Driving through Waratah on our way to Corinna, we spied an interesting rustic cabin. We stopped to investigate and found Philosopher Smith’s hut, a replica of a typical miner’s hut from the late 1800s.
James ‘Philosopher’ Smith is credited with the discovery of tin at Mount Bischoff and the founding of Waratah in 1871.
The interior was less than comfortable and displayed the equipment a prospector would have used when searching for minerals in the 1870s.
With time to spare before lunch, we moved on to explore the adjacent museum.
The former Courthouse building is now home to a collection of local historical photographs and artefacts. The main courtroom has retained the judge’s bench and witness box among other original features.
A roll-top desk has pride of place in an adjoining room with a neatly scribed ledger showing receipts and payments.
In the music room, vintage instruments, sheet music and old vinyl records reflect a time when music was an integral part of the social scene.
As expected, mining memorabilia abounds along with specimens of gemstones and minerals.
Among all the fascinating items, my favourite is this child’s dress. Despite the pretty trimmings, it does look a might scratchy.
Michael developed a fascination with all things Japanese in his mid twenties and so began his interest in the art of bonsai. When we met, fifteen years later, he came as a package deal and his beloved bonsai found a home in a sunny spot under the pergola of our suburban backyard.
Five years on, we moved to a property in the Adelaide Hills and one of the first items we added to the garden was a shade house to protect the bonsai from unpredictable weather. (It did become airborne in one particular storm but, fortunately, no bonsai were harmed. We then concreted the corner posts into the ground.)
Fast forward another seven years and we made the bold decision to relocate to Tasmania. By this stage, there were over forty bonsai to consider in varying stages of evolution. There were strict biosecurity rules for entry into Tasmania, any potted plants had to be fumigated by a registered authority and sealed until arrival across the creek. Sadly, all but four were sold or given away and the remaining plants travelled with us on the Spirit of Tasmania to their new abode. More specimens have been procured and nurtured since our arrival but they have been somewhat “out of sight” in various spots around the garden.
After years of planning and procrastinating, the new bonsai stand was finally created last winter.
The little trees received some long overdue attention with pruning, root trimming and re-potting.
Let me introduce you to the collection. The radiata pine was given to Michael by someone who no longer wanted to continue with bonsai, and the three sticks on the right are English oaks that had self-seeded on a friends property at Table Cape.
Spring brought verdancy to the oaks but, regrettably, the radiata failed to thrive.
The origin of this liquidambar is uncertain (meaning forgotten) but, despite resembling a twig in winter, it perked up once the warmer weather arrived.
We have a huge holly tree in the garden from which we occasionally find young saplings, the perfect source to experiment with bonsai. So far, this one is a success.
I bought Michael this olive as a gift nearly thirty years ago. He re-trained it and it is one of the chosen few who came from South Australia with us.
The ash tree is quite spectacular. Liberated from between two pavers on a suburban footpath in the mid 80s, Michael trained the roots around a rock before planting in a deep pot. The roots were then gradually exposed and this is the result.
The oldest exhibit in the collection is a copse of English elms. One of the original seven died in transport to Tasmania but there are two new saplings growing in the grove and one will be nurtured to reinstate the preferred uneven number.
The dwarf camellia has done well and produced a beautiful pink flower last year.
Perhaps the hardiest of them all is the Japanese maple. Firstly created as a bonsai, it was then planted in the garden to enable it to reach its full potential. That wasn’t to be when the neighbours horses reached over the fence and ate most of it. Reclaiming it into a pot seemed the kindest thing to do, now we just need to find a way to stop the nocturnal wildlife having a nibble.
The Australian blackwood was gifted at the same time as the radiata but has fared considerably better. Several root suckers have emerged and will hopefully result in a miniature blackwood forest.
Dogwood trees are prolific in our forest and Michael took these three from the path to see if they could become bonsai. I’d say it was a successful experiment.
With the Japanese Buddhas enjoying themselves at the watering hole,
Our journey to Corinna took us through the former mining town of Waratah on the edge of Tasmania’s west coast wilderness. The plan was for lunch at the Bischoff Hotel, the only hotel remaining in the town. Originally built in 1879, it burned down in 1902 before being rebuilt and burning down again in 1909. The present Queen Anne style incarnation was completed later that same year.
The view from the hotel is spectacular, even on a drizzly day
and the waterfall in the middle of town flows all year round. The water provided vital power to the mine directly through a series of seven water wheels and was later piped to the Waratah Power Station to produce hydro power.
With some time to spare before dining, we set out to explore. The Waratah Post Office opened in 1882 and the current building replaced the original in 1913. It has been lovingly restored and is now available as luxury holiday accommodation.
We made our way to the lake and came across an old waterwheel and pump house near what appeared to be an old entrance for the mine carts.
As we entered the town, we noticed how immaculate the public lawns and gardens were kept. Lake Waratah is a beautiful centrepiece.
I have never seen a colony of masked lapwings in these numbers, they have chosen a lovely spot to call home.
We took a closer look at the iron truss rail bridge, built over the Waratah River in 1895, essential for getting people and supplies to Waratah and getting the ore out.
Waratah is known as one of the last bastions of the thylacine, thought by some to be extinct. We are ever hopeful of proving this theory wrong, it seems we are not alone.
The Athenaeum Hall is a very impressive building completed in 1887 when the town was enjoying the economic prosperity provided by the tin mine. Built for the workers and families, it started as a library and later became the town hall and cinema. Today, it is home to the Tarkine Visitor Interpretation Centre and is still used for functions.
Across the road, the Waratah Museum occupies in the old Court House (that will be another post).
Despite a leisurely perambulation around the museum, we still had time for a walk to the bottom of the falls. The scarred landscape of the Mt. Bischoff mine loomed in the distance. Tin was discovered in the area in 1871 and by 1881, Mt. Bischoff was the richest tin mine in the world. The mine closed in 1947 after seventy years of continuous production but open cut mining resumed in 2008. Three years later, with resources depleted, it again closed and the pit is now flooded.
The walking trail was enveloped by tree ferns and verdant native vegetation
and the waterfall was magnificent after steady spring rain.
Returning to the top of the falls, the Waratah River wends its way over the cliff and continues ten kilometres before merging with the Arthur River.
The Dudley Kenworthy water wheel is named after the gentleman who recognised the potential to harness the year round water supply, making Waratah the first industrial site in Australia to be lit by hydro-electricity.
After a substantial lunch of delicious fish ’n’ chips and a schooner of stout, we were ready to tackle the long and winding road to Corinna.
The compost bays we constructed when we created the veggie patch have slowly suffered the same fate as the raised beds. Two years ago we resurrected the beds to prevent further deterioration of the timbers and now it was time to do the same for these bays.
After much brainstorming, we decided the sensible thing was to buy ready made compost bins that would out live and look better than anything we could build. The three 600 litre bins were delivered and we wasted no time unpacking them.
Assembly was ridiculously easy,
site preparation took a little longer. We emptied the contents of the first bay into wheel barrows and demolished the structure, saving any timbers worthy for future use.
The new bin fit the space perfectly and the half-composted material was shovelled in.
Potatoes were harvested from the random growth in the second bay before that, too, was emptied and demolished.
It didn’t take long to position the remaining two bins, replace the contents and admire our work.
We recently ticked another item off our bucket list with a short stay at Corinna on the west coast of Tasmania. The gold rush of the early 1880s brought a flood of people to the area and Corinna was proclaimed a town in 1894 with a population of 2500. Within a few years, the gold deposits that could be easily worked were exhausted and the town declined in population when the Emu Bay railway to Zeehan was opened in 1900. The historic mining town is now a wilderness retreat set on three hectares surrounded by the Tarkine rainforest. The owners have restored and developed the buildings in heritage style to create a village atmosphere. We enjoyed a very comfortable three nights in “Hobbs” cottage.
Named in honour of explorer James Hobbs who led a party to the west coast of Van Diemen’s Land in early 1824, our level of comfort far exceeded that of poor Hobbs. I am always prepared that photos on property websites are more enticing than in reality but we weren’t disappointed. The open plan living space downstairs
and bedrooms upstairs
were even better than anticipated and the gas heater warmed the whole area without effort. The rainforest embraced the spacious back deck
and the front verandah was the perfect spot to share a platter and bottle.
We were happy to share our food with the locals, especially when one had a baby on board.
Corinna is totally off grid with solar power, rain and bore water and chemical free sewage treatment. Cooking, hot water and heating are powered by gas cylinders. Visitors are requested to take any rubbish with them when they leave, not a big ask to maintain the pristine environment. After settling in, a stroll around the village revealed remnants of times past.
The old butcher’s shop is now guest accommodation.
A light drizzle accompanied us as we wandered to the Pieman River at the edge of the property.
For those arriving at or leaving Corinna in a southerly direction, the Fatman Barge takes five minutes to cross the 130 metres to the other side of the river. It is the only cable driven vehicular barge remaining in Tasmania.
Although the cottage was equipped for self-catering, the Tannin Restaurant in the on-site Tarkine Hotel has a mouthwatering menu.
After a days adventure we would amble to the Ahrberg Bar and take up residence on the squidgy Chesterfield with a pre dinner beverage.
Moving on to the dining area, the meals were superb, all prepared using fresh Tasmanian produce. The only down side was, I didn’t have any room for the desserts on offer.
With no TV or Wi-fi (a blessing) it was back to the cottage for board games and bed.
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