Mount Bischoff facts for kids
Former open cut mine at Mount Bischoff (2006)
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| Location | |
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 Mount Bischoff
Location in Tasmania
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| Location | North West region |
| State | Tasmania |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 41°25′12″S 145°31′12″E / 41.42000°S 145.52000°E |
| Production | |
| Products | Tin |
| History | |
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Mount Bischoff is a mountain in Tasmania, Australia. It's also famous for being an old tin mine. You can find it in the north-western part of Tasmania, close to a town called Waratah and the Savage River National Park.
Contents
Where is Mount Bischoff?
Tin was first found here in 1871 by a man named James "Philosopher" Smith. The mountain got its name from James Bischoff, who was in charge of a company called the Van Diemen's Land Company a long time ago.
The Tin Mine's Story
The Mount Bischoff Tin Mining Company started the mine. They used a method called sluicing, which uses water to wash out the tin ore. This water came from a waterfall in Waratah.
Early Mining Days
In 1883, the mine did something very modern for its time. It installed one of Australia's first hydro-electric generators. This generator used water power to create electricity. It helped light up the mine's offices and workshops.
By 1893, most of the easily found tin was gone, so they stopped sluicing. But mining continued both on the surface and underground.
Changes and Closures
From 1907 to 1919, John Dunlop Millen was the mine manager. He was known for making the mine more modern and for being a very good leader.
The underground part of the mine closed in 1914. Surface mining kept going for a while, but it also stopped in 1929. This happened because the price of tin dropped a lot.
During World War II, the mine reopened in 1942. The Australian Government needed tin to help with the war effort. However, it finally closed for good in 1947.
Connecting the Mine
The mine was connected to the Emu Bay Railway by a special branch line. This railway helped transport tin and supplies between 1900 and the mid-1940s.
Mining Returns in the 2000s
After some smaller attempts, a company called Metals X Limited decided to mine tin at Mount Bischoff again in 2008. They own another large tin mine called Renison Bell.
They started a big open-pit mine at Mount Bischoff. The tin ore dug up here is now taken by truck about 80 kilometers (50 miles) to the Renison Bell processing plant. There, it's mixed with other ore to get the tin out.
The open-pit mine at Mount Bischoff is currently not active, but it is being looked after. The company is still exploring the area to find more tin.
