Mathinna is a small inland town between the Fingal Valley and north-east highlands. Gold brought a much larger population in the late nineteenth century, but the modern settlement has few services and no single preserved mining precinct.
A goldfield town
Gold discoveries at Black Boy Plains drew miners and businesses into the district. The town expanded and contracted with the field, leaving a landscape of altered ground, old routes and scattered remains.
Read the landscape safely
Old workings can be unstable, flooded or hidden by vegetation. Mining leases, forestry land and private property also limit access. Use public roads and signed reserves, and never enter shafts or cross gates.
Plan the drive
Roads through the district are remote and can be affected by logging traffic, fire, snow and fallen trees. Carry water, fuel and offline directions. Treat the waterfall and forest roads as condition-dependent side trips.
For regional context, connect Mathinna with Fingal, Avoca and the history of north-east Tasmania.