A Sleepy Bay..

all in between the running trains

The commencement of the pyritic smelting method in 1896 at the Mt Lyell copper mine in Queenstown revolutionized the mining world, created over 2000 jobs and left the town with its heritage lunar landscape.  Over the decades the mountains were stripped bare of all vegetation, the soils were rendered septic with sulphur fumes and acid rains poured down from the sky; caused from the eleven smelters at the mine.  It rained for more than 300 days a year.

Queenstown residents already reliant on external supplies began to rely heavily on the transport in and out of Queenstown for fresh produce, due to their inability to grow fresh fruit, vegetables and develop agriculture; for each year approximately 200,000 tonnes of sulphur dioxide poured out of the smelters and into the hills.

With almost all the vegetation gone, the managers of the eleven large furnaces in Queenstown discovered that the sulphur fumes ‘thickened fogs into pea souper’s’ choking the town and covering the valley, leaving no fertile land untouched. The railways became the lifeblood link for survival for this remote location bringing in produce, supplies and mail from the port of Strahan and by 1901 every town was linked by rail.

Resident spirits were low, and family life was dreary. The 1912 mining disaster took the lives of 42 men, rocking Queenstown to its core. Depression rates rose within the small community, only to be heightened by the turmoils of War and the wet and wild winters. Committed to its employees, the Mt Lyell Mining and Railway Company leased land at Lettes Bay just out of Strahan.  Here, from 1921, the company built holiday shacks for its workers and their families as a means of escaping the wet and depressing life of Queenstown, for the coastal sanctuary of Strahan.

lettes bay historical village

Construction of the Lettes Bay shack’s began at once with railway fettlers forming working bees to clear bush for the foundations. Trees were cleared from the waterfront beach and in front of the railway line that led past the Bay;  all in-between the running trains. There was a ladies swimming box at the nearby beach which was also cleared making way for the increased numbers of swimmers, during the summer bush fire season.  A playground was soon built for the children.

The shacks were made from recycled materials, each one unique in its own right, yet uniformed to the outside eye. Old ripple iron, sleepers, timbers and rocks all contributed to the construction. Windows were sourced from old buildings and houses, doors made or recycled. Inside the decor was bespoke, ranging in style and design, with nothing really matching. Such was the nature of shack life. It did not take long for the women to make them feel like a home away from home with flowers, blankets and trinkets. No matter what they looked like, or how eclectic they were inside, they served a purpose for those needing to escape reality, the working hustle of Queenstown for the relaxed seaside village of Lettes Bay.  

The main jetty that exists today in front of the shacks was built in 1938, with a breakwater to protect the area built near the point. Fishing was a popular pastime for shack-goers, as was swimming or sitting by the water’s edge sharing stories of yesteryear. Caretakers: the Queenstown Recreation Club, later installed a telephone box for visitors and more shacks were eventually built by Strahan and Queenstown residents. A number of shacks were also leased to out of towners or sold as the original shack owners passed on, or reallocated. 

Our Salt Box Hideaway is part of the original Lettes Bay Village. Beautifully restored, the Hideaway showcases its originality on the outside, with the interior redesigned and furnished with a modern luxe feel.  Your time at Salt Box is complimented by a unique story featuring the rich heritage, wild mountains, western coastline and how spending quality time with loved ones was vital for survival.   

We welcome you to our Hideaway. May you relax, unwind and indulge in each others company, just as those who came before you.