In November, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd officially opened an exciting new addition to Tasmania’s tourism industry, the Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre.
Commencing in May 2007, this $1.7 million development of the former Grubb Shaft Museum in Beaconsfield was undertaken by West Tamar Council, with funding assistance under the Australian Government’s Beaconsfield Community Fund.
Council engaged Artas Architects to design a purpose built heritage style building and Innis Construction completed the project.
At the opening, the Prime Minister was joined by 90 guests, including community members, volunteers and contractors who have worked tirelessly to complete the project.
West Tamar Council Mayor, Councillor Barry Easther, said the new centre is an important community asset and a significant attraction for visitors to Tasmania’s Tamar Valley region.
“The Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre is quickly becoming a ‘must see’ destination for visitors to Tasmania, providing great flowon benefits to the rest of the community and local economy,” he said. “The centre houses a variety of social history displays, including working steam engines and stories of the importance gold mining has played to the town over the last 100 years.”
A key feature of the new centre is a mine rescue display that pays tribute to the rescue at the Beaconsfield Mine following the rockfall in April 2006. Mayor Easther said this display recognises the people involved in the rescue and the efforts to retrieve the trapped miners, Todd Russell and Brant Webb.
“The display features stories on how the Beaconsfield community united in the crisis, how the town coped with the influx of media, and its recovery after the event, which resulted in worldwide headlines,” Mayor Easther said.
Visitors can view a replica of the rockfall area where the miners waited in a cage to be rescued. To get there, visitors will crawl through a tunnel underneath rocks. Halfway through the tunnel, they can stand up in a viewing hole and look in to the cage, which was Webb and Russell’s ‘home’ for 14 days.
Key features of the interactive display were designed by Thylacine, a company specialising in the development and interpretation of exhibition displays for such clients as the National Museum of Australia.
Brant Webb and Todd Russell worked closely with the Thylacine designers.
“For a reconstruction of an event that happened two years ago, I’m impressed,” Todd Russell said. “My kids are really looking forward to seeing it.”
The redevelopment of the centre was significantly funded by the Australian Government through the $8.3 million Beaconsfield Community Fund, delivered by AusIndustry.
The fund was created in response to the rockfall and consequent closure of the Beaconsfield Gold Mine in April 2006.
As part of the redevelopment, the West Tamar Council has also launched a new website for the Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre at www.beaconsfieldheritage.com.au
For further information contact Anna Curtayne, West Tamar Council’s Tourism and Marketing Officer, on (03) 6383 6375.
