Waratah is a settlement in the heart of Tasmanias' West Coast Wilderness. To appreciate the full level of the town's isolation it is worth remembering that the road through the area was not completed until 1963. The town is located 232km from Launceston, 356km from Hobart and 70km from Burnie on the NW Coast.
The township came into exsistence about 1872 when James 'Philosopher' Smith (Credited with saving the economy of Tasmania with his mineral discoveries) found the Mt Bischoff Tin deposit on 4th December 1871.
There was a time in the 1880s when the Mt Bischoff mine near Waratah had the reputation of being the richest tin mine in the world.
This was based on the fact that the mine was established with a capital of $58,000 and it paid investors over
$5 million in return. By the time it closed in 1935 it has produced 81,000 tonnes of tin and provided a dividend equal to 200 pounds sterling for every 1 pound sterling.
At its peak the town had a population in excess of 1,500 according to relevant census reports
but the most recent census count was 280 residents. (2007)
Contributed by Dr Nic Haygarth
2008 saw mining return to Mt Bischoff. It is an an open-cut operation and the ore will be transported south to Renison, another of the historical mining areas of Tasmania.
