Living Locally in Tasmania: A Town-by-Town Series - Queenstown
Living in Queenstown: Raw Beauty, Resilience, and the Spirit of the West
Queenstown doesn’t pretend to be pretty.
Instead, it stands tall with its bare hills, rust-coloured earth, and old mining bones exposed for all to see.
Set deep in Tasmania’s wild west, this former mining powerhouse is now a town of stories, strength, and slow renewal — where the weather is dramatic, the scenery unforgettable, and the community quietly determined.
It’s not for everyone. But if you love landscapes that stir something in your gut and a town that’s survived more than its share, Queenstown might just be your kind of place.
Where Is It?
On Tasmania’s west coast, about 3.5 hours from Hobart and 2 hours from Burnie
Surrounded by rugged hills and the Franklin–Gordon Wild Rivers National Park
Connected to Strahan, Zeehan, and the Lyell Highway
You don’t stumble into Queenstown — you arrive on purpose.
What It’s Like to Live Here
Life is shaped by the landscape — wild, wet, and often wonderfully weird
There’s a proud local identity — miners, artists, builders, and battlers
The town is changing slowly — with newcomers bringing ideas, and old-timers sharing stories
It’s a place with deep roots, open skies, and a rhythm all its own.
Who Lives Here?
Generational families with mining or rail histories
Artists, renovators, and DIY dreamers
Retirees craving space, stillness, and scenery
Young families and adventurers seeking affordability and authenticity
Locals who know how to fix a fence, tell a yarn, and weather a storm
It’s one of the last places where grit is a compliment — and community still means something.
Services and Essentials
Queenstown has all the basics:
Schools (K–12)
Hospital, GP, pharmacy, aged care
Supermarket, post office, bakery, butcher, fuel
Hardware, cafés, pubs, library, op shops
West Coast Wilderness Railway, museum, sports grounds
Tip: For major shopping, people often head to Burnie or do online orders — but you’ll find more here than expected.
Nature and Surroundings
Towering hills stripped bare from past mining, now slowly greening
Misty mornings, powerful rains, and cloudscapes like paintings
Close to Lake Burbury, Gormanston, and remote walking trails
Bushland, waterfalls, and wild rivers — sometimes harsh, always humbling
The beauty here isn’t soft — it’s bold, brutal, and unforgettable.
Hidden Gems
West Coast Wilderness Railway — stunning steam journey into rainforest
Empire Hotel staircase — hand-carved Tasmanian blackwood
Galley Museum — packed with mining history and quirky stories
Iron Blow Lookout — raw, exposed, and iconic
Moonlight stories, mural projects, and growing artist circles
What’s the Vibe?
Tough
Unpolished
Fiercely local
Quietly creative
Queenstown is the kind of place where your car will get muddy, your firewood will matter, and your neighbours will call you by name before they ask your job title.
What Locals Say
“We don’t get a lot of sunshine — but when it hits the hills, it’s magic.”
“If you can handle the weather, you’ll be alright here.”
“Queenstown doesn’t try to impress you. It invites you to stick around.”
Final Thought
Queenstown is Tasmania’s wild card — shaped by its past, held together by its people, and slowly being reimagined from the inside out.
If you’re after smooth streets and perfect gardens, this might not be it.
But if you want space, soul, and a community that doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not, Queenstown will welcome you — boots, mud, stories and all.