Mathinna, Tasmania
| Mathinna Tasmania | |
|---|---|
  Mathinna | |
| Coordinates | 41°28′S 147°53′E / 41.467°S 147.883°E |
| Population | 287 (2011 census)[1] |
| • Density | 0.2/km2 (0.52/sq mi) |
| Postcode(s) | 7214 |
| Elevation | 300 m (984 ft) |
| Area | 1,370.4 km2 (529.1 sq mi) |
| Location |
|
| LGA(s) | Break O'Day Council |
| State electorate(s) | Lyons |
| Federal division(s) | Lyons |
Mathinna is a small Australian town in the north-east of Tasmania, 63 km east of Launceston. It was named after a young Aboriginal girl befriended by the Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land, Sir John Franklin and his wife, Lady Jane Franklin.[2]
The town became established as a gold mining centre, shortly after gold was discovered in the area in the 1890s. The Golden Gate Mine in Mathinna was one of Tasmania's highest-yield gold mines, second only to Beaconsfield. At its peak in the late 1890s, the town sustained a population of over 5,000, including a large number of Chinese miners, making it the third largest town in Tasmania at the time.[3] Melbourne-based mining company Riltec made a failed attempt to re-establish the Golden Gate mine in 1994,[4] although recent gold mining efforts have been more successful, with a production target of 70,000 ounces made for the Mathinna mine in 2006.[5]
Blackboy Post Office opened on 30 June 1870, was renamed Reedy Marsh, Blackboy in 1871 and Mathinna in 1882.[6]
Premier of Tasmania Eric Reece, was born in the town in 1909.[7]
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Mathinna (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
- ^ Tasmanian Personalities - Mathinna Archived 2007-06-03 at the Wayback Machine, Discover Tasmania. Retrieved on 27 May 2007.
- ^ Community History - Mathinna Archived 2007-07-16 at the Wayback Machine, Fingal Online Access Centre (Tasmanian Communities Online). Retrieved on 27 May 2007.
- ^ Making a Nation - About Mathinna[permanent dead link], The Examiner. Retrieved on 27 May 2007.
- ^ Gold exploration ramping up in state's north east, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 29 May 2006. Retrieved on 27 May 2007.
- ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
- ^ The Parliament of Tasmania from 1856 - Eric Reece, Government of Tasmania. Retrieved on 27 May 2007.
 | This Tasmania geography article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |