Zeehan, Tasmania
| Zeehan Tasmania |
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 The former Gaiety Theatre at Zeehan, part of the West Coast Pioneers Museum |
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 Zeehan
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| Population: | 845[1] | ||||||
| Postcode: | 7469 | ||||||
| Elevation: | 172 m (564 ft) [2] | ||||||
| Location: |
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| LGA: | West Coast Council | ||||||
| State electorate: | Lyons | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Lyons | ||||||
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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.[1] 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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[edit] History
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.
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.
[edit] Railways
- See also:Zeehan railway station
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.
[edit] Newspapers
- See the article:Zeehan and Dundas Herald
[edit] Climate
| Climate data for Zeehan | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 19 (67) |
20 (68) |
18 (65) |
15 (59) |
13 (55) |
11 (52) |
11 (51) |
11 (52) |
13 (55) |
14 (58) |
16 (61) |
18 (64) |
15.0 (58.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 8 (47) |
9 (49) |
8 (47) |
7 (44) |
5 (41) |
3 (38) |
3 (38) |
3 (38) |
4 (40) |
6 (42) |
7 (44) |
8 (46) |
6.0 (42.8) |
| Precipitation cm (inches) | 13 (5) |
10 (4) |
13 (5) |
20 (8) |
23 (9) |
23 (9) |
25 (10) |
25 (10) |
23 (9) |
20 (8) |
18 (7) |
15 (6) |
229 (90) |
| Source: Weatherbase [3] | |||||||||||||
[edit] Economy
Allegiance Limited Avebury nickel mine, Zeehan Zinc's Comstock Mine and the Bluestone Tin's Renison Bell tin mine are significant economic contributors to the community, but the majority of the town relies on tourism for its survival.
[edit] Tourism features
Among these attractions is the West Coast Pioneers Museum, which is in the old School of Mines building. The main streetscape of Zeehan is one significant feature of the town.
[edit] Notable people
The famed concert pianist Eileen Joyce was born in Zeehan, and Eileen Joyce Memorial Park in Zeehan was named in her honour.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Zeehan (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=UCL619600&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 2007-11-17.
- ^ Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
- ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Zeehan, Tasmania". Weatherbase. 2011. http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=610790&refer=wikipedia. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
[edit] Further reading
- Blainey, Geoffrey (2000). The Peaks of Lyell (6th ed. ed.). Hobart: St. David's Park Publishing. ISBN 0-7246-2265-9.
- Manny, L.B. (1963) Railways of the Zeehan District Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, October/November.
- Rae, Lou (2001). The Abt Railway and Railways of the Lyell region. Sandy Bay: Lou Rae. ISBN 0-9592098-7-5.
- Whitham, Charles (2003). Western Tasmania - A land of riches and beauty (Reprint 2003 ed.). Queenstown: Municipality of Queenstown.
- 2003 edition - Queenstown: Municipality of Queenstown.
- 1949 edition - Hobart: Davies Brothers. OCLC 48825404
- 1924 edition - Queenstown: Mount Lyell Tourist Association. OCLC 35070001
- Whitham, Lindsay (2002). Railways, Mines, Pubs and People and other historical research. Sandy Bay: Tasmanian Historical Research Association. ISBN 0-909479-21-6.
[edit] Gallery
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Locomotive,
West Coast Pioneers Museum -
Bayer Peacock and Dubbs locomotives,
West Coast Pioneers Museum
