the tin dragon interpretation centre and cafe

After heading up from the east coast we arrived in a town with strange piles of rocks on the hillside and what looked like a fish painted on some large rocks. We discovered that this was Derby and tin had been mined there. So we went into the tourist thing which was opposite where we parked and it turned out to be the "Interpretation Centre". Not knowing what to expect we paid our money and hung around in a room full of information (but not exactly thrilling) waiting for the next presentation to start.WELL! When you get in the whole thing is a long narrow room with the longest wall doubling up as a television type thing. The presentation is fascinating and give a surprising insight into the town, the mines, the techniques and the people without getting lost in boring detail. The disaster that struck the town is a feature of this and sort of glues it together and gives it both drama and a focus. DON'T MISS IT.

We visited the Tin Dragon Interpretation Centre on a Saturday, after recommendations from friends, and we weren't disappointed. The big screen film details, in graphic form, the history of tin mining in the area - something we had no idea about - as well as the catastrophic collapse of the dam and resultant disaster. Better than a disaster movie and all real. We learned so much. Then there is the educational room full of wonderful information about the history of tin mining around the world. All fascinating with a very modern and hi-tech delivery.

This is meant to be the interpretation centre for the Tin Dragon Trail that is promoted for tourists to explore the story of tin mining in the area and the lives of the Chinese miners who worked in the mines. We arrived on a Sunday at 3pm and the centre was closed – OK but there wasn’t a sign on the door telling us when it would be open! We asked around town and a man said he thought it was open on Monday. We returned still with big expectations as we’d been very impressed with the History Room at St Helens, which also tells the story of tin mining in the area.The whole complex - shop, café, museum and film presentation was being run by a rather harassed woman who wasn’t very friendly. The movie was a disappointment compared with the one we’d seen in St Helens. We’d expected a much more informative documentary about the entire tin mining in the area but it told just about a dam breaking and flooding the town of Derby. The Museum was also odd. There was a documentary about tin can making that was so loud you couldn’t hear yourself think or concentrate on the information on the other display panels in the room. The shop had few things in it and looked run down.We ordered lunch at the café; this was a mistake as the staff member was trying to do so much it took ages for a toasted sandwich to arrive at the table and it was so poor I didn’t eat it. This place needs a radical sort out.

The presentation is fabulous and brings this amazing story to life.we were there less than an hour so a get rat stop on our trip from St Helens to Launceston.We didn't eat at cafe but looked good.

A clever combination of brochure material, static displays and a stunningly good audio-visual presentation serve to hoist this attraction to world class levels. I stumbled upon it by accident after a photography tour around Derby, a very photogenic outpost. The centre is a quality construction, with well designed displays setting out the history of tin and it's place in the history of the area. Seated in the multi-media room, I was not prepared for the breathtaking quality of the wide-screen presentation, with it's dynamic visuals supported by a superb wide-stereo soundtrack. A viewing platform on the end of the building allows views across the landscape that witnessed this string of events a century and more ago. The cafe menu is up to the standards set by the rest of this centre. If you are touring north-eastern Tasmania, make sure this is on your 'to visit' list !

Came upon this hidden gem on way to St Helens from Scottsdale . The full screen presentation is beautifully done explaining the historical events leading up to the Bresis dam tragedy.The cafe does very good food for a small attraction. Allow 1 hr if going to eat there too. We went on a day where it was very cold and rainy, and the cafe was warm. There is a lovely modern water race feature on the way in and the scenery around is magnificent.