Rosebery, Tasmania  2023  

Photographs and commentary: copyright Jonathan C Nevill,  2023, unless otherwise credited. Camera: Samsung S21.

Rosebery is a mining town. The mine at Rosebery dates back over 80 years. Gold, silver. lead, zinc and copper are mined. Originally managed by an Australian company, the mine is now in the hands of a Chinese group. As of 2023, ore reserves are predicted to last another 5 years, perhaps longer. The mine's deepest shaft penetrates around 1800 m below surface level.

The town has one small supermarket, two small schools (one public, one catholic), one church, one hotel, one service station (petrol and diesel fuel) and, surprisingly for such a small town, one police station. At the 2021 census, Rosebery had a population of 752, a decline of 22% since 1996.

Many decades ago, a tramway track (narrow gauge railway) was used to move ore, passengers and other freight to the town of Zeehan, where there was a smelter.  Although the steel tramway tracks have been removed, the track itself is now used by walkers to access Montezuma Falls (102m.... the highest in Tasmania).

Most of the housing in the town of Rosebery was built some decades ago, mainly of local timber, weatherboards, and corrugated iron. It doesn't make sense to build very substantial housing in a town which depends solely on a mine.

More recently, demountable housing has come into use. The old weatherboard houses can be moved, but it's a lot of trouble. 

The demountable houses pictured below are designed to be moved.

The walk to Montezuma Falls is an easy (10km return) flat track:

This old photograph shows the tramway passing in front of Montezuma Falls:

It's such an easy, pretty forest walk.

Many local watercourses remain contaminated with heavy metals from decades of mining. 

The water is not suitable for drinking. Effects on local wildlife have not been studied.

A typical walking track section....

Fungi are often brilliantly coloured

We heard few bird calls, save one lyrebird calling in the distance.

There was no wind the day we walked...  a quiet and peaceful walk.

There are many dis-used mine workings in these hills.

A lot of untold stories.....

Here's Karla. Mostly the track sleepers have been removed. In the photo below they remain, quite sound even though they have been lying in damp ground for over 100 years. Where the railway spikes protrude above the ground, they seem to have very little rust, and are in fact shiny where they have felt the boots of walkers. I suppose the spikes are made of high-carbon steel.

Here the sleepers have been removed and cast aside, where they remain, gathering moss...

Below: looking down on an old tramway bridge over a stream. It will eventually disintegrate and disappear.

Looking up....

And looking down....

Where the old tramway once crossed in front of the falls, there's now a suspension bridge.

Montezuma Falls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ohvMu2CrUY

Nelson Falls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiqN_GCCXBM

Many of the 'lakes' in this district have been created as part of Tasmania's hydroelectric system.

The often-used term "lake" is somewhat misleading. I think this word should be reserved for natural lentic waterbodies. 

According to usage by  the Tasmanian Hydroelectric Commission, a "dam" is the structural wall, and a "lake" is the water which lies behind it.

Below: Alexandra Hills. There is much wild, impressive landscape in this part of Tasmania (in fact, in the southwest generally).

Reflections viewed from the Tullah Lodge

Below: reflections, Lake Macintosh (Tullabardine Dam)

There is a public museum of mines and mining history at Zeehan. 

Karla, a geologist, and me (Jonathan) the son of a mining engineer, love this museum, and strongly recommend it to visitors to this region of Tasmania.

It contains a huge amount of detail.  Karla and I spent most of one day browsing through the exhibits. 

A person with a strong interest in mines, mining history and mineralogy could easily spend two days here. The entrance tickets are, in fact, valid for two days.

Bathurst Harbour was once the site of a penal settlement, receiving convicts from England. The coastal town of Strahan now depends largely on tourism as well as a retirement population. Set on the edge of Bathurst Harbour, it's a quiet, pretty town.

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If we can revise our attitudes towards the land under our feet

If we can accept the role of steward, and depart from the role of conqueror

If we can accept the view that man and nature are inseparable parts of the unified whole

Then Tasmania can be a shining beacon in a dull, uniform and largely artificial world.

Olegas Truchanas    1971

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