Reluctant as I was, I knew it was a fascinating place even then. Even in the 70's it was a final frontier. You'd turn off from Waratah and head 30 k's or so to Savage River and then on 20 more down a rain forested gravel road till the little hamlet on the banks of the still, dark Pieman River opened up. There were half a dozen or so old miner's cottages still standing and also an old place called The Guest House, which was to be our salubrious accommodation. We were pretty tough kids in the 70's and used to roughing it, but that place even by our standards was dive. The main living area was okay, a big stone open fireplace and some comfy old chairs. A long hallway led off to ten or so bedrooms. The further down the hall, the worse the conditions, seemed to be the the way the system worked. My sister and I chose the best room, it had two beds (with mattresses) and although it had no glass in the windows, this was a small price to pay for the best room of the house. My brother and dad got next choice. Second best room had no windows at all, a black hole of a room. There were no bathroom or toilet facilities in the house, you used the camp ground long drop. Star ratings weren't the go.
That evening a hippy/backpacker joined us at the Guest House too. He opted for a room down the end of the hall. I can't remember if he saw the night out, presumably he did.
The Guest House today(on the left).
photo by James Ostinga www.australianphotography.com
Despite this we had a great time. We walked, explored and our dad rented a dingy. We found the two old graves and huon pine headstones on the south bank of the river, found old mine works and putted down to the Pieman Heads and the Conical Rocks on the coast.
You do wonder, even today, what would compel anyone to carve out a township here in this completely inhospitable place. Even by today's standards, it's the end of the earth, let alone in the last decades of the 1800's when it was established. The simple answer is gold. Corinna has had a few heydays, but in the early 1880's alluvial gold was being found. In 1883 Tasmania's biggest ever nugget was dug out, 6.8 kg. By 1890 the Tasmanian Post Office Directory listed a population of 29 men and one woman, Mrs Jessie Devlyn the Post Mistress. Brave woman. In 1893, the count was at 800. There were two pubs, one on either side of the river, store, Post Office, and by all accounts a town with all the drinking, roudiness and brawls that you'd expect from a gold town on the final frontier. The pub on the south side of the river was quite a grand affair, snugly built into the rain forest. It could only be reached by ferry.
Star Hotel. www.waratah.vpweb.com.au
In the 1930's Bill Thorne and photographer Jack Robinson drove along the old cart track and found the long since abandoned town and the old hotel still standing on the other side of the river. After that tourism began.
1958 Jim Day touring on his Velocette
This fantastic picture is titled "at the end of the earth" Corinna, Tasmania.
From velobanjogent.blogspot.com.au
Even though these buildings are quite new, you get the feeling that the wilderness still quietly wins herself over and that in a few years you'll be struggling to find Corinna again in the forest growth. Lichen grows on the fences and it can be hard to pick the new places from the old. There is now a ferry to take you to a link road on the south side of the river, but this was out of action due to maintenance on our trip. In keeping with the old times, we had to back track our way out again and take the long road to our destination the next day which was Zeehan.
The lovely girl who checked us in opened up the old Guest House for us to have a sentimental sticky beak inside. It's been done up and larger parties can book it out. The rooms have improved quite dramatically, glass in all the windows, bedding, mattresses, toilet, shower, complete luxury really........why back in our day all we 'ad was an 'ession bag on floor.......
