The extraordinary diversity of soil, climate, and of topographical feature within even a quite restricted area has given to Tasmanian land development a sporadic and somewhat "patchy" nature. This, and the very large extent (about i) of broken and uncultivable terrain, has prevented the growth of large and simple types or areas, such as, e.g., the wheat belt in Australia, and has rendered difficult any large-scale unified economic organization.
If Tasmania's mineral output is not relatively large it4is large in proportion to the area of the State. The island contains some notable individual deposits and its reserves are also probably considerable, much of the country being as yet inadequately prospected. The minerals fall into two main classes : (a) metallic minerals occur chiefly in the older rocks of the western highlands where the extensive igneous activ ity has led to mineral concentrations. In the central west the Queenstown-Gormanston area has been developed, under condi tions of extraordinary physical difficulty, upon a large scale, outlet being chiefly by Macquarie Harbour (Strahan, Pillinger). North wards from this are the Zeehan-Dundas, Read-Rosebery, Waratah, Mt. Bischoff and other areas. Many of these mines produce vary ing quantities of silver, lead, copper and gold, partly as a by product, e.g., in copper refining. The copper is produced al most entirely by the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company which owns extensive workings, railway lines, electric (power and light) supply schemes (Lake Margaret). The output of this Company's mines in 1927-28 was 7,060 tons copper, 121,456 oz. silver, 2,36o oz. gold; the year's profits amounted to over £200, 000, the liquid assets are valued at £1,043,000. Mount Bischoff is still noted for tin, while the Read-Rosebery zinc reserves are estimated at over 2,500,00o tons. In addition valuable osmi ridium alluvial deposits occur along the west coast. The similar rock formations of the north, north-east and east contain gold (Beaconsfield, Lefroy, Lisle, Mathinna, Mangana) but more im portant is tin, the bulk of the Tasmanian output coming from the north-eastern fields (Gladstone, Derby, Branxholm, Ringarooma) and also from the east (St. Helen's, etc.), while a rich deposit has also been discovered on King Island. Tasmanian iron reserves are estimated at ioo,000,000 tons; the ore occurs in the ancient rocks of the west and north, notable deposits being at Rio Tinto (Savage River on the west coast: about 50,000,000 tons) and at Burnie where the Blythe River has cut through a deposit of 17 30,000,00o tons. The iron ores are as yet little exploited. (b)
Non-metallic minerals consist chiefly of coal, oil-shales, limestones, and pottery clays. Coal (125,000,000 tons, actual, 123,000,000 probable, reserves) occurs in the Permo-Carboniferous, Trias Jura and Tertiary strata along the north and east coastal areas and is increasingly mined around St. Mary's, in the Mersey Valley, etc. In the northern coastal areas occur large deposits of oil shales, while limestones and clays in great quantity occur there and elsewhere. The shales are as yet little worked, but the lime stones and clays form the basis of the potentially important cement industry of Maria Island, etc., the limestones of Melrose are exported through Devonport for fluxing purposes to New South Wales (see BROKEN HILL), those near Hobart (q.v.) are used for the carbide industry (1926: £68,400), and the clays are also used for tile, etc., manufacturing (e.g., near Launceston). Metal concentrating and refining is conducted on a large scale on the Zeehan and Mount Lyell areas, but Mount Bischoff ores are smelted at Launceston (q.v.). The important Electrolytic Zinc Company's works at Risdon (see HOBART and BROKEN HILL) re covered (1926) 41,840 tons zinc (£1,428,000) and cadmium valued at £27,750 from Broken Hill ores (exclusive of Tasmanian concentrates treated). The Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Co. has also engaged in the production of superphosphates, sulphuric acid, etc. As elsewhere in Tasmania the growing success of mining, metallurgical, etc., industries is due to hydro-electric power.
Tasmania's saw-mill output (1925-26) was 53,600,000 super ft. (exports : 42,600,000
Recent discovery of the high value of Australian hardwoods for making paper-pulp has led to the establishment of a promising new industry which, able to absorb poorer timbers and "offal" formerly wasted, has, allowing for re-growth, unlimited reserves. The cultivation of imported soft-wood species also holds out promise. Fruit-growing in Tasmania has progressed as over-sea markets have become available.