The Tasmanian Heritage Council has provisionally entered the Tasmania Gold Mine and Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre in the Tasmanian Heritage Register.
“The entry of this site recognises the importance of this historic mine complex and the Hart and Grubb Shafts to the whole of Tasmania,” said Brett Torossi, Chair of the Tasmanian Heritage Council
The Beaconsfield Gold Mine was nominated for entry by the West Tamar Council, in recognition of the heritage and visitor significance of the site to Beaconsfield, the West Tamar municipal area and whole of the Tasmania, as the state’s most productive gold mine.
“Following an assessment of the place a decision was made to include the former Mine Offices in the entry, recognising it is a very intact and important feature of the wider complex,” said Torossi
The Tasmania Gold Mine was established in 1877 by the Dally brothers in conjunction with Launceston businessmen William Hart, William Hart junior and William Grubb. The mine has had two phases of underground operation, 1877–1914 (854,000 oz of gold produced) and 1999–2012 (923,000 oz), with another 44,000 oz of gold being extracted by small operators in the intervening 85 years.
A deep mine with a large flow of water, it has presented many challenges to its operators, necessitating innovative responses. The mine came to international attention in 2006 with the tragic death of miner Larry Knight in an underground rockfall and the epic rescue of fellow miners Brant Webb and Todd Russell after being trapped underground for two weeks.
The decision to provisionally enter this place in the Register is being advertised in newspapers and Government Gazette on 15 July 2020.
“This provides the opportunity for interested members of the public to provide input on the provisional entry of the Gold Mine in the Register, as required by the Historic Cultural Heritage Act 1995,” explained Torossi. Any submissions or objections received by 14 September 2020 will be considered by the Heritage Council before a decision is made whether to permanently enter the place in the Register.
The Beaconsfield Gold Mine site represents Tasmania’s most successful gold mining venture and an important 19th century milestone in its economic development. The site has a rare example of engine houses built for Hathorn Davey horizontal engines and a similarly rare surviving example of early 20th century mine offices.
“The site is important to the community as a visually prominent landmark, being the site of the dramatic Beaconsfield Mine rescue in 2006, and an important feature of the visitor economy,” Torossi said. The Heritage Centre houses over 10,000 objects from Beaconsfield and the Tamar Valley.
She encouraged anyone with an interest in the Tasmania Gold Mine to view this new entry on the website and provide feedback. A copy of the provisional entry and further information on this process is available at www.heritage.tas.gov.au.
