This small town located 47 kilometres from St Helens was once known as Thomas Plains, and was named Weldborough after F.A. Welds Esq, Governor of Tasmania between 1875 and 1880. Two of the first settlers here were Sanborg and Herrickson who applied for tin claims. This tin was so plentiful that it was extracted very rapidly, and the pack horses could not keep up with the transportation of the metal.

The area became a major Chinese settlement and became the headquarters of the Chinese Tasmanian labour force in 1900. The town was the site of a Chinese camp and Joss House (which is now to be seen in the Queen Victoria Museum in Launceston), with the miners retaining their own customs and traditions. In 1890 they numbered 1,000 of the total population in the area.

The reduction in the price of tin, and the new Immigration Laws, led to the decline and eventual disappearance of the Chinese community in the area, although the Chinese Cemetery can be visited today by visitors to Weldborough.

In 1900 the town had a school, a hotel, two churches and a Government Office, and by the 1920s had expanded to include a post and telegraphs office, a sawmill, town hall and a racecourse and sportsground.

The town is home to "The Worst Pub in Tassie", and a menu that includes Leprechaun Pee Soup amongst other choice delicacies! The Weldborough Pass on the highway between Scottsdale and St Helens has some magnificent scenery, and ideal photographic subjects.

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