TASMining
Queenstown
Copper transformed both the town and the hills.
1890sTown grows around Mount Lyell mining
WHAT STARTED IT
Mining at Mount Lyell created demand for a settlement near the workings. Early gold exploration developed into a major copper enterprise, making Queenstown the industrial centre of the district.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
The full Abt railway link between Queenstown and Strahan opened in 1899. Smelting and logging stripped surrounding slopes, leaving a famously altered landscape and a lasting environmental legacy.
TURNING POINTS
1881Explorers locate gold in the district.
1890sMount Lyell mining drives rapid growth.
1899The full Abt railway link between Queenstown and Strahan opens.
2014Mount Lyell copper production ceases and the mine enters care and maintenance.
2026Sibanye-Stillwater approves a restart of Mount Lyell with an initial 23-year mine life.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
A west-coast community shaped by mining, heritage tourism, arts and regional services. In 2026 the restart of Mount Lyell was approved after more than a decade in care and maintenance.