Rosebery, Tasmania

Town in Tasmania, Australia

Rosebery
Tasmania

Rosebery

Coordinates| 41°46′45″S 145°32′25″E﻿ / ﻿41.77917°S 145.54028°E﻿ / -41.77917; 145.54028
Population| 749 (UCL 2021)[1]
Postcode(s)| 7470
Elevation| 165 m (541 ft)[2]
Location|

* 315 km (196 mi) NW of Hobart
* 109 km (68 mi) S of Burnie
* 55 km (34 mi) N of Queenstown
* 25 km (16 mi) N of Zeehan

LGA(s)| West Coast Council
State electorate(s)| House of Assembly:
Braddon
Legislative Council Division:
Murchison
Federal division(s)| Braddon
| Mean max temp[2] | Mean min temp[2] | Annual rainfall[2]

|
|

16.4 °C
62 °F | 7.0 °C
45 °F | 1,952 mm
76.9 in

Rosebery is a town on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is at the northern end of the West Coast Range, in the shadow of Mount Black and adjacent to the Pieman River, now Lake Pieman.

It lies on the Murchison Highway, 25 kilometres north-east of Zeehan and is part of the Municipality of West Coast Council. At the 2021 census, Rosebery had a population of 752.[3]

The population of Rosebery declined by 22% in the years between 1996-2001.[4] Its newer western area on the shore of Lake Pieman is known as Primrose.

## History

[edit]

Like most of the other settlements on the west coast of Tasmania, Rosebery is a mining town. In 1893, prospector Tom McDonald discovered gold in alluvial wash, along with boulders of zinc-lead sulphide in dense rainforest on the slopes of Mount Black. McDonald pegged several claims in the name of the Rosebery Prospecting Association (named after Lord Rosebery[5]), which later became the Rosebery Gold Mining Company. The South Rosebery Mining Company was formed soon after to mine the southern continuation of the orebody.

In 1896, the Rosebery Gold Mining Company was reconstructed as the Tasmanian Copper Company, and the South Rosebery Mining Company became the Primrose Mining Company. Rosebery Post Office opened on 1 November 1897.[6]

The main mineral found in the orebody was sphalerite, but due to the lack of a technique to successfully extract the zinc from the ore, little could be done to exploit the orebody. One company formed to experiment in the processing of zinc ores was the Tasmanian Metals Extraction Company (TME) who built a large plant next to the track to Williamsford, completed in 1912. The experiment was unsuccessful and the plant closed in 1914.

The Rosebery mines passed into the hands of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway company in 1916, and the mines were eventually merged with the Electrolytic Zinc Company of Australasia (EZ), who had discovered an effective method for the extraction of zinc. In 1926, construction of a processing mill at Rosebery began, and in 1931, an aerial ropeway to transport ore from the Hercules Mine near Williamsford was completed. Due to the Great Depression, the Rosebery Mill was not completed until 1936. The Rosebery Mine has operated continuously since then, with 75 year celebrations held during February, 2011. The mine is currently operated by Minerals and Metals Group (MMG), producing zinc, lead, copper, silver and gold.[7] Previous mine owners included Pasminco and Zinifex.

Prior to the completion of the Murchison Highway in 1963, the town was connected with Burnie and North West Tasmania via the Emu Bay Railway.

## Climate

[edit]

Rosebery has a damp oceanic climate (Cfb) with cool to mild, damp, unstable summers and cool to cold, very wet winters. Sunshine is low; the city only receives 16.5 clear days annually, and as much as 168.1 cloudy days per annum. February is the driest month and September the wettest, as the westerly wind belt (i.e. Roaring Forties) prevails in the region. Snow falls on an average of 2.8 days a year.[8]

Climate data for Rosebery (HEC Substation, 1979–1993); 165 m AMSL; 41.78° S, 145.54° E

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Record high °C (°F)  | 38.0
(100.4)  | 36.8
(98.2)  | 31.5
(88.7)  | 28.0
(82.4)  | 24.5
(76.1)  | 17.7
(63.9)  | 16.1
(61.0)  | 19.1
(66.4)  | 22.5
(72.5)  | 27.6
(81.7)  | 32.0
(89.6)  | 35.6
(96.1)  | 38.0
(100.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | 21.0
(69.8)  | 21.9
(71.4)  | 20.1
(68.2)  | 17.0
(62.6)  | 14.1
(57.4)  | 11.3
(52.3)  | 11.0
(51.8)  | 12.1
(53.8)  | 13.3
(55.9)  | 16.4
(61.5)  | 18.6
(65.5)  | 20.5
(68.9)  | 16.4
(61.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | 10.1
(50.2)  | 9.7
(49.5)  | 9.2
(48.6)  | 7.7
(45.9)  | 6.2
(43.2)  | 4.3
(39.7)  | 3.5
(38.3)  | 4.3
(39.7)  | 5.0
(41.0)  | 6.4
(43.5)  | 7.7
(45.9)  | 9.6
(49.3)  | 7.0
(44.6)
Record low °C (°F)  | 3.5
(38.3)  | 1.8
(35.2)  | 2.5
(36.5)  | 0.5
(32.9)  | 0.0
(32.0)  | −3.0
(26.6)  | −3.0
(26.6)  | −2.5
(27.5)  | −1.5
(29.3)  | −1.0
(30.2)  | −0.5
(31.1)  | 2.8
(37.0)  | −3.0
(26.6)
Average rainfall mm (inches)  | 129.5
(5.10)  | 81.6
(3.21)  | 102.8
(4.05)  | 150.7
(5.93)  | 172.7
(6.80)  | 199.9
(7.87)  | 208.7
(8.22)  | 211.1
(8.31)  | 233.2
(9.18)  | 189.7
(7.47)  | 147.0
(5.79)  | 134.5
(5.30)  | 1,961.4
(77.23)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 17.0  | 12.9  | 16.3  | 18.1  | 20.6  | 21.7  | 22.4  | 24.8  | 23.1  | 21.3  | 17.3  | 17.2  | 232.7
Source: Bureau of Meteorology[2]

## Notable residents

[edit]

* Richard Flanagan – author, historian and film director

## Gallery

[edit]

* Mine buildings

* Rosebery station

* Railway Bridge over Rosebery Creek

* Disused ore bucketway

* Stitt Falls, Rosebery Creek

## See also

[edit]

* Australia portal

* West Coast Tasmania Mines
* West Coast Tasmania Railways

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Rosebery (urban centre and locality)". Australian Census 2021.
2. ^ a b c d e "Climate statistics: Roseberry (HEC SUBSTATION)". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 14 November 2007.
3. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Rosebery (Tas.)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
4. ^ "Population Distribution". Archived from the original on 23 September 2004. Retrieved 3 December 2006.
5. ^ "Rosebery, Tasmania". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 February 2004.
6. ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
7. ^ Powell, Meg (3 March 2021). "Rosebery Mine to celebrate 85 years in March, new infrastructure expected to extend life even further". The Advocate. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
8. ^ "Rosebery Snowy Days (2.8)". australianweathernews.com. Retrieved 3 April 2021.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Blainey, Geoffrey (2000). The Peaks of Lyell (6th ed.). Hobart: St. David's Park Publishing. ISBN 0-7246-2265-9.
* Rae, Lou (2001). The Abt Railway and Railways of the Lyell region. Sandy Bay: Lou Rae. ISBN 0-9592098-7-5.
* Whitham, Charles (2003). Western Tasmania - A land of riches and beauty (Reprint 2003 ed.). Queenstown: Municipality of Queenstown.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rosebery, Tasmania.

* Crib & Cradle - Stay in Authentic Miners Accommodation in the heart of Rosebery.
* Mineral Resources Tasmania - Zinifex Rosebery mine
* Tourist information dated 2004
* Minerals and Metals Group
* 'MMG Rosebery provides feedback on workforce testing' April 2010
* http://www.lead.org.au/
* http://www.lead.org.au/lg las mr.html
* Toxic heavy metals in Tasmania at SourceWatch

* v
* t
* e

Western region of Tasmania, Australia

Cities and
other settlements|

* Queenstown

* Crotty
* Darwin
* Dundas
* Gormanston
* Guildford
* Linda
* Pillinger
* Regatta Point
* Rosebery
* Strahan
* Tullah
* Waratah
* Williamsford
* Zeehan

Governance|

* Braddon (federal)
* Braddon (state)
* Franklin Land District
* Montgomery Land District
* Montagu Land District
* West Coast Council
* Lyell
* Murchison
* Zeehan

Mountains|

| West
Coast
Range|

* Black
* Darwin
* Dundas
* Heemskirk
* Huxley
* Jukes
* Lyell
* Murchison
* Owen
* Read
* Read Volcanics
* Sedgwick
* Sorell
* Strahan
* Zeehan

| Tyndall|

* Geikie
* Tyndall

|

Eldon|

* Eldon Peak

Engineer|

* unnamed peak

Raglan|

* unnamed peak

Sticht|

* unnamed peak

National parks|

* Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers
* Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area

Rivers|

* Anne
* Anthony
* Franklin
* Gordon
* Henty
* King
* Lea
* Mackintosh
* Murchison
* Pieman
* Queen
* Sophia

Lakes|

* Beatrice
* Burbury
* Dora
* Gordon
* Mackintosh
* Margaret
* Murchison
* Pieman
* Rosebery
* Westwood

Dams|

* Crotty
* Darwin
* Gordon

Power stations|

* Anthony Power Development
* Bastyan
* Gordon
* John Butters
* Lake Margaret
* Mackintosh
* Reece
* Tribute

Transport|

* Anthony Road
* Hercules Haulage
* Lyell Highway
* Murchison Highway
* Queenstown Airport
* Strahan Airport

| Railways|

* Emu Bay
* Macquarie Heads breakwater
* Melba
* Mount Dundas – Zeehan
* North East Dundas
* North Mount Lyell
* Strahan–Zeehan
* Wee Georgie Wood
* West Coast Wilderness

|

Locomotives and rolling stock|

* TGR G class (1896)
* TGR K class

Railway stations and
former railway stations|

* Queenstown
* Regatta Point
* Zeehan

Landmarks|

| Natural|

* Birchs Inlet
* Cape Sorell
* Darwin Crater
* Granville Harbour
* Hells Gates
* Iron Blow
* Kelly Basin
* Linda Valley
* Macquarie Harbour
* Montezuma Falls
* Nelson Falls
* Ocean Beach
* Trial Harbour

|

Man-made|

* Cape Sorell Lighthouse
* Gaiety Theatre
* Galley Museum
* Paragon Theatre
* Queenstown Oval

People of note|

* Convicts on the West Coast
* Crotty
* Davey
* Gould
* Joyce
* Long
* Moore
* Pearce
* Piguenit
* Piners
* Rae
* Sticht
* Whitham

Mining|

* Comstock Mine
* Copper Mines
* Henty Gold Mine
* Mount Jukes Mine sites
* Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Company
* Mount Lyell Remediation and Research and Demonstration Program
* North Mount Lyell
* North Mount Lyell Disaster (1912)
* Renison Bell
* Stichtite
* West Coast Tasmania Mines

Books and
newspapers|

* For the Term of His Natural Life
* Gould's Book of Fish
* The Peaks of Lyell
* Walk to the West
* Western Tasmania: A land of Riches and Beauty
* Zeehan and Dundas Herald
* The West Coast Miner

Other|

* Darwin glass
* The Unconformity
* Round Earth Theatre Company
* Tasmanian West bioregion
* Western Tasmanian Football Association
* Western Tasmanian languages

*[UCL]: urban centre and locality
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