Lottah


Lottah is a small town in Northeastern Tasmania. It lies north of the Tasman Highway; the closest settlement is Pyengana and the closest major town is St Helens. Lottah falls within the Break O'Day Council administrative region.
Tin was discovered in Lottah in about 1875. The Anchor Mine became operational in 1880, and the town of Lottah grew up around the mine. At its peak, it had several hundred residents, and community facilities included a school, two hotels, two churches, a bakery, and a football club. Lottah supported a small Chinese community, and one of its more notable residents was Senator Thomas Bakhap, who had a Chinese stepfather and worked as an interpreter. People born in Lottah during its heyday include architecture professor Brian Lewis and RAAF officer Alan Charlesworth. The Anchor Mine closed in 1950, at which point the town's population had been in decline for several decades.