The Derby Story

The story of Derby is one of a kind - there is no other place that encompasses such history and economic turnaround.

The trails officially opened in 2015 but the story of Derby started long before that.

It was in the 1870s when the Krushka brothers discovered a large lode of tin and set up the mine aptly named The Brothers Mine to ensure the future of the town, from here the Krushka’s Brothers worked to put Derby, Tasmania on the map.

Derby reached its peak in the 19th century when the towns population reached over 3,000 and The Briseis Mine (previously named The Brothers Mine) was producing upwards of 120 tonnes of tin per month.

In April 1929 disaster struck when the Briseis Dam, situated on the Cascade River upstream of Derby burst, flooding the mine. The flooding caused mass devastation to the town, tragically killing 14 people and resulting in the immediate closure of the mine.

The mine re-opened in 1934, however the same level of output achieved in the last century was never reached which led to its final closure in 1948. The population soon dwindled from 3,000 to 173, this series of tragic events is what led Derby to soon become a place where only tourists would visits as a pit stop between Launceston and the East Coast.

February 7th 2015 marked the official launch of the first 20km of the Blue Derby Trail Network, a joint initiative between Dorset Council and Break O Day Council with funding support from the federal government.

Dorset Council engaged with the best to design and build the trails - World Trail was the only choice. Owned by Glenn Jacobs World Trail is a world leader in trail construction and design, designing and constructing many of Australia's best trails.

To date World Trail has built over 125km of purpose-built mountain bike trails with options to suit all skill levels in both the Derby and Weldborough area.

The philosophy behind Derby was simple - build them and they will come.

And come they did, from being the first Australian mountain bike trails to host the World Enduro Series in 2017 and playing host again October 2018 and for Round 2 March 2019. Derby has well and truly been put on the map.

Derby has a mix of trails catering for all skill levels and riding styles, the pristine natural environment enhances the trail experience and sets a benchmark for other destinations to aspire too.

The mining history of Derby is not forgotten, taking precedence throughout names of trails with names like Devilwolf, Dambusters and Krushka's whilst others such as Flickity Sticks and Berms & Ferns invoke a hint of the fun and excitement to be found.