# Iron Blow > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Iron_Blow > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Iron_Blow.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Blow > Source revision: 1341392252 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Mine in Tasmania, Australia Iron Blow in 2009 **Iron Blow** was the site of the earliest major mining venture at [Mount Lyell](/source/Mount_Lyell_(Tasmania)) on the [west coast](/source/West_Coast%2C_Tasmania) of [Tasmania](/source/Tasmania), Australia in 1883. ## Original form Geoffrey Blainey describes the appearance prior to its being mined:[1] They (Those mentioned above) examined the strange formation. It jutted twenty or thirty feet above the surface and was split by deep cracks and crevices as if a great explosion had fractured the rock and flung slabs far down the hill...(they)... had seen no similar outcrop in their brief mining experience. What lay beneath the ironstone crust? ## Mining early stages of working the Iron Blow in 1884 The first shot on the site was in January 1884 - and most local prospectors were camped in the [Linda Valley](/source/Linda_Valley) to the east of the [Mount Owen](/source/Mount_Owen_(Tasmania)) - Mount Lyell ridge - also known as [Philosophers Ridge](/source/Philosophers_Ridge) The townsite of Penghana, the present site of Queenstown - to the west was still thick rainforest. Following the establishment of the [Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company](/source/Mount_Lyell_Mining_and_Railway_Company) in 1893, the Iron Blow orebody was mined until 1929.[2] ## Haulage The transport of ore from the Iron Blow down to the operations area of the mine linking to the railway, was by the commonly known *Haulage*, although more technical terms included *Self Acting Haulage*.[3] - Foot of the Haulage line in early 1890s - Foot of the Haulage line in the 1895 - Foot of the Haulage line by 1900 with denuded landscape showing ## End of the era The cessation of the Iron Blow mining was also linked in with the demise of the Mount Lyell pyritic smelting - the cessation of [Robert Carl Sticht](/source/Robert_Carl_Sticht)'s smelters and methods.[4] The development of the West Lyell Open cut, and the later development of the Prince Lyell ore bodies removed all vestiges of the original workings. ## See also - [Copper extraction techniques](/source/Copper_extraction_techniques) - [West Coast Tasmania Mines](/source/West_Coast_Tasmania_Mines) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Geoffrey Blainey](/source/Geoffrey_Blainey), [The Peaks of Lyell](/source/The_Peaks_of_Lyell) p. 26 of Third edition 1967 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** The Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company Limited (1994) *A Century of Copper* Queenstown, Tasmania page 6, 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["THE HAULAGE"](http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article80230401). *[Zeehan and Dundas Herald](/source/Zeehan_and_Dundas_Herald)*. Vol. XVI, no. 243. Tasmania, Australia. 27 July 1905. p. 4. Retrieved 19 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Geoffrey Blainey, The Peaks of Lyell, Third edition, Chapter 25 'The End of an Era', p. 260 ## Further reading - [Whitham, Charles](/source/Charles_Whitham) (2003). *Western Tasmania - A land of riches and beauty* (Reprint 2003 ed.). Queenstown: Municipality of Queenstown. ## External links - ["The Old Iron Blow Mine"](https://web.archive.org/web/20091110093650/http://www.queenstowntasmania.com/The_Iron_Blow_Page.php). Archived from [the original](http://www.queenstowntasmania.com/The_Iron_Blow_Page.php) on 10 November 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2010. [42°4′6″S 145°35′26″E / 42.06833°S 145.59056°E / -42.06833; 145.59056](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Iron_Blow¶ms=42_4_6_S_145_35_26_E_type:landmark_region:AU) v t e Western region of Tasmania, Australia Cities and other settlements Queenstown Crotty Darwin Dundas Gormanston Guildford Linda Pillinger Regatta Point Rosebery Strahan Tullah Waratah Williamsford Zeehan Governance Braddon (federal) Braddon (state) Franklin Land District Montgomery Land District Montagu Land District West Coast Council Lyell Murchison Zeehan Mountains West Coast Range Black Darwin Dundas Heemskirk Huxley Jukes Lyell Murchison Owen Read Read Volcanics Sedgwick Sorell Strahan Zeehan Tyndall Geikie Tyndall Eldon Eldon Peak Engineer unnamed peak Raglan unnamed peak Sticht unnamed peak National parks Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Rivers Anne Anthony Franklin Gordon Henty King Lea Mackintosh Murchison Pieman Queen Sophia Lakes Beatrice Burbury Dora Gordon Mackintosh Murchison Pieman Rosebery Westwood Dams Anthony Crotty Darwin Gordon Henty Mackintosh Tullabardine Lake Margaret Murchison Reece Power stations Anthony Power Development Bastyan Gordon John Butters Lake Margaret Mackintosh Reece Tribute Transport Anthony Road Hercules Haulage Lyell Highway Murchison Highway Queenstown Airport Strahan Airport Railways Emu Bay Macquarie Heads breakwater Melba Mount Dundas-Zeehan North East Dundas North Mount Lyell Wee Georgie Wood West Coast Wilderness Zeehan-Strahan Railway stations and former railway stations Queenstown Zeehan Landmarks Natural Birchs Inlet Cape Sorell Darwin Crater Granville Harbour Hells Gates Iron Blow Kelly Basin Linda Valley Macquarie Harbour Montezuma Falls Nelson Falls Ocean Beach Trial Harbour Man-made Cape Sorell Lighthouse Gaiety Theatre Galley Museum Paragon Theatre Queenstown Oval People of note Convicts on the West Coast Crotty Davey Gould Joyce Long Moore Pearce Piguenit Piners Sticht Whitham Mining Comstock Mine Copper Mines Henty Gold Mine Mount Jukes Mine sites Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Company Mount Lyell Remediation and Research and Demonstration Program North Mount Lyell North Mount Lyell Disaster (1912) Renison Bell Stichtite West Coast Tasmania Mines Books and newspapers For the Term of His Natural Life Gould's Book of Fish The Peaks of Lyell West Coast Miner Zeehan & Dundas Herald Other Darwin glass The Unconformity Round Earth Theatre Company Tasmanian West bioregion Western Tasmanian Football Association Western Tasmanian languages --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Iron Blow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Blow) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Blow?action=history)). 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