ZEEHAN

 

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 conditions in the ancient mines of Zeehan 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 of Zeehan.