Comstock mining operation in
West Coast, Tasmania
The West Coast of Tasmania is mainly isolated rough country, associated with wilderness, mining and tourism. It served as the location of an early convict settlement in the early history of Van Diemen's Land, and contrasts sharply with the mor ...
is at mine site is situated 4 km west of the township of
Zeehan
Zeehan is a town on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia south-west of Burnie. It is part of the West Coast Council, along with the seaport Strahan, and neighbouring mining towns of Dundas, Rosebery and Queenstown.
History
The greater ...
along Trial Harbour Road and neighbours the Avebury Nickel mine a further 4 kilometres to the south-west.
Mine
The Comstock
lead,
zinc mine is an operating and producing mine. The Comstock area is held under mining lease 5M/2007 covering over 245 hectares.
The mine consists of a gravity processing plant, tailings dam, offices, access roads, power lines and a number of open cut pits. These open cuts were the result of previous mining operations and most run north-east with one having a dog-leg to the north. At its deepest point, the Alisons open cut is around 30 metres below the surface.
Historical
Mining in the Comstock District between the Heemskirk Granite, and the township of
Zeehan
Zeehan is a town on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia south-west of Burnie. It is part of the West Coast Council, along with the seaport Strahan, and neighbouring mining towns of Dundas, Rosebery and Queenstown.
History
The greater ...
; an area of approximately 65 km
2, commenced in the late 1880s after the discovery of
silver,
lead veins and continued through until 1914. In the 1940s interest surged again with the discovery of
cassiterite
Cassiterite is a tin oxide mineral, SnO2. It is generally opaque, but it is translucent in thin crystals. Its luster and multiple crystal faces produce a desirable gem. Cassiterite was the chief tin ore throughout ancient history and remains t ...
mineralisation. Mining for
tin,
lead,
zinc,
silver and
copper deposits occurred sporadically through until the 1960s. During this period ore was mined from over 40 mines in the Comstock and Zeehan mineral fields.
[Twelvetrees, W. (1900) ''Report on the Mineral Districts of Zeehan and Neighbourhood''. Tasmania Mines Department]
There have been other mines and locations with Comstock as part of their name on the West Coast of Tasmania.
References
External links
* http://www.zeehanzinc.com
Western Tasmania
Surface mines in Australia
Lead mines in Australia
{{Tasmania-geo-stub