Wednesday 27 June 2018

Queenstown, Tasmania.

Queenstown, Tasmania which has long been tied to the mining industry.  This mountainous area was first explored in 1862.  It was long after that when alluvial gold was discovered at Mount Lyell, prompting the formation of the Mount Lyell Gold Mining Company in 1881.  In 1892 the mine began searching for copper.

In the 1900's Queenstown was the centre of the Mount Lyell mining district and had numerous smelting works, brick-works, and sawmills.  The area at the time was finely wooded.  The population in 1900 was 5051: the district, 10,451 people with just under 2,000 people today.

The mountains surrounding Queenstown have unusual pink and grey hues that come from the conglomerate rocks on the two most adjacent mountains - Mount Lyell and Mount Owen. The mountains surrounding Queenstown are often snowcapped through winter.  Snow falls a few days out of the year.

Owing to a combination of tree removal for use in the smelters and the smelter funes *for about 40 years), and the heavy annual rainfall, the erosion of the shallow horizon topsoil back to the harder rock profile contributed to the stark state fot eh mountains for many decades.

The Queen River was for most of the history of the Mount Lyell company the recipient of mining effluent and the Queenstown  sewage - which then continued into the King River and conswquently the Macquarie Harbour.
The Mount Lyell Remediation and Research and Demonstration Program scheme has since removed the direct flowing mining waste and local waste from the rivers.
Wikipedia

I believe there isn't much going on in the mine today..

Just nearly there on our holiday in March this year - the Horsetail Falls which is a seasonal waterfall not far from Queenstown.  The falls cascade over 50 metres down a steep cliff face, and can be seen from the road as in the photo.  A walkway opened in 2017 to give access to view the falls.









Above is Mount Owen.




There were 99 bends in the road in 4 miles, now I believe there are just a few less bends.


The above photo you can see just above the road at the far end a long shed then a hill - the below photo of the same hill in the front...just amazing how the vegetation has grown over the years.
I remember Queenstown as below, we girls from the private school formed a chain link with our hands to get to the top.


Queenstown on the West Coast of Tasmania


28 comments:

  1. WOW! Amazing shots of the mountains. I made my eyes wide open to see the bridges and the waterfall on the mountain. So amazing to see them!.
    99 bends! it's so tough for me to travel...

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    1. Those bends are ok for me but many do have trouble :) in more ways than one.
      And thanks.

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  2. I would sit down somewhere and just look at the horizon for a long time. I am not used to see mountains... : )

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    1. I can imagine you would do that if you are not used to mountains - it's like people who are not used to seeing the sea.

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  3. I am so pleased that vegetation is starting to return. I remember seeing a story (fake news?) which said that some were not because tourism would suffer.

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    1. I can remember it was like a moonscape when I was living there, as you saw in the photo below. It's strange for me to see trees there now but it's good that they have grown back and Queenstown nestled in the valley..
      There are many things to do in the area - take a ride on the train, do a cruise on and in Macquarie Harbour for just two things.

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  4. Esas montañas quedan preciosas con el discurrir del agua, en forma de cascada. Es un gozo para la vista, contemplar un paisaje como este.

    Besos

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    1. Interesting are those mountains - the waterfall would be better after much rain..

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  5. Vegetation would be at the mercy of the the winds from good old Penguin land of the South Pole I should think. Thus the scarcity of trees on the mountain peaks.
    Hikers would be in their element in this region. My niece after she finished secondary school and a couple of her class mates went hiking in this area rather than go to "Schoolies Week" on the Gold Coast in the 1980's. They had quite a ball. She and her husband and their 5 kids recently retraced her 1980's hike.
    Great photos as usual Margaret and promotion of "The Apple Isle".
    Cheers
    Colin

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    1. Being on the west coast it would be the same for all Australia, if south winds come it's always cold, as the saying goes - anything from the south is not good - no matter where you live :)
      Interesting family chose to walk our bush...nice though.

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  6. What amazing photos of what looks like an awesome place

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    1. It's a different place Jo-Anne, many tourist come and say they have never seen anything like it in this world..

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  7. The bare tops and wooded slopes looks a little like a green shawl has slipped off the mountain's shoulders.

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    1. I guess it does appear to be like that when viewing the photo. When you are there it's rather different because all around are mountains bare.

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  8. I will show R the comparative photos later. He is having his nanna nap at the moment. Nature can take over quite quickly. I remember the debate about whether to revegetate the Queenstown hills or not. A similar local debate was held here about Mount Elephant in the Western District. I think revegetate was given the go ahead.

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    1. Ok.
      As far as I know the trees just gradually grew back.

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  9. Magical! And wonderful memories of times spent with your friends. :)

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    1. It's a very different place than I have ever been before in Tasmania or for that matter any part of Australia I've been..

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    1. Great.
      It's very different to what I have shown before Bob.

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  11. Replies
    1. It is so different to what I normally see. The mountains are indeed beautiful.

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  12. It looks wonderful.
    Thank you once again for sharing some fabulous photographs and information.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thank you Jan.
      The information to me is important because it tells part of the story..

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