Waratah blooms again, industrial relics and all

Waratah is an old mining town in Western Tasmania. It's said that at one time, its Mt Bischoff mine was the largest tin mine in the world. It was also the first town in Tasmania to have electric street lighting.

Not much going on in the 1970s and 80s, I noticed. But it seems to be looking up again. Tourists are passing through, and there's a nice feel to the place.





One of the things to do is to visit the old hydro-electric power station. Or at least, the relics of it. It's rather decrepit and unsafe, so they've officially closed the track down to it. But such tactics rarely discourage intrepid investigative bushwalkers.

You can read all about the Mt Bischoff mine at a vantage point overlooking the open cut. The mine was started in 1871 by James 'Philosopher' Smith, and it has been called the mine that built Launceston.