The Eric Thomas Galley Museum – The Wild West

With a rich and rugged convict, mining, pining and hydro power history that was forged despite of the best efforts of Mother Nature, Tasmania’s West Coast is a region like no other.

The Galley Museum is located in a heritage listed building in Queenstown, the largest town in the West, and once the world’s richest mining town. Copper mining and mass logging in the early 1900s created Queenstown’s well-known moonscape, that is now being reclaimed by the wild.

The fact that Queenstown is on the fringe of the world-renowned Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area – an area that protects a greater range of natural and cultural values than anywhere else on the planet – says a lot about the diverse nature of experiences to be found on the West Coast.

Hardy West Coasters 

The Galley Museum, in the heart of Queenstown, houses a unique collection of historical items which capture the stories of survival, endurance and sacrifice, as well as providing a very personal record of the working, home and social activities of the hardy West Coasters themselves. You will be amazed how they went about their daily lives.

The varied aspects of West Coast heritage – people, places and events – are showcased in 30 rooms of personal effects, documents, photographs, cameras, theatre projectors, household items, gems and minerals and other mining artefacts, and much more. There is much to discover for all ages.

A hands-on experience

There are plenty of objects that visitors can examine and even try-on, not just look at through glass cabinets.

Managed by dedicated locals, the Galley Museum is open seven days a week with affordable entry fees. For more information about opening hours call the Galley Museum on 6471 1483.

To learn more about what’s on offer check out this YouTube video here.