Historical investigations - what could have transpired

[taswegian]

I've been browsing old plans, surveys etc and found this fascinating.
Many are aware of the mining past in the central reserve.

This report right in its heart is probably responsible for no action in regards to mining activity there.
One can only imagine the impact on Pelion East, Paddy's Nut, Acropolis, Thetis if development had proceeded
It would have had a huge impact on the whole central reserve.
Not to mention the build or no build of a railway through there.

UR1958_016.pdf

Coal outcrops in the Du Cane quadrangle

(297.56 KiB) Downloaded 446 times

I took a screen shot for easier viewing. Well that's a subjective comment

Coal outcrops in the Du Cane quadrangle

[Nuts]

Yes, thankfully the park has very likely survived the age of coal and consequent roads tracks and rail.
I'd imagine things would look very different now if easy(cheap) access was available out of Lemonthyme.
Circumstances are not easily foreseeable but some of the other mineral resources will always be a potential burden, at worst with only the scale of the deposits holding 'us' back.
So too, the tourism resource is only really acceptable by nature of it's current scale and lack of tangible foresight. There's no stopping 'progress'.

[Mark F]

The coal would have been well placed to service the railway to the West Coast that was planned though the Pelion area. We have it to thank for the excellent graded path around the flanks of Pelion West.

[Nuts]

Simon/ via Peter Brown has an interesting background to the trackworks here: http://www.simoncubit.com.au/Innes-Track

I understand the coal deposits were all of low grade and (as seen by the sample in TW's list) the known prospects were widespread. No doubt there would be a bunch of tracks leading off to get at some of them. And then fully exploited, regardless of grade.

The P.West track is an easy climb and thanks to the track cutters.. but i'm sure major works would have been needed to stabilize it for rail use. And it could do with some further works (or re-routing) in places where it crosses such shallow soils, even now for foot traffic.

PS. It's a good find, and interesting question, and more broadly any number of historical mining events. Ultimately stubborn Zinc may be the saviour here or the rush to Mt. Lyell?

[Swifty]

A 21 inch thick seam is never of economic interest, let alone up in the mountains. I don't think there was any danger of exploitation.