Empty concrete block in sleepy ghost town offered up for $115,000

A concrete block in a sleepy ghost town in Tasmania’s wild west has been listed for $115,000.

The former school site in Tasmania is in a now eerily quiet part of the island, which has faded from its glory days due to industry demise. Gormanston is a small settlement built for mining workers on the slopes of Mount Owen, but its bustling peak has passed since the closure of the mine.

At the last census, just 17 people called Gormanston home. It once had eight pubs, the school, a courthouse, post office and a thriving community.

$115,000 + GST

51 Gould Street, Gormanston TAS 7466

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The 4204-square-metre block is laid with a concrete slab which was the school. Relics of its former use are part of the deal, including the basketball hoops on two courts.

The land comes with rural zoning and potential, due to its size and scope. The concrete foundations are original.

Harcourts West Coasts’ Rodney Triffett is handling the campaign.

“Welcome to a rare and exceptional opportunity to own a piece of history and a large expansive block in the heart of Gormanston,” the Domain listing explains.

“This expansive vacant block of land, once home to the esteemed Gormanston Primary School, is now available for purchase. The site retains nostalgic remnants of its educational past, offering both a sense of history and a blank canvas for whatever your imagination can bring forward.

“The majority of the land has original cement floors, which also includes two basketball courts, which are ready for restoration.

“This property offers a unique blend of history and potential, waiting for the right vision to bring it to life.”

The Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company used the town as a base for employees of their open cut copper mine, Iron Blow, in nearby Mount Lyell, which began operating in 1883.

Gormanston is about half an hour drive south of Mount Lyell.

Production halted at the mine in January 2014 after three workers’ deaths. The owners explored options to keep it open, but announced the closure in July of that year.