ABSTRACT
This chapter will examine how the 2006 Beaconsfield Mine rock fall in northern Tasmania forever changed the close-knit community and put the little-known destination on the tourist map. More than two weeks of unplanned national and international media coverage raised the awareness of the town and enhanced its prospects for future tourism. The towering head frame of the mine became a key signifier for the cautious rescue mission which came to be known as ‘The Great Escape’. After such prolonged media exposure, many visitors were curious to actually see the Beaconsfield mine for themselves.
