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Main photo gallerys are below information
ZEEHAN
SMALL PHOTO & INFORMATION PAGE
ZEEHAN Zeehan is a unique, old mining town. In the 19th Century it was one of the largest towns in Tasmania. It then had 26 hotels compared to just 2 hotels today. Zeehan has unique attractions including the; Gaiety Theatre, the Heritage Centre and the Spray Tunnel. All are worth a visit. The town has some facilities and some accommodation. These make it a good place to stay, if you are intending to visit other attractions in this area.
Zeehan is located in the deep western wilderness of Tasmania. It is near the coast of the Southern Ocean and is 40 minutes from 3 other unique little towns; QUEENSTOWN, STRAHAN and ROSEBERY. These form a small pocket of civilization in the vast western wilderness. From this pocket you are a long way from anywhere else. You are 60 minutes from CORINNA and 90 minutes from WARATAH and DERWENT BRIDGE (Lake St Clair). Nearby places are described in theWEST COAST REGION page.
View West Coast in a larger map
FACILITIES at ZEEHAN include shops, cafes and a petrol station. There is some accommodation at ZEEHAN.
TOURIST information is located at the museum. The Internet contact is www.tasmaniaswestcoast.com.au
SIGHTS: Zeehan is a unique, old mining town with the following attractions:
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GAIETY THEATRE which once hosted mega stars like Caruso, Montez and Melba. The telephone is (03) 6471 6225
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WEST COAST HERITATE CENTRE is a museum that has one of the largest collections of historic displays in Tasmania. It is a must see for history enthusiasts. Telephone (03) 6471 6225
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SPRAY TUNNEL is a very long, mining tunnel. To reach it drive west of the CBD on Main Street and then turn south on Fowler Street. The tunnel is located south of the gold course.
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TRIAL HARBOUR is a beach and hamlet. Just drive to the west on Trial Harbour Road, a gravel road.
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GRANVILLE HARBOUR is a lovely beach on the way to Corinna. Just drive north on C249.
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HENTY DUNES are very high dunes on the road to STRAHAN. Just drive south on B27 the coastal road to Strahan.
ROUTES: From BURNIE on the northern coast you drive south on the A10 Murchison Highway to reach Zeehan. From Burnie you can also approach the west coast by driving south on B18, which runs parallel to the A10. It joins the A10 near Waratah.
From WARATAH you can also reach Zeehan via CORINNA by driving west on B23, which at Savage River becomes C249. On this route you will need to ensure that the Pieman River punt is operating by telephoning 6446 1170.
To LARGE ZEEHAN PHOTOS.
- ZEEHAN
- Museum
1/ Zeehan is an interesting, old, mining town in western Tasmania. This photo shows some of the major historic assets of Zeehan. The first from the left is the museum, followed by the post office, then the Masonic hall and finally the Gaiety Theatre. These are now all linked together to form a very large museum.
2/ The Zeehan Post Office is also a very opulent building. It once sold mining licences to prospectors and was the old communications hub of Zeehan.
3/ Hotels were the main leisure places for miners in the old days. Many colorful things happened once in this the Central Hotel of Zeehan.
4/ This is the Hotel Cecil. It is a substantial brick building with an interesting past. It is located on the main street but it is outside the central area of Zeehan.
5/ This is a Victorian era bank in downtown Zeehan. Banks were very important to the economies of mining town like Zeehan.
6/ This is the Gothic revival, Anglican church of Zeehan. The substantial, stone construction proves that Zeehan was once a wealthy town.
7/ This is the Catholic church of Zeehan. Note the Irish Celtic crosses on the bell tower. It is quite different in style from the church above and is also quite large. This church has managed to keep its ancient decor.
8/ This is inside the Catholic church. The statues are of Jesus (left) and the Virgin Mary (right). The decor was historically, authentic in style to what was common in the late 19th Century.
9/ This is the Spray Tunnel. It is all that remains of a large silver mining complex built in the silver boom of the 1890s. The tunnel is about 100 metres in length and about 2 metres in height. Mine trolleys once used it.
10/ This very opulent building is the Gaiety Theatre. Its lavish style proves that Zeehan was once a wealthy town. The theatre is still used by theatrical groups today.
11/ In the entrance are stylish, posters from the past. They show that major performers, like Nellie Melba, once performed here. In the 20th Century the theatre was used for films. "The Story of the Kelly Gang" was the first movie ever made in Australia and today is a cultural icon.
12/ This is the historic, lounge of the Gaiety Theatre. Only the ceiling lights are from modern times.
13/ This is Mt Zeehan. It is named after one of the ships of Abel Tasman, the Dutch discoverer of Tasmania in 1642. It is located on the road to Strahan. Mt Zeehan is 700 metres high and is a major landmark.
1/ This is the entrance to the West Coast Heritage Centre. This museum has one of the largest displays of mining history in Tasmania. It links together three adjacent historic buildings. The telephone is (03) 6471 6225
2/ The centre has many rooms displaying photos, documents and artifacts covering the historic mining sites of Zeehan, Rosebery, Strahan, Queenstown and other west coast mines. It is a must see for history enthusiasts.
3/ This is one of many wall panels that tell the exciting history of the west coast. This one tells the story of the achievements of the west coast railways.
4/ There is also an exhibit on West Coast fauna. This one shows the famous giant lobster that lives in Tasmanian rivers. Next to it is a giant crab caught in nearby seas.
5/ The centre has an underground section, where you can see recreations of what ancient mines were like.
6/ There is also a huge display of 19th Century mining equipment in several sheds.
7/ Behind the centre is a lawn display of very large mining machines. This lawn connects you with displays in the Masonic Hall and the Gaiety Theatre.
8/ These are 19th Century steam locomotives that once hauled passengers and freight around the west coast towns of Tasmania. Until recent times Zeehan was connected to Burnie by a rail link.
9/ This exhibit is of a passenger car and other light railway vehicles.
10/ You can also visit the Masonic Hall, which is located next to the Gaiety Theatre.
