Unspoken Mysteries of the Risdon Zinc Works in Hobart, Tasmania
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- Abandoned infrastructure, forgotten dreams, and toxic waste. The mysterious history of the Risdon Zinc Works in Hobart, Tasmania.
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Yay! So glad you've set this up :)
Notice Port Arthur sits on a STAR FORT ! WE DID NOT BUILD THE OLD WORLD BUILDINGS OF AUSTRALIA ! PRE MUDFLOOD CITIES existed here long before Captain Crook "discovered" it by using stolen Tartar maps off the Indian Tea Company...Rothschild's secret private army disguised as traders
Sure, will think about it. I reckon your channel is going to blow up. Cheers. Peter.
"Hobart has never had a master plan. It's a town built on incremental accidents and compromise."
Haha! Nicely summed up.
Hobart described brilliantly.
Thanks, Chris.
100% accurate re: Hobart.
Fantastic video, Angus. Without people like you shining a light, it would be so easy to erasing the significance of places like the zinc works. I had no idea how much it shaped Hobart or its war effort contributions. There is much wisdom in this piece.
"Hobart has never had a master plan. It's a town built on incremental accidents and compromise." Thank you for caring about these stories enough to share them with the world.
Thank you, Jessica. Big help. Glad you got something out of it. A lot of work time went into it.
Magnificent work mate. The amount of people EZ has touched over the years in Hobart is amazing. Every one knows someone who worked there or was a contractor to EZ, or supplies EZ. Hobart economic and social fabric was linked to it. When the good times are good, they are good. Employees are looked after with health and dental care, large scale Christmas parties, and bonuses.....but when things are tight perks and flow on work to external parties drys up. My father did a stint at EZ, my brother works there now, my father in law had a long career there,a as did his father. My partner was an employee too. EZ and Hobarts northern suburbs go hand in hand......now where's my flannel shirt....
Ha. Thanks, Chris.
Your Tasmanian documentaries are better than anything on Tassie TV.
Love your videos and your chilled way of story telling.
Thank you for sharing your vids with us.
Thanks, mate. Hopefully the channel can become more sustainable over time.
Great as always Angus but feels a tad greenwashed without mentioning how the Zincworks polluted the fuck out of the Derwent... shellfish are still inedible to this day due to high levels of mercury in the river due to historical run off
Cheers, mate. I think the specific environmental impacts of the factory have been discussed elsewhere by others with more expertise. It wasn't the focus of the video. The mysteries are the focus.
I found this absolutely fascinating! I was particularly impressed with how you highlighted the significance of the zinc works in relation to the early development of Tasmania's electricity grid, and its connection to Belgium in Europe. Your attention to detail and thorough research made the story so engaging and informative. Thank you for sharing such an intriguing piece of Tasmania's history!"
Thanks for watching. Cheers. Yeah, it was interesting for me too.
Anyone else noticing how professionally presented these vids have become? Great content again that clearly strikes a chord with many of memories of family and friends who worked at EZ. Brilliant Dog and Angus! ps. Don't miss the Bailey Bridge though - scared the hell out of me as a young fella with it rattling and swaying!
Cheers, Rod. Thanks for this donation. It a big help. Bailey Bridge looked gnarly. Someone should have filmed vehicles going over it.
Excellent work Angus. We do need to recognise the value of the EZ complex to Tasmania, as well as the negatives which are often highlighted. My dad worked in the place, It effectively gave us a house, education, dental care, holidays. Dad received a bonus twice yearly which was quite a significant amount mid-year & just on Christmas time. EZ has been of huge economic value to Tasmania & especially to the families of its employees.
Simplistic explanations are not interesting to me. Thanks for watching, Chris.
I worked at the zinc works for 7 years after graduating from Uni with my science degree. Initially working in chemical metallurgical research and for my last 5 years there as an environmental officer. If I can correct a few things in your video, you commented on the smoke coming from the zinc works. However, it’s steam from the cooling towers etc. There are no smoke emissions from the plant. To clarify re your comments on Jarosite, yes it was a toxic substance though primarily was iron oxide with trace levels of a range of metals and other nasties. Jarosite disposal ceased in 1997 as a result of the Commonwealth not permitting the ocean disposal beyond that timeframe. The waste product from zinc production made ever since is an substance called paragoethite which is shipped to Port Pirie where it’s smelted and further metals (lead etc are extracted before being land disposed as an inert slag.
While environmentally, the zinc works has had a detrimental impact on both the river and parts of Lutana (soil contamination) equally the benefits to Hobart and those who worked there and still do to this day is immense.
It is steam. It's also smoke in colloquial language.
@@angusthornett mate does your kettle smoke when you boil it?
@@rayrayrayrayrayra9916 yes
From the flannel curtain to the Vatican of metallurgy. Beautiful mate!
Cheers, Carl. Ha
Yeah, Vatican of Metallurgy caught my ear. Brilliant!
I used to watch the Anson go down the river from my bedroom in West Hobart then return a couple of hours later. There’s no way that it went 60 odd nautical miles before dumping the Jarosite.
The only people who know for sure were the people who worked on it.
Have always wondered what that concrete bank was for. Regularly fish that area as a passtime(not to eat)
There's stuff like that all along the shores of the Derwent. Ruins of different things.
My Uncle worked in the Zinc Works for most of his life
"where it isn't even is" ha ha love it!!! Another good one, thank you so much. Wish I was armed with this info the other week when I cruised up river enroute to MONA with a Qld visitor, commenting on how ugly yet interesting the site looked! Will share the vid with her, and hopefully find you a new fan!!
Thanks for sharing the videos. That helps the channel a lot.
Fantastic work Angus and Dog 👏👏👌. Your editing is so good, especially you walking off into disappearance. I remember my Dad catching the train and they used to get huge yearly bonuses. He worked in the cadmium area, and we reckon that's how he got the majority of his lung conditions 😢.
Sorry to hear that. Working conditions on industrial sites have come a long way. Still though workers get treated badly. If it wasn't for governance it would be worse. Thanks for watching though.
@@angusthornett thank you 😊, and yes, work practice was abysmal 🥺
What you are doing is SO IMPORTANT.
Im sure every Taswegian appreciates you posting the remnants of our history before it is all but forgotten.
❤
Thank you. Good to hear you’re enjoying the content.
I was making a model of the Graf spee, when my mum came into the room and in a panic said "the bridge has fallen down", I still have a vivid memory of that night, we lived in Sandy Bay and could see the bridge from our house.
Thanks Angus
Thanks, mate.
GREAT SHOW ANGUS!👍SHINE BRIGHT!!🙌👊🤍💙❤
Thanks, Glen. Cheers, mate.
I used to work at their mine during the '70s. It was commonly mentioned that the extracted gold from the zinc ore was enough to cover wages of all it's employees. I'd hazard a guess of around 5000 people in it's heyday.
Interesting.
I've worked at the Rosebery mine recently and I've heard this as well
@@exploreformore3784 curious stuff
As an American who once worked at EZ as a zinc stripper (79-80), I found this fascinating. What a gem--for me at least and my Tasmanian wife. Hell of an experience those 6 months were and the money sent us off on a 6 month 'honeymoon' backpacker trip in Asia. Cheers,
Awesome video as always Angus!
Sorry about ruining your shot, talking about the railway 🏍️
It made the shot
My father started work at the Zinc Works at the end of wwll, he worked on the conveyer belts on the docks for 36 years, along with most of his mates from the 2nd/40th and 2nd/12th battalions, his best mate fell off a gantry 60 metres up and killed not long after being employed, we lived in a war service home in Mcgough St Glenorchy, when I was in grade four at Savio College,1965, our teacher asked every student where their father worked, out of the 45 students, about 35 students fathers worked at the Zinc Works
Interesting. The people who've worked there know more than I do.
Always wondered what become of the filthy old Anson, may she rust in pieces and continue her legacy of polluting the waterways 🤣
Really enjoy your work mate, you always put things in a different light 👍
My only EZ story (that I have no way of confirming) was a mate that spent some time there as part of a chemistry degree in early 90's. He came across a report of various toxic spills, the one that stuck in my mind was 17 tonnes of mercury into The River 😬
Thanks, mate.
Thanks Angus - probably your best video to date. Your laid back but incredibly thoughtful commentary sets the tone perfectly for these historical vignettes of Hobart. Wonderful!
Thanks for watching, Tim. Cheers.
Worked there as a sparky, here are some useless facts from 1990.
The plant used approx 110MW of power which is a bit under a third the output of Strathgordon Power Station.
The cell room floor is over 340m long and does not touch electrical "earth" as it is suspended on porcelain insulators. If you were to stand outside and touch the busbar with a steel rod you would rapidly become flammable.
The cell’s in the cell room give off hydrogen, which ignites from sparks from time to time and can cause industrial deafness.
There used to be a 75,000v rotary rectifier to convert 415v AC to 75kv DC to create static in lead pipes that stripped the dust out of the gases from the roasters. The gas from the roasters contain sulphur, and this gas is used to make Sulphuric Acid (H2SO4). Working in the gas scrubber for a week replacing the lead anode’s can cause lead poisoning.
Interesting. Serious stuff.
One of your best Angus, and well worth the wait. I remember driving around and through the mighty Works in the 1970’s. An odd public road with high fences either side. Blood testing of zinc levels of employees, and neighbouring residents used to be a regular thing, even Lindisfarne residents get flyers in the mail box about soil contamination sporadically. The Jarosite dumping thankfully stopped, but some of the pile remains.
Somebody could tell how it’s treated and used now; some process that has rendered it safe, I recall.
The process to make the zinc changed in the 1990s to produce a by-product called paragoethite, which is shipped to Nyrstar Port Pirie for processing.
Thanks, Peter.
I've loved every one of your videos and I think you are getting better & better. The information you give us is so interesting and informative. Please never stop. I love listening to a friend Shirley who's in her late 80's who recalls an amazing amount of Hobart history. If you ever want to talk to her please let me know.
Thank you, Pamela. Will do. Cheers.
I really enjoyed this. - RUclips sent me here lol. - thanks for giving some history and insight for the bridges too. Always wondered why they were done like that.
Thanks for watching, mate.
Thanks again Angus. Another interesting history lesson. Cheers.
Cheers, John. Thanks for watching.
One minor correction. The dam you show doesn't hold leachate from the jarosite cells. It holds stormwater run off from the site.
You should have contacted the company, they may have given you a tour, dogless of course.
You're correct. Images can be used in a variety of ways.
Excellent work Angus - vivid memories of the boats full of slag heading down the river. Any idea when the punt stopped running ?
At the end of the 70s, I believe.
Brilliant Angus. It tidies up a bag of disjointed memories of EZ. That really brings social history to life.
Thanks, Fred.
In the early days of European settlement & after the Norfolk Island convict station was closed, a number of (former) convicts were given their land grants extending along the Derwent River edge away from the town. One such convict was Robert Jillett & his land grant or part of it, was what became the EZ CO site. Another of his land grants became what is now the Menzies Centre in Hobart. 😊
My father worked at EZ in the 70s and my brother and father were offered a ride on the Anson while it was going down to waters of Tasman isled so it could dump Jarosite. the water use to wash over the deck regularly when the ship was fully loaded, The Anson was an old Thames river ship only designed for calmer conditions. when they got home that night, they were still seasick!
The Vatican of metallurgy. If the zinc workers ever form a band they have their name.
Another enjoyable and informative video. Cheers Angus.
Thanks for watching, Trevor.
This is another fabulously informative video, why, how, where.
Cheers, Catriona.
Wow, amazing. My grandfather, father and two of my brothers worked at EZ. I think my grandfather, a shift boss, worked there for over 40 years! I have always wanted to know a little more about it, thank you
Glad you got something from it, Shelly.
That was the slowest these dirt bike riders have ever travelled.
The wonders of getting filmed.
Great history lesson, everyone in Hobart have family members who worked at Zinc Works.
The city was built on it and around it.
Thanks again Angus. Another interesting history lesson. Cheers.
Cheers, John.
Informative & well presented, Hobart's rail and trams should be restored.
One traffic accident can turn the place into gridlock.
It won’t happen.
Yes, we can do it 🚉, it just needs advocacy.
Side note: we've tried to ban the incremental little accidents in the city too with things like zoning overlays formerly based on class
jesus how many cones did you punch before doing the narration
Straight edge, homeboy.
Tell an electrician his nexus connections are parallel and wait for the sparks to fly!
All your videos have this "otherwordly" feel to them, fantastic efforts in capturing the history of southern Tas!
Thank you, Jesse. That's a reflection of how I personally see things.
Mate, the quality of your program is going from strength to strength. Amazing source material and use of drone. Well researched too. Thanks so much for your work.👍
I rowed past there every day during high school, I grew up on Risdon Rd in Newtown and also lived on Lime Rd in Lutana for a short time when we first moved to Hobart from Queenstown on the west coast. So many memories of my teenage years in this video, thank you.
Thanks for watching, Todd.
Great video Angus 👍
I grew up in Risdon Vale and have many memories of using the Risdon punt when the Tasman Bridge went down.
Waiting our turn to get on gave you plenty of time to look at tbe Zinc works in action.
Thanks, Dave
Really wonderful documentry just wonderful. My grandfather was the master carpenter for the zinc works and looked after the "village houses", as they were known. Well.done wonderful ❤
Thank you. Good to hear you got something out of it. It’s an interesting place.
You take some great shots! Well done. I enjoy your docos
Nice video angus! It’s really great to have these sorts of videos about home!😊
Thanks, Will.
Wow! Amazing video Angus. Great drone footage as it really adds value to the story.
Cheers, Nick
Have watched all your vids, and loved em all and learnt so much about our history. Had no idea we had visitors in WW2 for instance, you would think they would of mentioned that in school!? Thanks for educating us 👍
Good to hear you're enjoying the channel. Education doesn't end when school does.
So interesting many thanks for sharing mate :)
My paternal Grandfather worked at the Zinc Works.
A lot more people know more about that place than me.
Great video... Loved it..
Horse the house.
It's the cloud factory😊
Ha
thank you Angus, that was absolutely riveting. If only local history was taught like this at schools, it might get the kids interested in their town around them. I had no idea we were so important for zinc and it made sense that I'd heard stories about a japanese ''invasion'' when i was a kid (which you covered the fly over) and the fortifications along the Derwent shore. Also the link to the H.E.C. was an eye opener. Again, thank you.
Cheers, Craig
As a Tasmanian this is so wonderful to see. And you are doing us proud.. thank you so much 😃👍👍👍🕊🏆🥇.
Thank you, glad you liked it.
Greetings from south-east Queensland. I was told about your channel and have subscribed. I do similar work here up north - exploring the local history of Brisbane and the greater metropolitan area. It is nice to come across someone else doing similar work.
Man you can't get up BMX kids and staged dirtbikers with Learner plates bahaha. That said, reminds me a lot of QAL in Gladstone Queensland.
Not staged
Fascinating - I was talking with a couple of people I regularly catch up with in the dog park. We were talking about where the boat used to take the rubbish material out to the edge of the continental shelf . . . . .hmmmm.
Thanks for watching.
Loved this video - my Grandfather managed the plant from ‘64-‘71. I remember the ferry still operating across the narrows as a kid.
Thanks for watching, Andrew. It seems that so many people know someone connected to the place.
Good job Angus! Great research! Thanks.
Thanks, mate. Cheers.
Interesting, my grandfather worked there most of his life .
Hard yakka.
Thanks Angus very interesting as always.
Thanks, Jim. And thanks for continuing to tune in.
I really love your videos and the relaxed vibes. Based on the comments I see that most people are from Tasmania here, but I am not. So here is a big hello from a fan in the EU. Keep up the great job.
Mate, I've seen the metrics. You one of the very few viewers in the EU. Can I ask how you came across the channel?
@@angusthornett I have a few friends in Australia and I watched a few videos about it. RUclips must have recommended this channel at one point. The first video I recall watching was the one about the trams of Hobart.
@@ianantonius7287 Interesting. Where in the EU are you exactly. Give me you home address, phone number, drivers licence, and bank details.
@@angusthornett I have sent the keys to my home in an email to you just now :)
Great work, a really nicely researched bit of history, a touch of poetry to it and a couple of dramatic moments removing sunglasses ;) Loved it.
Thanks for watching, Luke
It’s definitely steam not smoke that comes out of those stacks. Didn’t realise it was apricots that were grown as well, I thought it was only 🍐 pears.
And I liked hearing the crow that’s my favourite black bird, and the helicopter 🚁 that goes by often in this area you could hear that too.
Thank you for the research 🔬 thank you for finding these old photos,for the video, so Amazing to look at.
Plus Drone work that you do adds wonderful handy work.
And one more thing I liked the closing words to your video, profound insight. 💜😊
t is steam. It's also smoke in colloquial language.
*It
@@angusthornett thank you Angus I hadn’t heard that before, smoke and steam can be similar. Cheers.
@@kerriemills1310 it's a way of using language. Rather than an actual correct scientific explanation.
That crow would be a raven as Tasmania doesn't have crows only ravens.
Not picking but it’s not smoke that’s coming out of the stacks at the zinc works it’s actually steam
You're correct. I was speaking colloquially.
Fascinating, thank you Angus.
Great piece Angus. I never knew of the origin and genesis of the zinc works. Thank you
Thanks for watching, mate.
And when the weather was rough the jarosite would only make it to storm bay
Not true at all, irrespective of the conditions, the Anson always took its load of jarosite to the dump zone 70 nautical miles from Tasman Island, past the Continental shelf. I worked at the zinc works for 7 years in the environmental team and one of my roles was to go to sea regularly to monitor and report on a range of oceanagraphic monitoring we undertook in respect to the disposal of jarosite. The comment you make is an old wives tail based on inaccurate information. We regularly made contact with the Anson while at sea.
Awesome mate , thank you for making. I currently work in casting and am so proud to be apart of this iconic world known business, Great History lesson. A job to be proud of and a top bunch of people to work with.
Glad you enjoyed it, mate. An interesting place.
I'm a newish subscriber. I am so impressed with how much research you do to bring us these informative videos. Before moving interstate my dad began his career at EZ, and his two brothers and my two grandfathers all spent their entire working lives working for EZ. I have heard from my Mum how important their work was during WW2 and how my mother's father was allowed to have a car with unlimited fuel when others were rationed, due to his essential work. The Japanese plane going up the river is my mother's earliest childhood memory and she recalled to me how it was unlike any other sound she'd ever heard and it terrified her. I researched it once and it has a fascinating post script. One of the pilots, Nobuo Fujita, later dropped a bomb over Oregon, the only bomb dropped on the US mainland in WW2. After the war Fujita became an active pacifist, and apologised for his actions. Some of his ashes were scattered over the bombed area in the US as a mark of respect to him.
I cover Fujita in more detail in an earlier video called Abandoned Coastal Defence System of Hobart. Interesting event for people like your mother to have witnessed.
@@angusthornett Thank you. I will follow that up.
yes, one thing that stood out most that it was just in the 90's they stopped waste disposal in the sea. Fishing in River Derwent isn't as healthy for many more years to come.... pollution has left huge mark in that area and much of it is just being left unsaid. Great video, cheers.
Thanks for watching, Alice.
This is great coverage of a bit of history that i had no idea about
Thanks for watching.
Great work again Angus.thanks for sharing and thanks again for your time and effort in making these videos.
Thanks for watching, Chris.
excellent video- thankyou
Thanks for watching. Cheers, Andrew.
Mate you did this video in such a good simple , informative, down to earth Tasmanian way. Thank you, your a humble legend Angus
Did most of my growing up in goodwood and new about 10% of what you just presented and educated... loved it, well done and thank you.👏👏👏👏
TASMANIA.. I hate you & I love you.
Nice Simpsons reference.
Fantastic. Great move. Well done Angus.
The firing pin my gun won't even work.
Haha the union of the three Angus T's
Loving your videos. Keep them coming. I wonder if you might do one on the old coal mines of Lenah Valley some day?
Thanks, mate. I covered them in the New Town series. They're posted here on this channel.
@@angusthornett oops. Clearly missed that one. Thanks.
This is fascinating - so many local landmarks I've been passing by that I didn't even notice!
Thanks for watching, mate. Glad you liked it.
Angus my dad worked in the leeching devision for so long doing round the clock work load, he ended up getting lung cancer from that death house and sadly passed away in1990,I can still reconise that acid smell. Good bye pop love you heaps.
I’ve been noticing the increase in shipping up the river these last few years. From one ship per day 15 years ago, to two or more steaming under the Tasman bridge; albeit not all heading for the EZ wharf.
Today there are four bulk carriers on the hook down off Opossum Bay, waiting their turn to take the precious metal home. Is this apparent increase in zinc exports related to the drums of war in Europe, or is it some other EZ related material being trans-shipped?
Awesome storey mate thanks
Cheers, homes. Thanks for watching.
6:42, Just couldn't situate that leaching pool anywhere else on the landscape I guess..😑
Great video Angus, as always! This brings back many memories - crossing the river on the punt, the hole in the bridge and the rattle of the old Bailly bridge - the sound used to drive our little dog nuts. My grandfather was on shift at EZ the night the Japanese aircraft flew up the river, looking for targets for the mini-subs. Also, one of my uncles worked at the zinc works until he was falsely sacked for alleged industrial espionage during a recession - they really just wanted to sack him without having to pay out a redundancy. I'd never heard of the flanno line before your videos, but proud to have grown up North of the line! Thanks again.
Another great Video!
Thanks, Zachary.
Thanks for the info
Cheers, Russell.
Well put together, learnt a lot. FYI though it’s not a smelter! It comes under the same umbrella as a Minesite, Port Pirie is a smelt on the mainland!
Excelllent work and well presented
Thank you, Adrian
thanks mate what a great local doc
Cheers, dude
as always great vid dude (y)
Thanks for watching, dude.
It’s not smoke. It’s steam.
It is steam. It's also smoke in colloquial language.
Liked and sub'd. Well done Angus. $0.02
great work mate
Thanks, Pete.
10/10 video and content, thanks mart.
Thank you, Tony.