Zeehan is a town on the
west coast of
Tasmania
Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
south-west of
Burnie. It is part of the
West Coast Council, along with the
seaport
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manc ...
Strahan and neighbouring mining towns of
Rosebery and
Queenstown.
History
The greater Zeehan area was inhabited by the indigenous
Peerapper and
Tommeginne clans
of the
North West group for over 10,000 years prior to the
British colonisation of Tasmania. They were greatly coastal peoples, residing in small numbers on a diet consisting of
muttonbirds,
seals, swan eggs and cider gum, and constructed bark huts when strong westerly winds brought about rain and icy temperatures.
European naming
On 24 November 1642,
Dutch explorer
Abel Tasman
Abel Janszoon Tasman (; 160310 October 1659) was a Dutch sea explorer, seafarer and exploration, explorer, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He was the first European to reach New ...
became the first European explorer to sight and document the Heemskirk and
West Coast Ranges. Tasman sailed his ships close to the coastal area which today encompasses the
Southwest Conservation Area, south of
Macquarie Harbour, but was unable to send a landing party ashore due to poor weather and did not make contact with any
South West Tasmanian groups. In their circumnavigation of Tasmania between 1798 and 1799,
George Bass
George Bass (; 30 January 1771 – after 5 February 1803) was a British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia.
Early life
Bass was born on 30 January 1771 at Aswarby, a hamlet near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of a tenant farmer, George B ...
and
Matthew Flinders named the Heemskirk Ranges mountains
Mount Heemskirk and
Mount Zeehan after Tasman's ships, the warship ''
Heemskerck'' (itself named after
Jacob van Heemskerck
Jacob van Heemskerck (3 March 1567 – 25 April 1607) was a Dutch explorer and naval officer. He is generally known for his victory over the Spanish at the Battle of Gibraltar, where he ultimately lost his life.
Early life
Jacob van Hee ...
, whose surname means "from
Heemskerk
Heemskerk ( ) is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is located in the Kennemerland region.
History
The town was formed during the Middle Ages. In an official deed from the year of 1063, the town was ...
") and the
fluyt ''Zeehaen'' (Old Dutch for "Sea Rooster") in honour of Tasman's voyage of exploration.
Although Dutch in origin, Bass and Flinder's
Anglicised
Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...
naming of Mount Heemskirk and Mount Zeehan created some of the oldest British place names in Tasmania.
Mining boom
Tin was discovered nearby at
Mount Bischoff in 1871 and at Mount Heemskirk in 1879. Deposits of silver and lead were discovered in the area by
Frank Long in 1882 and Mount Zeehan Post Office opened on 1 August 1888. The township was named Zeehan in 1890
and over the following decades, quickly expanded due to its proximity to the
Zeehan mineral field. The peak period for mining was up to the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, when 159 companies operated at the town's peak and the town stock exchange had 60 members.
With a main street over long, the township claimed over 20 hotels,
several pubs, a hospital,
and two theatres, the
Gaiety Theatre and Theatre Royal.
It developed a friendly rivalry with
Queenstown, and while the silver boom lasted it was known as the ''Silver City''. In the first decade of the twentieth century it was the third largest town in Tasmania, after Hobart and
Launceston. Sharing a mineral field and railway, the mining locality of
Dundas was historically paired with Zeehan. A port was established at
Trial Harbour for Zeehan, however its exposure to the
Roaring Forties made the site a vulnerable anchorage. After the construction of the
Strahan–Zeehan Railway,
Strahan became Zeehan's favourable port. The mines earned some two hundred thousand dollars per year for two decades, before progressively declining till the 1960s, when the last mines, Montana and Oceana were closed.
Decline
The population of Zeehan-Dundas peaked at 10,000 in about 1910, over ten times the current population. In the 1970s it saw increased activity due to operations at the nearby
Renison Bell tin mine, and again in the 1990s. It was the administrative centre of the
Municipality of Zeehan until the early 1900s, when it merged with surrounding councils to form
West Coast Council. At the , Zeehan had a population of 728.
The town was subject to several acts of arson in the 2010s, one of which saw damage to historic buildings dating back to the 1890s. The township has had its share of criminal characters-with various acts of manslaughter, assault and aggravated burglary in its history both past and present.
During the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
pandemic, ten parcels of land, some as cheap as $8000, were sold by the West Coast Council as a means to attract new residents.
It is hoped tourism will continue to bolster the local economy, with a new takeaway (Wildz Takeaway) open on the main road, and the creation of The Western Echo newspaper. A History of the West Coast model railway and diorama display is now open opposite the museum and is being built as a tourist attraction. The area has also seen an influx of visitors since the establishment in 2022 of several
mountain biking trails around Zeehan, Trial Harbour and Queenstown.
Pollution
In 2021, a study of the levels of pollution in the lakes of northwest Tasmania found a level of contamination with lead copper, cadmium and arsenic equal to the most severely polluted lakes in the world.
Owen Tarn and Basin Lake near Queenstown were the worst, but
Dove Lake, Lake Dobson, Lake Cygnus, and Perched Lake were also affected. These lakes are in the mountainous areas up to downwind from Zeehan and Queenstown and have been adulterated by atmospheric pollution mainly caused by
open cut mining proceeding uninhibited till finally controlled by the Environment Protection Act of 1973.
Recent bushfires have caused an increase in atmospheric mercury levels to three or four times the pre-industrial level due to the release of mercury previously locked in trees. Evidence indicates the area has suffered from dangerous levels of environmental pollution for over a century.
Roads
Zeehan is connected with the north coast of Tasmania by the
Murchison Highway, to
Strahan by the
Zeehan-Strahan Road, and
Queenstown by the
Zeehan Highway.
Railways
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 locomotive 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.
Newspapers
Th
'Western Echo'newspaper launched in November 2021, with local residents' contributing significantly to the content. It represents the West Coast communities of Zeehan, Queenstown, Strahan, Rosebery, Tullah and Waratah.
The historical ''
Zeehan and Dundas Herald'' ran from 1890 to 1922, with the region being served intermittently by other print newspapers from the 1980s.
Economy
The Zeehan economy relies heavily on the money brought in by local and West Coast Tasmanian regional tourism.
The mining of base metals and tin are significant contributors to the community. Mines include:
* Bluestone Tin's
Renison Bell tin mine.
* Mallee Resources Avebury
nickel mine.
* Tartana Minerals Limited and Intec Zeehan Zinc Residues - re-treatment of the Zeehan Zinc smelter slag and matte.
Australian Hualong Pt Ltd - omstock Mine.
In 2018, construction began on the $280 million
Granville Harbour Wind Farm, Tasmania's tallest wind farm, located 35 km north-west of Zeehan. This took Tasmania to 100 percent renewable energy, and in 2020, it was Australia's best performing wind farm.
In 2022, the Avebury nickel mine re-opened after an extended period in care and maintenance. In June 2024, due to the falling nickel price, Avebury again entered care and maintenance, with the loss of approximately 180 jobs.
Tourism features
The main streetscape of Zeehan is one significant feature of the town, featuring many boom-time and pre-Federation buildings. Among these attractions is the Gaiety Theatre,
Grand Hotel and the
West Coast Heritage Centre (formerly known as the ''West Coast Pioneers Museum'') located within the former
Zeehan School of Mines and Metallurgy building. The West Coast Heritage Centre features examples of Tasmania's mineral emblem, the valuable crystal
crocoite, as well as other geological specimens and historic mining artefacts.
Notable people
The famed concert pianist
Eileen Joyce was born in Zeehan, and Eileen Joyce Memorial Park in Zeehan was named in her honour. Reverend
Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Australia's first openly gay clergy member and human rights activist was born in Zeehan.
Notable events
Parts of a 1925 Australian silent film, ''
Jewelled Nights'' were shot on Savage River, north of the town in the
Tarkine rainforest.
Bushfires were reported near Zeehan in 1896, 1908, 1977, 1980 and 2006. In November 2012 the town was threatened by bushfires from two directions. However, the alert was later removed.
There were also bushfires in February 1890 (diary of Edward Jennings and this http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13761103).
Bushfires also threatened Zeehan in 2019- with the fire coming approximately 2 kilometres from the town. Residents were evacuated to Queenstown and Strahan after it was decided that the school was no longer a safe locale for residents to gather.
2023 crime drama, dark comedy series, ''
Bay of Fires'', starring
Marta Dusseldorp was filmed at locations in Zeehan,
Queenstown and
Strahan in 2022.
Climate
Zeehan has a cool, wet
oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...
(''Cfb'') with cool damp summers and long, chilly, rainy winters. Snow falls on an average of 2.4 days a year.
Gallery
File:Gaiety Theatre Zeehan 20171121-057.jpg,
File:Zeehan School of Mines 20171121-053.jpg,
File:112 Main Street Zeehan 20171121-063.jpg,
File:Zeehan Police and Court 20171121-058.jpg,
File:Locomotive West Coast Pioneers Museum Zeehan.JPG,
File:Locomotives West Coast Pioneers Museum Zeehan.JPG,
Notes
References
See also
*
Railways on the West Coast of Tasmania
*
West Coast Tasmania Mines
Further reading
*
* Manny, L.B. (1963) ''Railways of the Zeehan District''
Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, October/November.
*
*
*
{{authority control
Localities of West Coast Council
Mining towns in Tasmania
1888 establishments in Australia