Port Davey Tin Smelter

In 1974 Peter Willson, a mining engineer, acquired the tin leases from Deny King at Port Davey in south-west Tasmania and commenced extracting cassiterite ore from the alluvial sands under the button grass and top soil cover. Food, stores and equipment could only be transported by boat from Hobart. In 1992 he decided to build a tin smelter on site. Initially he built a blast furnace but it was so hot that it could only be operated in sleeting weather. In 1997 he built a more suitable reverberatory furnace. After smelting the tin was refined to 99.9% purity. He continued his operations until 2011 when he relinquished the majority of their leases to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

Rabbling the charge
Source: History of Tin Mining and Smelting in Tasmania

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Tapping the furnace to release the molten tin.
Source: History of Tin Mining and Smelting in Tasmania

Stock piling the smelted tin
Source: History of Tin Mining and Smelting in Tasmania

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References:
History of Tin Mining and Smelting in Tasmania

Proposal to Nominate
Bruce Cole Proposal to Nominate - Port Davey Tin Smelter