The Chinese section of the Moorina Cemetery

Pioneer
Historic tin mining town
Pioneer is a tiny township located 119 km north east of Launceston and 8 km from the Tasman Highway. The town came into existence in 1877 when William Bradshaw (until 1955 the town was known as Bradshaw's Creek) discovered tin at the junction of Bradshaw's Creek and Ringarooma River.

Mining the tin was extremely difficult. Conditions on the alluvial tin diggings were hard. Inevitably this attracted a substantial number of Chinese (because they worked collectively on the fields) to the area. Although there were never more than 1,000 Chinese in the entire area their contribution was vital. Many of them are buried in the cemeteries in the area.

In 1882 the Pioneer Tin Mining Company was formed to work the deposit. It did not prosper but in 1900 a new tin lode was discovered and the company then worked the seam continuously until it closed in 1932. At the peak of the operation the mine employed over 100 people and by 1910 the Pioneer company was so profitable that it built its own dam and, at Moorina, constructed its own power station which was used to power the equipment. Prior to that there had been two steam barges used at Bradshaw's Creek.

The tiny school at Bradshaw's Creek achieved some fame when its one-time teacher, Joseph Lyons, subsequently entered federal parliament and became Prime Minister of Australia.

Things to see:  

Bushwalks and Exploration
The area around Pioneer has a number of forestry roads which allow access to the rugged bushland. There are a number of abandoned mine workings in the area and Pioneer Lake, once a tin mine, is popular as a place for fishing and water sports.

	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Pioneer House Bed & Breakfast 433 Gladstone Rd Pioneer TAS 7264 Telephone: (03) 6354 2200