FoWH Tent Town Project - Current

At present FoWH are involved in the reclamation of the Powlett Tent Town site at Wonthaggi, funded by a $110K grant from the Bass Coast Shire Council as offset for the desalination site roadworks.

Site History

When the Tent Town site was established as accommodation for 12 miners in November 1910, it became the seed for what was to become the town of Wonthaggi. Although the site was not used as miner’s accommodation after 1910, by July 1910 it is recorded that there are 6,000 miners n the area (not all at Tent Town, of course), so the town of Wonthaggi was growing fast.

The Tent Town site did continued as a driller’s camp with underground work sites and above ground wood stacks and buildings. When mining ceased in 1968, the site became a grazing licence, which licence was terminated in May 2010.

The site is part of the Historical Mining Precinct and contains many relics of those days, with Parks Victoria as the Land Manager.

The photo's below show the site before work began:

Project Intent

The project objectives are to:

• Recognise the historical significance of the site with information shelter panels and plaques, as well as extensions of existing historical precinct walking tracks and car parking
• Revegetate the site by planting and direct seeding using, as far as possible, appropriate indigenous vegetation (pre 1750 EVC’s).

Project Outcomes

Upon the completion of the project, the Tent Town site will provide:

• improved habitat for local flora and fauna; and,
• a recreation area for locals, visitors and school excursions, with information and recognition of the site’s historical significance to Wonthaggi.