Moorina: Chinese heritage and discoveries along the Weld River

Moorina brings together traces of Chinese settlement, the history of tin mining and a fossicking area along the Weld River. Particularly distinctive is the Chinese memorial with its Chinese graves: the complex includes one of only two Chinese burial furnaces known in Tasmania. The cemetery, power station and river area offer different ways to explore the place. If you are looking for a cultural focus for your holiday or are interested in fossicking in the Weld River fossicking area, Moorina offers specific themes to consider when planning your trip.

Chinese heritage and local history

Moorina Cemetery is the only cemetery associated with Chinese people in Tasmania that is listed on the Tasmanian Heritage Register. The Chinese memorial and graves are of state significance as evidence of Chinese settlement in northeast Tasmania. At the same time, the cemetery is the most prominent surviving cultural marker in the landscape of what was once a thriving settlement. These aspects make Moorina a destination for travellers who would also like to learn about the history of Chinese communities and settlement in northeast Tasmania during their stay.

The cemetery is also a stop on the Trail of the Tin Dragon. There is an information board at the entrance, and the turn-off to the cemetery is signposted. This makes it possible to visit the site as a historical stop in its own right, without reducing the cemetery’s significance to its role as a stop on a trail. Visitors interested in cultural heritage will find both its special connection to Chinese history and its place in the landscape of a once-thriving settlement.

Another chapter in the history of tin mining is told by the privately operated power station near Moorina on the Frome River. The Frome is a tributary of the Ringarooma River; the power station was originally built in 1907 to supply electricity to the tin mines. It offers a specific point of interest if you would like to explore the town’s technical and economic history as well as the cemetery.

The Weld River and things to do in Moorina

Corundum (“sapphire”, Al₂O₃) occurs moderately frequently in the Weld River fossicking area. A fossicking area can be reached from Frome Road. Frome Road branches off the Tasman Highway opposite the Moorina Golf Course; access to the fossicking area is on foot along the banks of the Weld River. If you are interested in fossicking, you can take this specific route into account when planning your visit. The information about corundum describes what occurs in the fossicking area; it does not guarantee a find. The river area therefore appeals to a different type of traveller than Moorina’s historic sites.

Moorina Golf Club is on the Tasman Highway in Moorina and is wheelchair accessible. Its location is a clear point of interest for golf enthusiasts; it is also a prominent landmark on the road, opposite the turn-off to Frome Road. The accessibility information applies to the Golf Club. In Moorina, cultural history, the river fossicking area and golf offer different interests, without having to be combined into a single type of outing.

These interests can help you choose where to stay: Moorina offers specific opportunities to explore cultural history, tin mining and the Weld River fossicking area. Consider which of these themes you would like to shape your trip when looking for holiday accommodation.

More places: Relbia, Beauty Point, Winkleigh, West Kentish, Swansea, Southport, Adventure Bay and Queens Domain.

For the broader travel overview: Tasmania.