▁B ich eno ▁or ▁ 1 3 0 ▁kilometres / 8 0 ▁miles ▁east ▁of ▁La unc eston . ▁It ▁is ▁possible ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁town ▁from ▁the ▁coast ▁by ▁crossing ▁the ▁mountains ▁via ▁St ▁Mary s ▁Pass ▁or ▁Ele ph ant ▁Pass . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁first ▁European ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁district ▁occurred ▁when ▁Captain ▁Tob ias ▁Fur ne aux ▁sight ed ▁and ▁named ▁the ▁ 6 9 4   met re ▁St ▁Patrick ' s ▁Head ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 3 . ▁The ▁early ▁settlement ▁of ▁Van ▁D iem en ' s ▁Land , ▁which ▁mostly ▁occurred ▁between ▁Hob art ▁and ▁George ▁Town , ▁took ▁little ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁St ▁Mary s ▁area . ▁ ▁It ▁wasn ' t ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁that ▁a ▁prob ation ▁station , ▁housing ▁ 3 0 0 ▁conv ict s , ▁was ▁built ▁at ▁Gr ass y ▁B ottom ▁between ▁the ▁town ▁and ▁St ▁Mary s ▁Pass . ▁They ▁were ▁assigned ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁road ▁across ▁the ▁mountains ▁to ▁the ▁east ▁coast . ▁This ▁was ▁done ▁between ▁ 1 8 4 3 ▁and ▁ 1 8 4 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁railway ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁town ' s ▁increasing ▁importance ▁as ▁a ▁service ▁centre . ▁The ▁Ele ph ant ▁Pass ▁route ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 8 , ▁which ▁resulted ▁in ▁goods ▁moving ▁across ▁the ▁mountains ▁to ▁the ▁east ▁coast ▁settlement s ▁of ▁B ich eno ▁and ▁Ch