Anchor stampers

 

Only about a half-hour drive from St Helens, nestled in the quaint little town of Lottah, is a fascinating piece of Tasmania’s rich tin mining history. Remnants of this once busy mining area can still be found scattered throughout the bush, including the impressive Anchor Stampers.

This is a place I had wanted to check out for a long time but was never in the area. Today was the day that we headed off for the short walk to check them out.

The track winds its way down through the bush, accompanied by the chimes of a thousand frogs calling from the bull rush filled pond. It was quite the chorus and definitely added a little something to the walk.

Before too long, the old stampers come into view. They are certainly an impressive sight. Huge rusting pieces of machinery sitting quietly amongst the trees, slowly being reclaimed by the bush.

It is quite hard to imagine just how different this place would have been when the mine was operating. Instead of the peaceful bush and the chorus of frogs that surrounds the area today, it would have been filled with workers and the constant noise of machinery crushing the tin-bearing ore.

The Anchor Mine dates back to the tin mining boom of the late 1800s and, like many mines from this era, had its fair share of ups and downs over the years. What remains today gives a small glimpse into just how significant mining once was throughout Tasmania’s north-east.

We spent a bit of time wandering around the old stampers and checking out the different pieces of machinery that remain. There is quite a lot to see if you take the time to have a proper look.

I always find these old abandoned places fascinating. There is something about finding pieces of Tasmania’s past just sitting there in the bush, slowly rusting away. 

The walk isn’t particularly long or difficult, so if you are exploring around St Helens, it is definitely worth the little detour. 

Another interesting piece of Tassie history ticked off the list. 

We then drove around the corner to visit the Blue Tier Giant Walk. This will be the next blog incoming.