In the 1900's Queenstown was the centre of the Mount Lyell mining district and had numerous smelting works, brick-works, and sawmills.  The area at the time was finely wooded.  The population in 1900 was 5051: the district, 10,451 people with just under 2,000 people today.

The mountains surrounding Queenstown have unusual pink and grey hues that come from the conglomerate rocks on the two most adjacent mountains - Mount Lyell and Mount Owen. The mountains surrounding Queenstown are often snowcapped through winter.  Snow falls a few days out of the year.

Owing to a combination of tree removal for use in the smelters and the smelter fumes *for about 40 years), and the heavy annual rainfall, the erosion of the shallow horizon topsoil back to the harder rock profile contributed to the stark state of the mountains for many decades.

The Queen River was for most of the history of the Mount Lyell company the recipient of mining effluent and the Queenstown  sewage - which then continued into the King River and consequently the Macquarie Harbour.

Queen River and the Football Oval at Queenstown, Tasmania.
The Queen River used to be a muddy silver colour when I lived in Queenstown when a child for 4 years, my father was stationed there and it's where he received his Bravery Medal along with two others.








Bridge across the Queen River to the football oval, yes you drive your vehicle in on another road.
The houses are nothing flash at Queenstown, but at they people have a roof over their heads.  I was taken with all they garden gnomes, certainly not my cup of tea.

Queenstown, Tasmania which has long been tied to the mining industry.  This mountainous area was first explored in 1862.  It was long after that when alluvial gold was discovered at Mount Lyell, prompting the formation of the Mount Lyell Gold Mining Company in 1881.  In 1892 the mine began searching for copper.

In the 1900's Queenstown was the centre of the Mount Lyell mining district and had numerous smelting works, brick-works, and sawmills.  The area at the time was finely wooded.  The population in 1900 was 5051: the district, 10,451 people with just under 2,000 people today.

The mountains surrounding Queenstown have unusual pink and grey hues that come from the conglomerate rocks on the two most adjacent mountains - Mount Lyell and Mount Owen. The mountains surrounding Queenstown are often snowcapped through winter.  Snow falls a few days out of the year.

Owing to a combination of tree removal for use in the smelters and the smelter funes *for about 40 years), and the heavy annual rainfall, the erosion of the shallow horizon topsoil back to the harder rock profile contributed to the stark state fot eh mountains for many decades.

The Queen River was for most of the history of the Mount Lyell company the recipient of mining effluent and the Queenstown  sewage - which then continued into the King River and conswquently the Macquarie Harbour.
The Mount Lyell Remediation and Research and Demonstration Program scheme has since removed the direct flowing mining waste and local waste from the rivers.
Wikipedia

I believe there isn't much going on in the mine today..

Just nearly there on our holiday in March this year - the Horsetail Falls which is a seasonal waterfall not far from Queenstown.  The falls cascade over 50 metres down a steep cliff face, and can be seen from the road as in the photo.  A walkway opened in 2017 to give access to view the falls.















The above photo you can see just above the road at the far end a long shed then a hill - the below photo of the same hill in the front...just amazing how the vegetation has grown over the years.
I remember Queenstown as below, we girls from the private school formed a chain link with our hands to get to the top.

On the way from Derwent Bridge to Queenstown, Tasmania are hills, mountains windy roads and not many places to pull over for a stop.  We did find a couple of places to pull over and take some photos of the scenery, other photos are taken out the side window with same down as we moved along.

The Abt. Railway in Queenstown was owned by the Mt. Lyell Company in Queenstown.

Back when I lived in Queenstown for 4 years, every Christmas we would have a school picnic and travel on the Steam train in open carriages to Strahan which is on the West Coast of Tasmania also.  It was great fun. The passage of the railway was over huge wooden bridges and with very steep mountains either side and deep drops, an absolute scenic route.
Then many years later the railway was restored as it is today.