Lake Burbury
Encyclopedia
Lake Burbury is a man-made lake created by the Crotty Dam made by Hydro Tasmania
inundating the upper King River
valley that lies east of the West Coast Range
. It has a surface area of 54 square kilometres.
It was named after Stanley Burbury
former Governor of Tasmania.
The lake is fed mainly by rivers from the north, including the upper King River, and the Eldon River. Valleys that open to the area include the Linda Valley
. It also has a natural lake just north of its northern shore known as Lake Beatrice
which is at the eastern end of Mount Sedgwick.
Charles Whitham
claimed that the 1917 proposed dam which was an early version of this dam should be named 'Lake Dorothy' in line with naming lakes on the west coast
with female names.
The Crotty Dam site had been surveyed in the early twentieth century but the proposed dam did not proceed at that time. It was re-visited in the 1980s and involved in the last major dam construction by Hydro Tasmania.
It is popular as a fishing lake, but is susceptible to extreme weather. Its feeder rivers are the upper King, Nelson, Princess, and Eldon Rivers. There are design features in the Crotty Dam to lower the surface level rapidly in the event of severe floodwaters.
The lake has the 'Bradshaw' bridge crossing it to connect the Lyell Highway
across it, and has two dams - one in the King River Gorge - the Crotty Dam , and the other adjacent to Mount Darwin, the Darwin Dam.
The dam inundated the historical sites of the Darwin
and Crotty
- as well as the bridge of the North Mount Lyell Railway
over the King River which was not salvaged before the flooding.
Crotty Dam and Lake Burbury have been identified as Indicative places on the Register of the National Estate
The lake lies to the west of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park
and has a series of buffer zone conservation areas - The Princess River Conservation Area, and the Crotty Conservation Area on the east shore, and the West Coast Range Regional Reserve on the west. The Hydro jurisdiction of the lake is to the 242 metre elevation ( the full supply level being 235 metres) round the edge of the lake, as well as the island created by the impoundment.
Hydro Tasmania
Hydro Tasmania, known for most of its history as The HEC, is the government owned enterprise which is the predominant electricity generator in the state of Tasmania, Australia...
inundating the upper King River
King River (Tasmania)
- Upper reaches :It rises in the vicinity of the Eldon Range, passes through the West Coast Range between Mount Huxley and Mount Jukes and empties in Macquarie Harbour near Strahan....
valley that lies east of the West Coast Range
West Coast Range (Tasmania)
The West Coast Range of Tasmania is a group of mountains in the West Coast area of Tasmania in Australia that lies to the west of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park...
. It has a surface area of 54 square kilometres.
It was named after Stanley Burbury
Stanley Burbury
Sir Stanley Charles Burbury, KCMG, KCVO, KBE was an Australian jurist. He was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Tasmania, and the first Australian-born person appointed as Governor of Tasmania 1973-1982.-Biography:...
former Governor of Tasmania.
The lake is fed mainly by rivers from the north, including the upper King River, and the Eldon River. Valleys that open to the area include the Linda Valley
Linda Valley
Linda Valley is a valley in the West Coast Range of Tasmania. It was earlier known as the Vale of Chamouni. It is between Mount Owen and Mount Lyell.Linda Valley is the location of two historical settlements, Linda and Gormanston...
. It also has a natural lake just north of its northern shore known as Lake Beatrice
Lake Beatrice
Lake Beatrice is a lake on the lower eastern side of Mount Sedgwick in the West Coast Range of Western Tasmania. Being higher in altitude, is not visible from the level that Lake Burbury is at, but can be seen either from the air, or the higher slopes of the eastern part of Mount LyellThe name of...
which is at the eastern end of Mount Sedgwick.
Charles Whitham
Charles Whitham
Charles Whitham was the author of the oft reprinted Western Tasmania: A land of Riches and Beauty - which was a comprehensive study of the geographical features of West Coast, Tasmania and the conditions of the region in the 1920s...
claimed that the 1917 proposed dam which was an early version of this dam should be named 'Lake Dorothy' in line with naming lakes on the west coast
West Coast, Tasmania
The West Coast of Tasmania is the part of the state that is strongly associated with wilderness, mining and tourism, rough country and isolation...
with female names.
The Crotty Dam site had been surveyed in the early twentieth century but the proposed dam did not proceed at that time. It was re-visited in the 1980s and involved in the last major dam construction by Hydro Tasmania.
It is popular as a fishing lake, but is susceptible to extreme weather. Its feeder rivers are the upper King, Nelson, Princess, and Eldon Rivers. There are design features in the Crotty Dam to lower the surface level rapidly in the event of severe floodwaters.
The lake has the 'Bradshaw' bridge crossing it to connect the Lyell Highway
Lyell Highway
The Lyell Highway is a highway in Tasmania, running from Hobart to Queenstown. The name is derived from Mount Lyell, the mountain peak where copper was found in the late 19th century, and the site of the Mount Lyell copper mine, and the sole reason for the existence of Queenstown...
across it, and has two dams - one in the King River Gorge - the Crotty Dam , and the other adjacent to Mount Darwin, the Darwin Dam.
The dam inundated the historical sites of the Darwin
Darwin Townsite, Tasmania
Darwin Townsite, TasmaniaLocation: 42° 14' S 145° 36'EA surveyed and short lived community at the eastern side of Mount Darwin on theWest Coast Range....
and Crotty
Crotty, Tasmania
Crotty was a gazetted townsite in Western Tasmania, which had a smelter and railway connection with the North Mount Lyell mine in the very early twentieth century. The North Mount Lyell smelters failed, and the company was absorbed by the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company...
- as well as the bridge of the North Mount Lyell Railway
North Mount Lyell Railway
The North Mount Lyell Railway was built to service the North Mount Lyell mine in West Coast Tasmania at the start of the Twentieth century to take ore from Gormanston east of the West Coast Range to the Crotty smelters, and then on to Pillinger in the Kelly Basin of Macquarie Harbour, from where...
over the King River which was not salvaged before the flooding.
Crotty Dam and Lake Burbury have been identified as Indicative places on the Register of the National Estate
The lake lies to the west of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park
Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park
Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers is a national park in Tasmania, Australia, 117 km west of Hobart. It is named after the two main river systems lying within the bounds of the park - the Franklin River and the Gordon River.- Location :...
and has a series of buffer zone conservation areas - The Princess River Conservation Area, and the Crotty Conservation Area on the east shore, and the West Coast Range Regional Reserve on the west. The Hydro jurisdiction of the lake is to the 242 metre elevation ( the full supply level being 235 metres) round the edge of the lake, as well as the island created by the impoundment.
External links
- Position in World Heritage Area
- http://www.hydro.com.au/home/Tourism+and+Recreation/King+Catchment