A fascinating chapter in Australian history can now be explored due to a dry summer and the dedicated efforts of one man. On the west coast of Tasmania, low water levels in Lake Burbury have exposed the town of Crotty, underwater since a hydrowater dam construction in the 1990s. A former miner, Anthony Coulson, grew up in Queenstown and now runs Queenstown Heritage Tours. Tour groups can now be driven into Crotty for the first time.
Coulson runs three tours with a focus on industrial heritage, ancient pines, and lost mines, but his knowledge is so vast that it is said people can take the same tour multiple times and always come away with something new.
As part of the Mt. Lyell Underground Mine Tour, Coulson drives visitors 700 meters below the surface before letting them out for a couple of hours of learning about the mine’s history. Another mining tour visits Crotty for a picnic among the ruins after a tour of the working Huon pine mill in Bradshaw.
At Crotty, the ruins of brick chimneys from blast furnaces are strewn about while the foundations of a pub and school can still be seen.
Meanwhile, the Lake Margaret Hydro Power station was reopened in 2009 after three years of closure and provides energy for Tasmania while Queenstown is beginning to thrive with a different reputation from what it once had. Locals report that visitors are surprised by the comfortable accommodations available as well as the range of cultural activities and emphasis on the heritage of the area. Three pubs have new owners and the area continues to thrive with its new focus on attracting tourists.
Coulson reports that while his tours initially largely attracted other Australians, more Americans and other foreigners are now coming along. Among the attractions are the hydro power station, which is more than 100 years old, and the West Coast Wilderness Railway, formerly Mt. Lyell ABT Railway and still in operation today.
When not leading tours, Coulson is always learning more about the area including exploring with his son and going to Mineral Resource Tazmania’s archives. He remembers playing in the area as a child and continues to look for more historic sites and mines.
Like many people, it was in part leaving home that sparked Coulson’s appreciation for the area where he grew up. Traveling overseas and reading the book “The Peaks of Lyell” by Geoffrey Blainey were the sparks for what is today both his livelihood and his obsession.