List of mines of the West Coast, Tasmania explained

The mines of the West Coast of Tasmania have a rich historical heritage as well as an important mineralogical value in containing or having had found, specimens of rare and unusual minerals. Also, the various mining fields have important roles in the understanding of the mineralization of the Mount Read Volcanics, and the occurrence of economic minerals.

List of named mines

The list below is a partial collation of the names of mines that have existed, a considerable number are found on or adjacent to the West Coast Range. Other mines and leases with different names may have existed.

Notes

• The place names after the name of the mine are as found in records, and may not be accurate.
• Where possible, subheadings are created for entries such as Mount Lyell, where different workings at the mine were named, and some common usages do not necessarily relate to company or Mines Department records
• It is not a list of exploration leases, or "finds" where a mineral has been found on the west coast.

----

• • Adelaide Proprietary Mine,^[1] Dundas Austral Mine,^[2] Zeehan
• Boulder Mine,^[3] North Dundas
• Britannia Mine,^[4] Zeehan
• British-Zeehan Mine, Zeehan^[5]
• Central Balstrup Mine, Zeehan^[6]
• Colebrook Mine, Rosebery^[7]
• Comet Mine, Dundas^[8]
• Comstock Mine, Zeehan^[9]
• Cumberland Tin Mine, Mount Heemskirk^[10]
• Curtin Davis Mine, Dundas^[11]
• Dundas Extended, Dundas^[12]
• East Hercules Mine, Rosebery^[13]
• Farrell Mine, Tullah (also as North Farrell)^[14]
• Federation Mine, Mount Heemskirk^[15]
• Fraser Creek Mine, North East Dundas^[16]
• Grubbs Mine, Zeehan^[17]
• Hal Jukes, Mount Jukes^[18]
• Hecla Curtin Mine, Dundas^[19]
• Henty Gold Mine, Henty River
• Hercules Mine, Mount Read
• Hydes, Mount Jukes (West)^[20]
• Jukes Proprietary, Mount Jukes^[21]
• Junction Mine, Zeehan^[22]
• King Jukes Mine, Crotty^{[23] [24]}
• Lake Jukes, Crotty^[25]
• Magnet Mine, Waratah^[26]
• Maynes Mine, Mount Heemskirk^[27]
• Melba Mine, North Dundas^[28]
• Montana Mine, Zeehan
• Montana Western Extended Mine
• Mount Black Mine, Rosbery^[29]
• Mount Bischoff tin mine, Mount Bischoff
• Mount Darwin,^[30] Mount Darwin,
• Mount Farrell Mine, Tullah^[31]
• Mount Lindsay Mine, Parsons Hood^[32]
• Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company operations at Mount Lyell, Queenstown
  • Cape Horn
  • Comstock (also known as Lyell Comstock, in close proximity to Cape Horn)^[33]
  • Crown Lyell^{[34] [35]}
  • Flux Quarry
  • Iron Blow – site lost with opening of the large open cut^{[36] [37]}
  • Lyell Blocks^[38]
  • Open Cut (see also West Lyell Open Cut)
  • Prince Lyell
  • Royal Tharsis Open cut
  • Royal Tharsis underground^[39]
  • Tharsis
  • Twelve West
  • West Lyell (also known as the West Lyell Open Cut)^{[40] [41]}
  • West Tharsis
• North Farrell Mine, Tullah^[42]
• North Mount Lyell, Gormanston
• Oonah Mine, Zeehan^[43]
• Queen Jukes, Mount Jukes^[44]
• Prince Darwin, Mount Darwin^[45]
• Razorback Mine, Dundas^[46]
• Renison Bell Mine, Renison Bell
• Silver Queen Mine, Zeehan^{[47] [48]}
• Silversteam Mine, Zeehan^[49]
• Spray Mine, Zeehan^[50]
• Susanite Mine, Zeehan^[51]
• Tasmanian Copper Mine, Rosebery^[52]
• Taylours Reward, Mount Jukes^[53]
• Tenth Legion Mine, Zeehan^[54]
• West Comet Mine, Dundas^[55]

List of mining field names

There are also designated mineral or mining 'fields' by government authority.

• Dundas
• Jukes-Darwin Mining Field
• Mount Farrell Mining Field^[56]
• North Dundas^[57]
• North Heemskirk^[58]
• Read – Rosebery^[59]
• Rosebery^[60]
• South Heemskirk
• Zeehan

Mining fields 1881-1890

Earlier informally named areas - Source: Binks 1988 - map 3 - pages 54–55

• Corrinna alluvial gold field^[61]
• South Heemskirk tin field^[62]
• Zeehan silver-lead field
• Dundas silver-lead field
• North East Dundas gold field, Ring River^[63]
• King River gold mine^[64]
• Princess River gold mine^[65]
• Linda gold field^[66]

Smelters

• Crotty^[67]
• Mount Lyell^[68]
• Tasmanian Metals Extraction Company, Rosebery, smelter^[69]

Railways, trams and haulages

See main article: Railways on the West Coast of Tasmania.

Training and educational

• Mt Lyell School of Mines and Industries in Queenstown^[70]
• Zeehan School of Mines and Metallurgy

See also

• Geology of Tasmania
• West Coast Range

References

• Book: Blainey, Geoffrey. Geoffrey Blainey. The Peaks of Lyell . 6th . St. David's Park Publishing . Hobart. 2000. 0-7246-2265-9. The Peaks of Lyell.
• Book: How, Duncan. Historic Mines of Western Tasmania, a walking guide. 1992. Walk the West Publications. 0-646-10651-1.
• Book: Pink, Kerry. The west coast story: a history of Western Tasmania and its mining fields. Rev.. Zeehan, Tasmania . West Coast Pioneers' Memorial Museum . 1984. 0-9598295-2-0.
• Book: Rae. Lou Rae. The Abt Railway and Railways of the Lyell region . Lou Rae . Sandy Bay. 2001. 0-9592098-7-5.
• Tuma, Andrew and Bottrill, R.S.(2006) "The minerals of Western Tasmania:Introduction, history and geological setting" in Australian Journal of Mineralogy, volume 12, No.2, December 2006
• Book: Whitham, Charles. Charles Whitham. Western Tasmania – A land of riches and beauty. Reprint 2003. Municipality of Queenstown. Queenstown. 2003.
• Book: Whitham, Lindsay. Railways, Mines, Pubs and People and other historical research. Tasmanian Historical Research Association. Sandy Bay. 2002. 0-909479-21-6.

Notes and References

1. News: MANAGERS' REPORTS. . . Tas. . 13 October 1893 . 9 February 2015 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
2. Note that newspaper reports call this mine the 'Austral Valley Mine'News: ZEEHAN. . . Launceston, Tasmania . 11 January 1908 . 9 February 2015 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
3. News: NORTH DUNDAS TINFIELD. . . Launceston, Tasmania . 11 June 1909 . 9 February 2015 . 2. DAILY . National Library of Australia.
4. News: ZEEHAN MINES. . . Launceston, Tasmania . 26 October 1923 . 9 February 2015 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
5. News: BRITISH ZEEHAN. . . Launceston, Tasmania . 4 August 1900 . 22 February 2015 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
6. News: CENTRAL BALSTRUP . . XXVI . 209 . Tasmania. 1 September 1906 . 6 November 2016 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
7. News: COLEBROOK MINE . . XXVIII . 235 . Tasmania. 30 September 1908 . 6 November 2016 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
8. News: MINING MEETINGS. . . Launceston, Tasmania . 25 December 1900 . 22 February 2015 . 2. DAILY. National Library of Australia.
9. News: ZEEHAN COMSTOCK MINE. . . LXV . 282 . Tasmania, Australia . 26 November 1906 . 9 July 2017 . 2edition=DAILY . National Library of Australia.
10. News: MINING MEETINGS. . . Tas. . 24 December 1880 . 22 February 2015 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
11. News: NO. 1. CURTIN-DAVIS MINE. . . XVII . 149 . Tasmania. 26 June 1897 . 5 November 2016 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
12. News: DUNDAS EXTENDED. . . XXI . 127 . Tasmania. 29 May 1901 . 6 November 2016 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
13. News: MINING NEWS. . . Adelaide . 6 April 1915 . 22 February 2015 . 10 . National Library of Australia.
14. News: NORTH MOUNT FARRELL. . . LXXIV . 100 . Tasmania. 28 April 1915 . 6 November 2016 . 2 (DAILY) . National Library of Australia.
15. News: Report on the Federation Tin Mine, Heemskirk. . . XXXII . 59 . Tasmania. 21 December 1920 . 6 November 2016 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
16. News: WEST COAST MINING. . . CVII . ((14,973)) . Tasmania, Australia . 16 October 1917 . 9 July 2017 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
17. Although a report about of number of mines, Grubbs is in the middle of the article News: ZEEHAN. . . LIII . 193 . Tasmania. 15 August 1893 . 6 November 2016 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
18. News: HAL JUKES SYNDICATE. . . 2 . 109 . Tasmania, Australia . 25 May 1898 . 9 July 2017 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
19. News: HECLA CURTIN MINE. . . LVII . 131 . Tasmania. 3 June 1897 . 6 November 2016 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
20. News: HYDE'S SECTIONS. . . XVI . 125 . Tasmania. 10 March 1905 . 6 November 2016 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
21. News: JUKES PROPRIETARY. . . LXVI . 41 . Tasmania. 16 February 1907 . 6 November 2016 . 4. DAILY . National Library of Australia.
22. News: THE JUNCTION MINE, ZEEHAN. . . Launceston, Tasmania . 14 October 1892 . 22 February 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
23. News: KING JUKES MINE. . . Tas. . 19 October 1899 . 22 February 2015 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
24. News: MT. JUKES COPPER FIELD. . . Melbourne . 2 October 1899 . 22 February 2015 . 9 . National Library of Australia.
25. News: LAKE JUKES MINE. . . Launceston, Tasmania . 5 October 1904 . 22 February 2015 . 2. DAILY . National Library of Australia.
26. page 10
27. News: A NEW TIN FIND. . . Launceston, Tasmania . 18 April 1902 . 22 February 2015 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
28. News: MELBA . . XXVIII . 236 . Tasmania, Australia . 1 October 1908 . 9 July 2017 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
29. News: MOUNT BLACK MINE. . . LIX . 116 . Tasmania. 16 May 1899 . 6 November 2016 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
30. News: MOUNT DARWIN . . LXVII . 41 . Tasmania, Australia . 17 February 1908 . 10 March 2023 . 2 (DAILY) . National Library of Australia.
31. News: MOUNT FARRELL MINE. . . ((12,411)) . Sydney . 21 March 1907 . 6 November 2016 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
32. Web site: Mount Lindsay Project, Tin-Tungsten, North West Tasmania . 2024-05-16 . Venture . en-AU.
33. page 375 with company operations described
34. News: THE CROWN LYELL MINE . . LXVII . 151 . Tasmania. 25 June 1908 . 6 November 2016 . 2. DAILY . National Library of Australia.
35. ref> page 375 with company operations described
36. News: THE " IRON BLOW " CASE. . . 998 . 8 February 1887 . 6 November 2016 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
37. News: THE IRON BLOW AT THE LINDA GOLDFIELD. . . XLIX . 93 . Tasmania. 18 April 1889 . 6 November 2016 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
38. referring to the Blocks company News: LYELL. . . Tas. . 19 March 1913 . 9 February 2015 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
39. News: INCREASED PRICE OF COPPER WELCOME NEWS FOR MOUNT LYELL SHAREHOLDERS . . CLXVIII . ((24,958)) . Tasmania. 16 December 1950 . 6 November 2016 . 14 . National Library of Australia.
40. News: West Coast News . . Tasmania. 19 December 1953 . 6 November 2016 . 17 . National Library of Australia.
41. News: Lyell Open Cut To Be Further Developed . . CXII . 242 . Tasmania, Australia . 19 December 1953 . 10 March 2023 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
42. News: NORTH FARRELL . . LXIX . 219 . Tasmania, Australia . 14 September 1910 . 10 March 2023 . 2 (DAILY) . National Library of Australia.
43. News: THE OONAH MINE. . . Launceston, Tasmania . 21 February 1910 . 25 February 2015 . 2. DAILY. National Library of Australia.
44. News: QUEEN JUKES. . . 2 . 113 . Tasmania, Australia . 8 June 1898 . 10 March 2023 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
45. News: PRINCE DARWIN MINE. . . LIX . 154 . Tasmania, Australia . 29 June 1899 . 10 March 2023 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
46. News: RAZORBACK MINE, DUNDAS. . . Hobart . 16 April 1924 . 25 February 2015 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
47. News: DISCOVERY ON THE SILVER QUEEN. . . Tas. . 17 September 1891 . 25 February 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
48. News: THE SILVER QUEEN. . . Launceston, Tasmania . 8 June 1894 . 25 February 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
49. News: THE SILVERSTREAM FORFEITURE. . . XVII . 98 . Tasmania, Australia . 27 April 1897 . 9 July 2017 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
50. News: THE SPRAY MINE. . . Launceston, Tasmania . 7 October 1908 . 25 February 2015 . 2. DAILY. National Library of Australia.
51. News: ZEEHAN. . . LIII . 193 . Tasmania. 15 August 1893 . 6 November 2016 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
52. News: TASMANIAN COPPER CO. (LATER ROSEBERY). . . 3 . 220 . Tasmania, Australia . 1 March 1899 . 9 July 2017 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
53. News: IMPORTANT DISCOVERY . . XXIX . 14 . Tasmania, Australia . 18 January 1909 . 9 July 2017 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
54. News: ZEEHAN AND DISTRICT. . . Launceston, Tasmania . 6 November 1900 . 25 February 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
55. News: DUNDAS. . . XVI . 177 . Tasmania. 25 July 1896 . 6 November 2016 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
56. News: The Farrell Field. . . Hobart . 5 April 1906 . 9 February 2015 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
57. News: North Dundas Mining FIELD . . XCV . ((12,736)) . Hobart . 18 January 1911 . 29 January 2024 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
58. News: North Heemskirk . . Tas. . 21 July 1882 . 9 February 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
59. News: Mount Read-Rosebery Field. . . Hobart . 30 June 1919 . 10 February 2015 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
60. News: The Rosebery Mining Field. . . Hobart . 30 May 1899 . 10 February 2015 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
61. News: WEST COAST ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS. . . LIV . 105 . Tasmania, Australia . 3 May 1894 . 7 December 2018 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
62. News: THE HEEMSKIRK TIN FIELD. . . LXV . 7888 . Tasmania, Australia . 13 June 1895 . 7 December 2018 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
63. News: DUNDAS . . 189 . Tasmania, Australia . 31 May 1895 . 7 December 2018 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
64. News: KING RIVER GOLD MINE. . . 4 . 599 . Tasmania, Australia . 22 May 1900 . 7 December 2018 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
65. News: PRINCESS RIVER GOLD MINING COMPANY. . . VIII . 262 . Tasmania, Australia . 30 November 1888 . 7 December 2018 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
66. News: THE LINDA GOLD-FIELD, TASMANIA. . . ((12,592)) . Victoria, Australia . 3 November 1886 . 7 December 2018 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
67. News: CROTTY. . . Launceston, Tasmania . 18 November 1902 . 10 February 2015 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
68. News: THE MOUNT LYELL SMELTERS. . . Launceston, Tasmania . 24 August 1896 . 10 February 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
69. News: ROSEBERY SMELTERS. . . Launceston, Tasmania . 3 August 1912 . 10 February 2015 . 4. DAILY. National Library of Australia.
70. News: MOUNT LYELL SCHOOL OF MINES. . . LXXXII . 187 . Tasmania. 6 August 1924 . 6 November 2016 . 7 . National Library of Australia.