Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre

Useful Information

Location:	West Street, Beaconsfield
Open:	All year daily 9:30-16:30. Closed Good Friday, 25-DEC. [2011]
Fee:	Adults AUD 12, Children (0-16) AUD 4, Students AUD 10, Seniors AUD 10, Family (2+2) AUD 30. [2011]
Classification:	Gold Mine
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Guided tours:
Photography:
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Address:	Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre, P.O. Box 59, Beaconsfield, TAS 7270, Tel: +61-03-63831473, Fax: +61-03-63836384. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1877	Grubb Shaft Mine opened.
1914	Grubb Shaft Mine closed.
1972	West Tamar Historical committee founded.
1982	Grubb Shaft engine house acquired and renovated.
1984	Grubb Shaft Gold and Heritage Museum opened to the public.
1999	management of the museum handed to the West Tamar Council.
2006	a collapse in the Beaconsfield Gold Mine resulted in closure of the mine for 12 months.
2008	name changed to Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre.

Geology

The local gold deposit is called Tasman reef, and is still mined.

Description

The Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre is a gold mining related museum and show mine located in Beaconsfield, Tasmania. It is located at the Grubb Shaft engine house and was originally named Grubb Shaft Gold and Heritage Museum. Grubb Shaft is a remnant of a 19th century gold mine, which produced gold worth AUD450 million in today's value. The exhibition includes an extensive collection of mining memorabilia, artefacts and machinery. Grubb Shaft Mine has several still existing and renovated mine buildings, like the iron smelter, the water wheel, the engine houses and the boiler house. There is a working model of the mine's dewatering pump, which was one of the largest in the southern hemisphere. A waterwheel powered stamper battery can be activated by the visitors, and there are numerous other "hands on" displays.

A huge portion of the museum is dedicated to a mining accident in 2006. On Anzac Day 2006 a collapse killed one miner and trapped two, Brant Webb and Todd Russell, underground. After beeing trapped in a small wire cage one kilometre underground for 14 days they were finally resued. The exhibition includes a crawl tunnel with a viewing hole halfway along, where a replica of the wire cage can be seen. The exhibition is completed by photographs and newspaper articles of the accidents.