- Derby, Tasmania
-
Derby
Tasmania
DerbyPopulation: 302 (2006)[1] Established: 1874 Postcode: 7264 Elevation: 164 m (538 ft) Location: - 25 km (16 mi) E of Scottsdale
- 64 km (40 mi) NE of Launceston
- 190 km (118 mi) N of Hobart
LGA: Dorset Council State District: Bass Federal Division: Bass Derby (pronounced /ˈdɝːbi/)[2] is a small Australian town located in the north east of Tasmania.
The area had been surveyed in 1855, but was not settled or inhabited until 1874, when George Renison Bell discovered tin in the area. The Krushka brothers discovered a large lode of tin, and set up a mine (named The Brothers Mine) in the area, assuring the town's economic future. The town was known as Brother's Home, until 1897 when it was renamed Derby (believed to be after Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom).[3]
Derby reached its peak in the late 19th century, when its population reached over 3,000, and the Brothers Mine (renamed the Briseis Mine after the winner of the 1876 Melbourne Cup) was producing upwards of 120 tonnes of tin per month.[3]
On 4 April 1929, the dam used by the mine burst after heavy rains and flooded the town, killing 14 people. The mine was closed, but re-opened five years later although it never reached the same level of output as it had in the last century and closed in 1948.[3]
Derby was served by a branch railway line which extended from Launceston to Herrick, 4 km short of Moorina. The line through Derby opened on 15 March 1919. The railway closed in April, 1992.[4]
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Derby (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=SSC65271&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
- ^ Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition (2005). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. ISBN 1-876429-14-3
- ^ a b c Derby, The Age, February 8, 2004.
- ^ The North-eastern Line of the Tasmanian Government Railways Stokes, H.J.W. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, March;April, 1997 pp67-77;107-121
External links
- Derby Online Access Centre
- Derby, Tasmania is at coordinates 41°08′54″S 147°48′07″E / 41.148461°S 147.801860°ECoordinates: 41°08′54″S 147°48′07″E / 41.148461°S 147.801860°E
Categories:- Towns in Tasmania
- Mining towns in Tasmania
- North East Tasmania
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