Tin Mining and Smelting in Tasmania

James “Philosopher” Smith was the best known of the early prospectors and his prospecting expeditions ranged from his farm around 1853. The discovery of the large tin deposit at Mt Bischoff in 1871 was made by Smith. The extraction of tin would continue until after WW1. The need for transport saw the first tramway construction to transport the concentrate from the adjacent Waratah to Burnie for onward shipment to Launceston for smelting.

Another large deposit of tin was discovered near Zeehan in 1890. Mining of this large deposit continues until today, although no smelting currently occurs in Australia. Mining of alluvial tin deposits occurred in the North East of the state, mainly around Ringarooma and Derby from the 1870s. Large scale mining ceased some time ago.

A copy of the History of Tin Mining and Smelting in Tasmania.pdf is available for download here.