Let the wandering continue and, briefly, a little more about tin mining. Across the road from the Museum and Smith's hut, are two entirely different buildings, both of which are significant in Waratah but for completely different reasons.
Firstly we have the rather grand Atheneaum Hall which stood right next to the top end of our camp ground (you can just see one of the ablution buildings on the left).
And again the town had provided an information board to tell us the story,
(which I've been forced to present as two photos).
Immediately next door stands a building of much newer construction with its sign proclaiming it to be Kenworthy's Stamper Mill.
By now we had learnt enough to know that these mills were used as the first step in separating tin from the waste rock which held the ore, but two questions remained. What was one of these machines doing here in this quite modern shed, and who on earth was Dudley R Kenworthy?
We had no sooner entered this quite extraordinary little shed when the answers were provided.
Photos around the walls showed us the original location of Dudley's stamper
and the effort involved in relocating it to its current home.
And here it now stands, ready to roar into action with the push of a button by any who happen by (needless to say I pushed it!). If ever there was any doubt that these are noisy beasts, a visit to the Stamper Mill shed will soon dispel that.
During the heyday of the mine's operation, this particular stamper had been located on a hill near the waterfall. It thumped away day and night every day of the week except Sunday. The noise and dust were constants for the folk of Waratah, with 'blessed' relief coming when the stamper shut down at midnight on Saturday for one day.
Apart from the quite unique experience of being able to fire up one of these machines and experience at first hand the racket they made, this shed was a treasure trove of information and old photos of the mining operation.
Here we have a photo of bullock teams engaged in dragging felled trees as the cutters were carving a track through the dense bush in the area.
After the bush track came the railway between Waratah and the coast at Burnie, opened in 1885. These puffing billies would chug along at just over 20 kph reducing the previous trek of over 14 hours between the two towns to a journey of a mere three and a half hours.
It was here that we also discovered that mining in this district was not confined to Mount Bischoff, but many of these enterprises, such as this silver mine at nearby Magnet completely disappeared once the ore ran out.
And finally, here we have a shot of folk gathered at the Savage River osmiridium fields in 1920, some in their Sunday finery, others still with rolled up sleeves. I was struck by the rough slab hut behind this group which seemed so at odds with the bow ties and 'Sunday best'. These were certainly tough folk who lived a tough life.
After this fascinating hour or so in Stamper Mill shed, we set out to visit the western end of town where the local hotel has pride of place on the hill beyond the curve in the main street. To get there we had to cross the bridge in front of us. This is a significant spot,
because it is here that water from the lake to our left (with its old cast iron bridge)
flows under the roadway before taking the plunge. We were standing at the top of the famous Waratah main street waterfall. Here we have what could be viewed as one of a couple of quintessential Waratah scenes...the pub on the hill, the lip of the waterfall, the deep ravine beyond it and in the distance, the mine site on Mount Bischoff.
Here too we found another important relic of Waratah's past. This waterwheel is a reminder of the way in which the water was harnessed here to produce electricity in what was an Australian first.
On the opposite side of Smith Street, this display of an old waterwheel of a different type and a section of water-race pipe was a further reminder of the time when this was 'tin town'.
We'll have a much closer look at the falls shortly, but to do so we had to continue along the main street as it swept away to the right up this slight slope. The two storey house on the bend attracted little attention until we were right on it,but that soon changed.
The significance of the spider on the front wall was lost on us, but it was certainly different, and designed to be noticed!
It was here, as we walked on towards the old Waratah Post Office and the hotel beyond, that by comparing what we were seeing with some old photos we could gain a real insight into just how this town has changed.
At its peak, Waratah was home to three hotels, a Temperance hotel, six general stores, a butcher and a baker. The section of the main road we were looking along, now almost bare of buildings, was lined on both sides.
This old photo on an Anzac Day march in the 20's also shows just how different things were then (note the snow covered roadway and mountains).
But at least the Post Office building has survived.
Its walls could tell tales of far different times,
which quickly blunt any concept of the 'romance' of the era.....the good old days!
Waratah is one of the wettest and coldest places in Tasmania. Winter snowfall is a given, and heavy rainstorms commonly occur throughout the year. The town has a high frequency of cloudy days, and maximum temperatures often struggle to exceed 10 degrees, even in summer.
Many old photos, such as this of a group gathered in front of the Post Office, feature bleak, grey skies and snow covered streets.
This odd little building, is all that remains now between the Post Office and the hotel. The 'For Sale' sign invited inspection!
Why on earth anyone would want to buy this place was beyond us, but the inside walls presented clear evidence of the fact that this single room had previously been used as a martial arts training centre. We pressed on happy to allow this to remain one of Waratah's unsolved mysteries!
And here we were, approaching the last pub standing in the town. However, this charming Queen Anne style building is not the original Bischoff Hotel.
The first pub rose on this site in 1878. It was made of timber, and, you've guessed it, it burnt down. And to demonstrate that the early folk of Waratah were not quick learners, the replacement was also constructed of timber.....yep, same fate!
Finally, in 1909, as a demonstration of confidence in the town's longevity (and to avoid tempting fate yet again), the Bischoff Hotel became the first in Waratah to be built of bricks.
We had previously read that the development of Waratah had been somewhat different to many other early Tasmanian towns. In particular, here the first pub went up well before the town had a magistrate, a church or a school. And there was a very good reason for this. As had been noted on one of the information boards we had seen previously, "escape into alcohol was a common way for early [mine] employees to deal with living on a frontier where snow, mud and icy winds confronted them." This town may well have been Tasmania's saviour economically, but it was one hell of a place in which to live and work.
Seen here from the opposite side, this historic pub has also had its ups and downs. Over recent years its doors were as often shut as they were open, but that has all changed with the recent purchase of the business by the enterprising Ekman family.
We did breast the bar ourselves the afternoon after our town ramble, when we had a good chat to the charming Yvette Ekman before settling down for a more than acceptable evening meal.
Typical of most pubs of this era, the corridor into the dining room was a clutter of memorabilia and old photos. These can be fascinating places to wander, beer in hand.
The dining room itself was perfectly adequate (we actually munched away at a table in the bar)
but the highlight for me was this charming lounge area where I am sure the hours of a cold night could be well spent sipping on a warming port or two in front of the fire.
And as this shot of the hotel, courtesy of the 'abc' shows, winter in Waratah can be chilly indeed.
Seen here from the opposite side, this historic pub has also had its ups and downs. Over recent years its doors were as often shut as they were open, but that has all changed with the recent purchase of the business by the enterprising Ekman family.
We did breast the bar ourselves the afternoon after our town ramble, when we had a good chat to the charming Yvette Ekman before settling down for a more than acceptable evening meal.
Typical of most pubs of this era, the corridor into the dining room was a clutter of memorabilia and old photos. These can be fascinating places to wander, beer in hand.
The dining room itself was perfectly adequate (we actually munched away at a table in the bar)
but the highlight for me was this charming lounge area where I am sure the hours of a cold night could be well spent sipping on a warming port or two in front of the fire.
And as this shot of the hotel, courtesy of the 'abc' shows, winter in Waratah can be chilly indeed.
To our great delight, the weather we experienced here was anything but bleak....there was an undoubted nip in the air, but nothing to deter us from a ramble. Opposite the hotel, a small public rotunda has been strategically located, as has the information board nearby.
Why do I say 'strategically'?...........does this answer the question? From here we could
look out over what is probably the most photographed and presented vista of Waratah, looking across the famous waterfall (well, water trickle in this unusually dry summer)
to the Atheneaum Hall, the Stamper Mill and the museum buildings in that part of town.
From here too we could take in the view along the heavily timbered ravine of the Waratah River as it makes its way towards Mount Bischoff
and the grassy park which ran along the top of the hill beyond the pub.
If you look back at the main shot of the falls, you will notice a pathway on the left of the photo. I had wandered down it earlier,
and at the bottom this is what I found as the water from the lake streamed down the face of this basalt cliff to the river bed below,
where the steep slopes on either side were an absolute profusion of ferns.
Back topsides, before we left the 'observation' area, I did snap this information board which showed us just how extensive the water-race system was around Waratah, and just how close some of the milling buildings were to the town itself. It was little wonder that dust and noise were a constant here for so many years (except for Sundays!)
And finally, before we left this end of town, we did pop a little further along the road where we found the rather plain little building which is home to the town's Mushroom Cafe. Here the food and coffee on offer carries a broad reputation for quality and value. Unfortunately, as you can see, it was shut as we wandered past so a personal appraisal was not possible.
At this end of what is now Main Street, we spied the town War Memorial which had pride of place overlooking the waterfall,
and a small public picnic are and BBQ, which we could imagine would be just the spot for a sausage sizzle on a fine day like this.
And speaking again of the weather, we did know and appreciate just how lucky we were. Fine sunny days like this are the exception in Waratah and we took full advantage as we strolled around the other end of town and took a closer look at the few remaining buildings of historical significance and at the marvellous lake system but a stone's throw from our camp site.
And we still have a trip to the Pieman River at Corinna and a day on Cradle Mountain to go.....we were indeed busy in Waratah.
to the Atheneaum Hall, the Stamper Mill and the museum buildings in that part of town.
From here too we could take in the view along the heavily timbered ravine of the Waratah River as it makes its way towards Mount Bischoff
and the grassy park which ran along the top of the hill beyond the pub.
If you look back at the main shot of the falls, you will notice a pathway on the left of the photo. I had wandered down it earlier,
and at the bottom this is what I found as the water from the lake streamed down the face of this basalt cliff to the river bed below,
where the steep slopes on either side were an absolute profusion of ferns.
Back topsides, before we left the 'observation' area, I did snap this information board which showed us just how extensive the water-race system was around Waratah, and just how close some of the milling buildings were to the town itself. It was little wonder that dust and noise were a constant here for so many years (except for Sundays!)
And finally, before we left this end of town, we did pop a little further along the road where we found the rather plain little building which is home to the town's Mushroom Cafe. Here the food and coffee on offer carries a broad reputation for quality and value. Unfortunately, as you can see, it was shut as we wandered past so a personal appraisal was not possible.
At this end of what is now Main Street, we spied the town War Memorial which had pride of place overlooking the waterfall,
and a small public picnic are and BBQ, which we could imagine would be just the spot for a sausage sizzle on a fine day like this.
And speaking again of the weather, we did know and appreciate just how lucky we were. Fine sunny days like this are the exception in Waratah and we took full advantage as we strolled around the other end of town and took a closer look at the few remaining buildings of historical significance and at the marvellous lake system but a stone's throw from our camp site.
And we still have a trip to the Pieman River at Corinna and a day on Cradle Mountain to go.....we were indeed busy in Waratah.
No comments:
Post a Comment