in western Tasmania
Rosebery is a mining town nestled 145 metres
above sea level in the hills of western Tasmania
some 305 km west of Hobart. It is not like
normal towns in the sense that it seems to
sprawl up and down the hillside. It is a single
purpose town which is clearly indicated by the
Pasminco zinc mine which dominates both the town
and the local economy.
Historically this area of Tasmania was
inaccessible and therefore resisted early
European exploration. The forests were dense,
the cold winds - the Roaring Forties - blew
rainclouds off the Southern Ocean, and the
undergrowth with its leeches and dense scrub,
made travelling through the area difficult. It
wasn't until 1893 that a gold prospector named
Tom McDonald reached Mount Black and staked out
a claim which was eventually to become the huge
mine which today still drives the economy of
Rosebery.
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| The Rosebery
Mine |
Rosebery was named after Tom McDonald's
company, the Rosebery Gold Mining Company (in
turn it was named after Lord Rosebery who was
Prime Minister of Britain at the time), which
began to work Mount Black almost immediately.
After a few years the area around Rosebery was
typical of a frontier mining town with locals
describing it as 'a village built on the muddy
slopes of Mount Black ... with another village
on the boggy peat soil to the south of the
Primrose mine'.
The mineral wealth of the area was quickly
discovered. McDonald found gold in 1893. Zinc
and lead were found in 1894 and by 1897 copper
was being mined at Primrose. By 1899 the
privately owned Emu Bay Railway (out of Burnie
on the north coast) had reached Rosebery and
greatly assisted the local economy by providing
access and a good transportation route.
The economy and future of the town was
fragile until 1920-21 when Electrolytic Zinc
Company purchased the mines in the district,
built houses for the mine workers, and invested
in an elaborate aerial ropeway to move ore from
the Hercules mine to Rosebery. These changes
occurred over a twenty year period from 1920 to
1939.
Today Pasminco Zinc Mine is central to the
economic success of the town.
Things to see:
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Tours of the Mine
Pasminco do not have tours of the mine. However
Hays Bus Service in Rosebery do have surface
tours which help the traveller to understand the
workings of the mine. Contact (03) 6473 1247 for
details.
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| Where the
mine tours can be booked
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Montezuma Falls
The Montezuma Falls tumble 113 metres and, as
such, are the highest falls in Tasmania. The
falls can be accessed from Williamstown which
lies south of Rosebery. Some guide books talk of
the walk being quite difficult - leeches,
slippery and wet walking trails, a simple bush
track - and the walk involves about 5 km along
an old railway track - unless you have a 4WD. It
takes 3 hours return. It might be a more simple,
and much safer, to take the trip with Hays Bus
Service. Contact (03) 6473 1247 for details.
Hercules to Rosebery Aerial Ore Bucket
Ropeway
Constructed to move ore from the Hercules mine
to Rosebery this elaborate aerial ore ropeway
continued to operate until 1986. Since then it
has collapsed. The remnants of this highly
unusual method of ore transporation can be south
of the town.
Mount Read
Mount Read is 1588 m high and offers superb
views of the entire area. The walking route
starts from a Telecom road which is about 1km
south of Rosebery. It offers excellent views
down on Rosebery and, on a very clear day, it is
possible to see as far as Macquarie Harbour in
the south.
Mount Murchison
Rises to 1275 m but is a difficult walk. Most
walkers follow the power lines to the saddle of
the mountain from where a track leads to the
top. The mountain is commonly covered in snow in
winter time and, like all mountains in the area,
is prone to dramatic and very rapid seasonal
changes.
Mount Farrell
Although it is only 712 m high, Mount Farrell
does offer the scenic splendour of views across
to Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair National
Park. The walk to the top is relatively short
(only 4 km) but in that short distance the track
rises 500 metres. Again this is for experienced
walkers.
