About seven kilometres north-east of Little Swanport lie the ruins of the Lisdillon Saltworks, established in the late 1830s by local settler James Radcliffe through convict labour. His aim was to help reduce Tasmania’s then-reliance on imported salt for preserving food and animal hides.

The saltworks included a windmill to pump seawater, a boiling house, and an evaporation system, as well as under-floor flues for heating – an innovative feature at the time.

The enterprise didn’t last very long: the saltworks ceased operating in 1841, and the site was abandoned. Over time, it fell into ruin. Despite this, the site continued to be privately owned until 1983, when it became Crown land and incorporated into a conservation reserve.

The former saltworks were later heritage listed under Tasmania’s Historic Cultural Heritage Act 1995. The Parks and Wildlife Service then stabilised the ruins and carried out work to prevent further deterioration.

Today, the Lisdillon Saltworks are one of only two surviving early salt-manufacturing sites in eastern Australia, and a significant example of early colonial industry and engineering.

References & Bibliography

Tas That Was is a column that includes:

  • anecdotes of life in Tasmania in the past;
  • historical photographs of locations in Tasmania; and/or
  • documentaries about locations in Tasmania.

If you have an anecdote or photograph you’d like to share with us, please send it to [email protected].

Callum J. Jones is passionate about telling stories. He studied English, History, and Journalism at the University of Tasmania and lived in Western Sydney from 2022 to 2024 while working as a journalist for Professional Planner, a leading online publication for financial planners. Callum has written for Tasmanian Times since 2018 and has also been published in a range of other outlets, including Quadrant and the BAD Western Sydney anthologies.