Derby

I’ve never been to Derby before.

It’s an old mining town: tin, discovered in the 1870s. The town grew up — the population was about 3000 at one point — the mine went away, the town dwindled. The population at the 2006 census was 300. Although it is still a busy little town, except on Saturdays at 4 pm, because of the Tin Centre.

Street - pub
Like many small towns along the highways, Derby is strung out along that road. Unlike most of those small towns, there are not lots of back streets full of houses. What you see along the main road is pretty much it.

It also feels like the town is clinging to the side of a hill.

Pub
Dorset Hotel

Street
Continuing up the street. The building at the front looks like a railway station to me.

Photo 9
Although there was a railway line, and I assume a station, beside a river, below a bank seems an odd places to put a track. My street atlas (from 1986) has it as the “R&WSC Office”. Whoever they are. Rivers and Water Supply Commission?

Fence
Bank
This was, well, the National Bank of Tasmania, of which I have never heard, but the Launceston Historical Society can help out here.

In November 1853 a local bank, the Bank of Tasmania, was established with capital of £200,000 comprised of 4,000 shares of £50. Like other banks, it profited from its proximity to the Victorian markets and goldfields and aimed to stop profits from banking being absorbed by the London-run banks. Locals gave increasing support to the Bank of Tasmania, but it experienced difficulties in late 1884 when it suffered crippling losses and defalcations. It also endured the major bank robbery of the nineteenth century when armed men robbed the Beaconsfield branch of £2100 in notes and £500 in coin and bullion in 1884.

In 1885 the Bank of Tasmania was reorganised as the National Bank of Tasmania after a report by a Melbourne public accountant George Horne, who was appointed general manager. Under Horne, the bank steadily grew and he skilfully guided it through the reefs and shoals of the depression.

The National Bank of Tasmania survived the 1890s depression by avoiding the more glittering but risky trade indulged in by some local and mainland banks and steering clear of overtrading. Throughout the 1890s the National prudently strengthened its reserve and capital accounts against possible emergencies, which reduced the dividend for shareholders, but inspired confidence in the bank’s careful management. In 1897 George Dalrymple Gleadow became manager and the bank prospered in the agricultural and mining districts. It was taken over by the Commercial Bank of Australia in 1918 [which later became part of Westpac. Stefan Petrow, Launceston’s National Bank

There’s a sign around the corner that says it’s Tasmania’s oldest timber bank building. Now it’s touristy sort of shop. I think. It wasn’t open, and it’s also for sale.

Photo 21
Just before the Tin Centre, the old school houses a museum with a sign that says it is open until 5 pm every day, but it wasn’t. That big tree houses a flock a green rosellas who kept throwing nuts or something on me.

Photo 19
They’re restocking with ammunition.

Memorial
Memorial Plaque
A contributing factor to the closure of the mine was the Flood.

In terms of lives lost, Tasmania’s most severe flood occurred in 1929 after heavy rains covered the whole of the state. The once prosperous tin mining centre of Derby was practically wiped out when the Cascade Dam (containing 188 million gallons of water) burst on 5 April and flooded the Briseis Tin Mine. Fourteen lives were lost in the only dam-burst in Australia’s history to have taken human life. Houses were crushed like matchsticks as a twelve-foot wave of water swept through the town. A ten-ton granite boulder which had travelled two miles was among the mountain of debris left in its wake. The influx of water caused the Ringarooma River above Derby to run uphill for nearly six hours. The Companion to Tasmanian History – Floods

The resultant flood broke the dam, and a huge wall of water surged down the river valley towards the town, engulfing several houses and other buildings and pouring into the workings of the Briseis Mine. Fourteen lives were lost, including one family of five who were sitting down to a meal when their home was carried away. Senior Constable William Taylor was awarded the Royal Humane Society Medal and the King George Medal for bravery in saving eight stranded miners. John Beswick, Briseis Dam Disaster, The Companion to Tasmanian History

Photo 18
Behind the Tin Centre.

Pub
Federal Tavern. I wonder how many hotels Derby had at its peak? More than two, I should think.

This seems to be an early photo of the hotel. The upper storey windows and roofline of the right hand building on the postcard match that of the current building.

Photo 3
That has to be Ringarooma River, with the highway running alongside, but it is very still. (A bit of constrast to the description above.) From the bridgelike structure of the highway there, the intersection with the Cascade River must be just there on the right, out of sight.

Town Hall
Town Hall. Timber is obviously the predominant building material here. Not surprising, if you look at the hills (in terms of available materials and transport).

Now to go back down the other side of the street.

General store
General store (with a ‘For Sale’ sign on the end of the verandah).

Street
A cafe and some other visitor-orientated businesses. That first building seems to be two houses. It’s not quite visible in that photo so I’ll find the one of the other end.

Left side door with windows on either side, right side wider window and wide/fancy door. Shop and house or office? Seems to have been built for someone more affluent than the usual cottage inhabitant.

Photo 6
Looking back over the river. It’s rather green up this way.

Church
St Pauls Anglican Church, which is for sale.

Rocks
Backyards for people who don’t like to mow the lawn.

Photo 13
Bookshop
Community Centre
The one of the left says “Community Centre”. My street atlas has them as Library (right building) and Council Chambers (left side) and this photo of the Ringaroom Library at Derby seems to confirm that. Note the little window beside the door of the community centre/council chambers.

I tried to find some older photos of the town. This one shows the whole. It’s a bit hard to make out details, but seems to be a substantially bigger town with slightly barer hills. This one shows the main street c.1905. It hasn’t changed much, except the highway has been sealed.

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