If ever there was a town which has reinvented itself in the face of significant adversity, Geeveston is it. To understand that comment, a little history is in order. For me, an insight into the town's origins and the events of recent years provided the background which gave what we found here some real perspective.
Let's begin at the beginning, always a sound proposition in my view. And if I told you that this town was originally called Geeves' Town, a penny or two might well begin to drop.
In the local Visitor Information Centre (about which I'll have much more to say shortly) I found this poster on one of the upstairs walls.
So, what is now Geeveston was originally known as Lightwood Bottom, stemming from the fact that the area was covered with Acacia Lightwood, the largest of the Australian native wattles which grows to 15 metres or so (and produces very useful timber).
But as you can read, once the Geeves family swarmed into the area in significant numbers, the inevitable occurred......and Geeves' Town was born, officially in 1861. With the passage of time this eventually became Geeveston.
Although Geeveston is located in the heart of one of Tasmania's major apple and fruit growing districts, its primary industrial and economic focus from the time of its settlement was the cutting and milling of timber. But this did not last.
I'll let the excellent 'Aussie Towns' take up the story:
"Historically Geeveston was a timber town. It was economically dependent on the local timber industry. For nearly 100 years the southern forests fed sawmills and an APM pulp mill and employed, directly and indirectly, nearly 400 people from the town. Then the APM Pulp Mill closed down in 1982. The town was devastated and decimated. The southern forests were protected and the timber town had no future."
This was a blow from which many communities would not recover. But not so Geeveston. Again, from 'Aussie Towns':
"Geeveston is one of those rare towns that celebrates its
historic reason for existence on nearly every street corner. It is a
model example of how a town, devastated by the departure of a major
industry, can with real creativity, find a new life and revitalise
itself.
But with remarkable tenacity, and driven by the local post master,
Laurie Dillon, they started to think laterally. Today it is a town
driven by tourism. It is a triumph with every street featuring statues
of local people carved out of timber; with shops and businesses in the
town thriving on tourism; with an outstanding Forest & Heritage
Centre (now known as the Geeveston Visitor Centre); and with the
remarkable Tahune Airwalk being proudly promoted as "the longest tall
tree walk in the world."
So, with that background under our belts, it was time to see just how successful the transformation has been. I think it is marvellous, but I'll let you make up your own minds.
Let me begin my town ramble with an overview of what I was about to explore, thanks to 'snipview' . This is actually an aerial shot used to advertise a property which was on the market, but it serves my purpose well enough. As is evident, roads in Geeveston run in all directions. Church Street, in essence the town's CBD, is that to which the pictured arrow is pointing. The large, red roofed building now houses the Visitor Information Centre.
At the bottom of the shot is the road we took through the town to the campsite (on the far right). The curved road to the left of the shot is the Huon Highway which we had travelled to get here. This continues on south to Dover and beyond (the trip we took yesterday).
As I set out from our excellent campsite to wander the town on foot, this log truck thundered past on the main road....something of a reminder of Geeveston's history.
En route to Church Street, I passed the lovely local medical centre with its avenue of trees and delightful garden.
The art gallery on the corner of Church Street and the road on out of town to the forest areas beyond, sets the 'tourist tone' for the rest of the street,
which climbs quite sharply from this point.
Here at the junction was my introduction to the 'timber in a different form'. Under this towering pine
I came across my first wooden town statue
with its rather ornate bronze plaque to provide a description.
I came across these two posters in an oddly obscure window at the side of the Visitor Information Centre.
As you can read, Bernie's life story is as interesting as his later creations, and as I was to discover, he had a prodigious talent with wood.
Walking further south along Church Street I came to this first group of town shops (more detail shortly)
whilst the other side of the street is completely dominated by the huge brick building which stands as testament to Geeveston's former glory.
Built in 1914, the former Geeveston Town Hall now houses the town's extensive and excellent Visitor Information Centre. Apart from the tourist attractions here in the town itself, Geeveston is recognised as the gateway to the nearby Hartz Mountain National Park and the Tahune Forest Reserve with its recently developed forest 'Airwalk' (which Liz later visited).
If you look closely along the wall of this impressive building, you might just spot the second of our town statues, standing proudly with a raised oar in hand.
This is one very impressive local
as the accompanying poster aptly details (Simon is the only one immortalised in pine I could find who is still alive!).
Tucked up in the corner of the building near the front entrance is yet another local luminary, this time one close to your scribe's heart for obvious reasons.
Another poster told the tale.
But now that we are here at the front door, it was time to see what the Visitor Information Centre had to offer (note the statue sitting on the wall to the left of the doorway....we'll get to her later).
The Geeveston Visitor Information Centre had to be the most impressive facility of its type I had ever come across. In addition to providing advice and information to all who visit, and acting as a ticket office for most of the local attractions, the centre houses displays of all things timber, and not just stuff for sale (although there is a good amount of that, naturally).
The scene is set at the entrance where I found another wooden carving, but this time it was not one of Bernie's.
But it was equally impressive in both the end result and the process by which this was achieved. Well done, Eddy!
This quaintly designed seat at the base of the staircase leading to the upper level maintains the timber theme
as do many of the inside exhibits such as this shelf of various local timbers.
Needless to say, the commercial imperative has not been overlooked with a fine range of clothing, local produce and other tempting goodies on display. The clothing in particular was astonishingly cheap. Liz and I both left with a new addition to our wardrobes.
I could have just about devoted this entire blog to what I found here, but I've exercised some restraint,
just as I did here in this arty little nook, where the seemingly modest looking low coffee table did not tempt me to reach for my wallet.
Apart from the fact that I had nowhere to put it, take a look at the price tag!
Huon pine is a remarkable timber for several reasons. After doing a deal of research, I have decided that the tale of its discovery, its properties and its future is far too long to include here. I heartily encourage any with the time and interest to check the several relevant websites. This timber can be genuinely described as unique in the world!
One cross cut section of a trunk is on display here at Geeveston. Note how close the growth rings are. This piece is estimated to be 309 years old (this is but a baby...these trees can grow for up to 2,500 years...seriously...they don't even begin to reproduce under about 600 years....that's a long time to reach puberty!)
As I was trying to take all this in, I came across another display. The large piece is swamp gum which was cut down in 1987. It is reckoned to be over 250 years old. That was impressive enough, but it was the smaller piece on top which seriously grabbed my attention, and held it.
This is a slice of Celery Top pine and as I looked more closely at it I noticed a line running from the centre of the piece to its outer edge. And then I noted the dates. The last, right at the rim, was 1980.
So what, I hear you ask. That does not seem too remarkable. Well, indeed it doesn't, until you look at the first date at the centre.
Yep, 1580.....the tree which produced this piece of wood began growing during the reign of Elizabeth 1st, sixty years before the first European, Abel Tasman, discovered the island on which it stood.
These were but a few of the exhibits I found downstairs, and believe me I have been unusually restrained in this presentation. Now it was time for a quick jog upstairs, where the Geeveston Historical Society has put together a collection of many of the tools
which were part and parcel of the timber industry, all interesting enough,
but it was this odd looking thing which really caught my eye. It looked for all the world like a skinny little rocket, hardly something I would have expected to find here,
but that's exactly what it was. And here's the story.
The plaques concluded with the yarn about one of these things having been accidentally let off in one of the local apple sheds where it apparently buzzed about like an angry bumble bee, with all and sundry running for their lives! I suspect that the cost of these things may not have been the only reason for their demise!
Well, after all this, it was time to hit the streets again and visit one of the shops opposite the Information Centre, The Wall of Lollies.
And that's exactly what can be found inside.
I have never seen so many jars of sweets and other odd and sods before in my life. They were not available at bargain basement prices I must add, and I did wonder just how well this decidedly quirky business actually paid. But it did add to the town's 'tourist' image in no small manner.
At this point I must pause to look back north along Church Street and present this scene to you, and at the same time ask this question. "How many of you, dear readers, watch the ABC TV show 'Rosehaven'"?
For those of you who have raised your hand, take another look at this street scene....it is one which features heavily in the show. In an extraordinary coincidence, the very episode which was playing during the time we were here featured the two principal actors walking along this section of Church Street. As we watched, Liz and I did allow ourselves a quick moment of congratulatory 'been there, done that'! If one cannot aspire to stardom, there is at least some consolation in having walked the same path....or not.....I guess it just depends on what's important in your life!
If you were to turn through 180 degrees at this same point, this is the view which would greet you looking further south along Church Street.
As you would expect, the Geeveston CBD does contain the kind of premises any town centre should include, such as the post office and so on, but a stroll along Church Street also brings a few surprises (in addition to the statues, that is).
Tucked up next to the post office is this tiny shop front, complete with brightly coloured knitted verandah post covers, odd little ornaments and a chalk board sign which instantly drew me inside for a better look.
As I suspected, this was the local knitting and crochet shop, where the yarns on the shelves were supplemented by those told by the (caretaker) proprietor of the oddly named Stone Pippin. He had a wicked sense of humour.
This wall poster was indicative of the tenor of this quaint little Geeveston store.
Just beyond Stone Pippin I came to the Geeveston pharmacy, but here it is complete with a statue of one of the town's more colourful chemists,
By now I had almost reached the top end of Church Street, where another of the town's 'different' establishments, 'The Bears Went Over The Mountain', awaited customers.
Now that has to be one of the strangest names for a B&B and restaurant I had ever come across....there had to be a story here. And there was, a quite extraordinary one.
I can do no better than to quote directly from 'The Bears' excellent website:
"The building started its life in the early days of the 20th century, being little more than a wooden shed under the ownership of the Commercial Bank of Australia. This was not just Geeveston’s first bank, but the town’s only bank for many years. As the region’s apple, fruit and forestry industry grew, so did the bank and its building; the last extensions were made in the 1960s. Last operating as the Westpac Bank, the premises closed doors on its financial dealings on 10 September 1993.
But the name? Again, from the website:
"You are probably wondering about the name. We can tell you it does not refer to the presence of any bears in the house or its immediate surrounds. It does come from the former owners, who had more than a passing interest in teddy bears.
For those of you who have raised your hand, take another look at this street scene....it is one which features heavily in the show. In an extraordinary coincidence, the very episode which was playing during the time we were here featured the two principal actors walking along this section of Church Street. As we watched, Liz and I did allow ourselves a quick moment of congratulatory 'been there, done that'! If one cannot aspire to stardom, there is at least some consolation in having walked the same path....or not.....I guess it just depends on what's important in your life!
If you were to turn through 180 degrees at this same point, this is the view which would greet you looking further south along Church Street.
As you would expect, the Geeveston CBD does contain the kind of premises any town centre should include, such as the post office and so on, but a stroll along Church Street also brings a few surprises (in addition to the statues, that is).
Tucked up next to the post office is this tiny shop front, complete with brightly coloured knitted verandah post covers, odd little ornaments and a chalk board sign which instantly drew me inside for a better look.
As I suspected, this was the local knitting and crochet shop, where the yarns on the shelves were supplemented by those told by the (caretaker) proprietor of the oddly named Stone Pippin. He had a wicked sense of humour.
This wall poster was indicative of the tenor of this quaint little Geeveston store.
Just beyond Stone Pippin I came to the Geeveston pharmacy, but here it is complete with a statue of one of the town's more colourful chemists,
the 'Swearing Chemist of Geeveston'.
By now I had almost reached the top end of Church Street, where another of the town's 'different' establishments, 'The Bears Went Over The Mountain', awaited customers.
Now that has to be one of the strangest names for a B&B and restaurant I had ever come across....there had to be a story here. And there was, a quite extraordinary one.
I can do no better than to quote directly from 'The Bears' excellent website:
"The building started its life in the early days of the 20th century, being little more than a wooden shed under the ownership of the Commercial Bank of Australia. This was not just Geeveston’s first bank, but the town’s only bank for many years. As the region’s apple, fruit and forestry industry grew, so did the bank and its building; the last extensions were made in the 1960s. Last operating as the Westpac Bank, the premises closed doors on its financial dealings on 10 September 1993.
A French family purchased the property in early 1998, opening it as ‘The Bears Went Over The Mountain Antiques and Collectibles’ shop. Upon the opening of the shop, they had many requests for accommodation, so in August 2002 they started work on conversions of the accommodation to Bed and Breakfast plus Residence. The Bears Went Over The Mountain Boutique accommodation started operations in early 2003."
But the name? Again, from the website:
"You are probably wondering about the name. We can tell you it does not refer to the presence of any bears in the house or its immediate surrounds. It does come from the former owners, who had more than a passing interest in teddy bears.
Hailing from central France, the previous owners (and their
collection of bears) travelled over many mountains to get to Geeveston,
Tasmania, hence ‘The Bears Went Over The Mountain’. "
And it doesn't end here. As I took a closer look at the menu posted on the front window I saw something else I'd never seen before. When did you last sit down to a serve of 'wine and chips'??
As I mentioned a minute ago, 'The Bears' is at the top end of Church Street where it intersects with the Huon Highway as it runs further south out of the town.
On the corner of this junction opposite 'The Bears' the town bakery offers a range of alternatives to 'beer (or wine) with chips'. It is also the home of the first of the Bernie Tarr statues,
'The Heritage Couple'
and other reminders of the town's forestry heritage.
By now I was on my way back to base along the western side of Church Street, past the supermarket and a couple of other commercial premises
until I found myself back at the Visitor Information Centre and another of Bernie's statues which I have mentioned earlier.
Like all the others, Jessica was a local identity who gave the community of Geeveston colour and character.
And it doesn't end here. As I took a closer look at the menu posted on the front window I saw something else I'd never seen before. When did you last sit down to a serve of 'wine and chips'??
As I mentioned a minute ago, 'The Bears' is at the top end of Church Street where it intersects with the Huon Highway as it runs further south out of the town.
On the corner of this junction opposite 'The Bears' the town bakery offers a range of alternatives to 'beer (or wine) with chips'. It is also the home of the first of the Bernie Tarr statues,
'The Heritage Couple'
and other reminders of the town's forestry heritage.
By now I was on my way back to base along the western side of Church Street, past the supermarket and a couple of other commercial premises
until I found myself back at the Visitor Information Centre and another of Bernie's statues which I have mentioned earlier.
Like all the others, Jessica was a local identity who gave the community of Geeveston colour and character.
Finally, just when I thought I had run out of carvings, this.......??? No idea!
And now for a completely different take on Geeveston and one which we both agreed, despite all we had seen and done in our time here, was the highlight.
The Kermandie River runs past the town, quite close to our campsite. It is far from a raging torrent, but it is crystal clear and, we were reliably informed, is home to that unique Australian monotreme, the platypus. All the relevant tourist blurb encourages visitors to try to spot one of these elusive creatures. A viewing platform has been constructed purely for this purpose.
It was late afternoon, the prime time for a sighting. We set off along the riparian path to the viewing platform, but even here we could not escape the connection with the timber industry. This small cairn on the edge of the path served to remind us of the dangers of the forestry industry.
It directed us to this memorial, one which bears the names of all those killed in the course of harvesting the forests around Geeveston.
Beyond here, a pathside plaque told us that a series of small pieces of artwork presenting stylised depictions of local fauna could been seen on the opposite bank of the river. True enough....here was a blue wren
and here, a rather colourful tawny owl peering at us through the trees.
But these were mere diversions, keeping us entertained until we reached the viewing platform. Our excitement was mounting as we peered expectantly
up and down stream, with absolutely no luck at all.
Bugger! Determined and undeterred we decided to press on to a section where the river formed a deeper, quiet pond. Here we were on the hunt for the tell tale stream of surface bubbles which would mark the underwater progress of our quarry.
Liz, it turned out, was a marvel. "There they are". "Where?", responded 'Mr Magoo'. With a bit more effort I finally spotted what she was looking at. And then, as confirmation of the 'platypus whisperer's eyesight', it surfaced!
Our first platypus sighting in the wild! And it was on the move, upstream at the rate of knots.
We almost had to trot along the bank to keep up. We later learnt that it was mating season, and we now suspect this little chap was 'a chap', and was on a mission of creative importance.
He (we'll assume we are right in this) did not stay on the surface for long before duck (duck-billed?) diving
and finally disappearing deeper into the pond.
By way of evidence of the truth of what we had suspected about this fellow's activities, we later saw another series of bubbles and disturbance on the surface, well upstream of this sighting.....and by now there were two sets and lots of surface disturbance. He had company! Mission accomplished?. Who can tell.
I think it fair to say that Liz and I wandered back to camp in something of a daze. We know that international tourists spend mega-bucks and many hours on places like Kangaroo Island and others far more remote, oft in a vain attempt to achieve what we had just done.
And we had managed it in li'l old Geeveston, without a guide and at very little cost. This had been one of the highlights of our years on the road (and we did it again later in Huonville, even better, but that's a story for another day).
