West Coast Range (Tasmania)
Encyclopedia
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
The range has had a significant number of mines utilising the geologically rich zone of Mount Read Volcanics
. A number of adjacent ranges lie to the east: the Engineer Range
, the Raglan Range, the Eldon Range, and the Sticht Range
but in most cases these are on a west–east alignment, while the West Coast Range runs in a north–south direction, following the Mount Read
volcanic arc
.
The range has encompassed multiple land uses including the catchment area for Hydro Tasmania
dams, mines, transport routes and historical sites. Of the communities that have existed actually in the range itself, Gormanston
, is probably the last to remain.
Some Huon Pine on the slopes of Mount Read have been found that show considerable age.
Due to fire, mining and a range of human activities the vegetation zones along the West Coast range can be considered to be mainly modified, and few pockets of vegetation could be considered unchanged since European presence.
The eastern side of the range is on the western boundary of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park
, and at these points the forests are in better condition.
Forestry conservation zones exist along its length in accordance with the Regional Forestry Agreement (RFA).
was the main long-term weather-reporting location, however the Mount Read automatic weather station now maintains extremes regularly reported on the Bureau of Meteorology
website for extreme conditions. The rainfall records of Lake Margaret were on a par with Tully
in Queensland
for the highest rainfall in Australia. Approximations for the West Coast Range are made at 2800-3000 mm precipitation per year.
The prevailing weather is due to the location of the West Coast. It has no landmass shielding it from the Southern Ocean
or Antarctic
weather, and being in the Roaring Forties
cold fronts and extreme weather are regular occurrences on the West Coast. The Cape Sorell Waverider Buoy
which was initiated by the BOM
in 1998 (there had been earlier testing buoys in the early 1990s) has given good indications of the behaviour of ocean swells to correlate with weather conditions.
Earlier weather records were kept for Queenstown and Zeehan. Due to change in population distribution and resources in the west coast, the main weather data is currently from Strahan Airport
and Mount Read.
The Following BOM recorded locations are relevant to West Coast Range:
Main Source: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/how/sitedat.shtml
on Sarah Island. Most occurred in the late nineteenth century, but as late as the 1940s some government maps had "unexplored" or "insufficient survey" or words to that effect.
Perhaps the most salient sentinels on speedy decisions - of the mountains that are viewable from Macquarie Harbour
- most were named after proponents for and against the ideas that Charles Darwin
was putting forward in the late 19th century. The irony is those who were against Darwin were given the higher mountain names, while the smaller were named after his supporters.
There were very small mining settlements in the Tyndalls, on Mount Darwin and Mount Jukes
, and possibly very small camps of short duration in other locations. Linda
in the Linda Valley
is probably the only other remaining named location with population in a valley in the range. Queenstown
lies in the Queen River
valley on the western slopes of Mount Owen, or south western slopes of Mount Lyell, and is in effect 'out' of the range.
Barium
, Copper
, Gold
, Pyrites, Silver
, Zinc
.
Mining sites, in most cases short-lived exist on the upper regions of Mount Darwin, and Mount Jukes. Longer lasting mines existed on the middle slopes of Mount Lyell (North, West and South sides), and on the middle and upper slopes of Mount Read.
Mineral exploration has occurred on the slopes of almost all of the named mountains over time.
Conservation measures in recent decades have put special restrictions on the activity so as to not replicate the damage of the Mount Lyell operation. A good example of the capacity to mine in a sensitive area is the Henty Gold Mine
, at the northern end of the range.
See also West Coast Tasmania Mines for mines that occur on the West Coast Range - and the West Coast region.
Then in the 1950s and early 1960s the early HEC surveys were conducted . The upper part of the Pieman scheme dammed parts of the West Coast Range, and the final major projects of the HEC dam making project were the Henty and King River Schemes.
Power Scheme involved the damming of rivers that start in the West Coast Range. It was the scheme that followed the Gordon River
Scheme - and was to be followed by the Franklin River
Scheme - but in reality was followed by the King River
and Henty River schemes instead.
Construction commenced in 1974 and the scheme was completed by 1987. It involved dams on the Murchison and Macintosh rivers, as well as the Pieman River. The main construction town and administrative centre for the Hydro was at Tullah
.
The Mackintosh Dam and power station were north of Tullah, while the Murchsion Dam and Lake were south. A third dam - the Bastyan Dam was just north of Rosebery, while the Reece Dam was a long way to the west - close to the town of Corinna.
dam on the King River between Mount Huxley and Mount Jukes. The Darwin Dam
is a saddle dam at the foot of Mount Darwin. Both of the dams contain the 54 square kilometre Lake Burbury
water storage area.
and travelled to the edge of the Range. They did not traverse the range.
Similarly the lines that connected with the Emu Bay Railway - the North East Dundas Tramway
for example, did not traverse the range, but travelled to the foot of the mountains where the mines were active.
connection running through the West Coast range at the Linda Valley was not constructed until the 1930's.
The road to Crotty from Queenstown (or more correctly the locality of Lynchford), built as the Mount Jukes Road by the Hydro as part of the King River dam scheme in the 1980's passed high above the King River Gorge on the northern side of Mount Jukes.
The Anthony Road
constructed by the Hydro
during the construction of the Anthony Power Scheme also cuts through the northern part of the range, as well as access to the glacial lakes in The Tyndalls - Lake Westwood
, Lake Selina
and Lake Julia.
is the closest registered airport.
There have been temporary helicopter landing sites throughout the range used by mineral exploration activities - but no inventory is known of these locations.
through the Crotty and Darwin townsites to Pillinger and Kelly Basin.
Townsites
Mine sites
Hydro sites
Main Roads
Hobart : Geological Survey of Tasmania, Division of Mines and Mineral Resources, Mount Read Volcanics Project, 1986-1993 - 13 maps : col. ; 92 x 96 cm. or smaller.
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
is a group of mountains in 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...
area of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
that 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 :...
The range has had a significant number of mines utilising the geologically rich zone of Mount Read Volcanics
Mount Read Volcanics
The Mount Read Volcanics is a Cambrian volcanic belt that exists in Western Tasmania.It is a complex belt due to folding, faulting and a range of tectonic events....
. A number of adjacent ranges lie to the east: the Engineer Range
Engineer Range (Tasmania)
Engineer Range is a mountain range in Western Tasmania, Australia. It is located to the south east of Lake Burbury and occurs in the western edge of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area which includes the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park....
, the Raglan Range, the Eldon Range, and the Sticht Range
Sticht Range
Sticht Range is a mountain range in the West Coast, Tasmania. It runs between two tributaries of the Eldon River. It was named after Robert Carl Sticht the manager of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company-Location:...
but in most cases these are on a west–east alignment, while the West Coast Range runs in a north–south direction, following the Mount Read
Mount Read (Tasmania)
Mount Read is a mountain in Tasmania, Australia, that is at the north west edge of what is known as the West Coast RangeAs colourful a history as that of Mount Lyell, Mount Read has had mines, settlements and other activities on its slopes for over a hundred years.The main copper and gold ore...
volcanic arc
Volcanic arc
A volcanic arc is a chain of volcanoes positioned in an arc shape as seen from above. Offshore volcanoes form islands, resulting in a volcanic island arc. Generally they result from the subduction of an oceanic tectonic plate under another tectonic plate, and often parallel an oceanic trench...
.
The range has encompassed multiple land uses including the catchment area for Hydro Tasmania
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...
dams, mines, transport routes and historical sites. Of the communities that have existed actually in the range itself, Gormanston
Gormanston, Tasmania
Gormanston is a town in Tasmania on the slopes of Mount Owen, above the town of Queenstown in Tasmania's West Coast. At the 2006 census, Gormanston had a population of 167....
, is probably the last to remain.
Geographical features
These are determined by a number of factors - the southerly direction of glaciation in the King River Valley and around the Tyndalls As well as the general north -south orientation of the West Coast Range itself.Rivers
- Anthony River on the northern part of the range
- Eldon River on the eastern side of the range
- Henty River on the western side of the range
- King RiverKing 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....
starting in the Eldon Range and passing between Mount Huxley and Mount Jukes, dammed by The HydroHydro TasmaniaHydro 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... - Queen RiverQueen RiverThe Queen River is a river that flows through Queenstown Tasmania, to the west of the West Coast Range in particular Mount Lyell and Mount Owen....
runs through Queenstown, then to join with the King River to the west of Mount Huxley - Tofft River runs between the Thureau hills and Mount Owen and Mount Huxley
- Yolande River runs between Lake Margaret and the Henty River
Lakes
- Basin Lake
- Lake Adam - a tributary lake for Lake Margaret
- Lake Barnabas
- Lake BeatriceLake BeatriceLake 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...
- on the eastern edge of Mount Sedgwick - Lake BurburyLake BurburyLake 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....
- created by the damming of the King River by The Hydro - Lake Dora
- Lake Dorothy
- Lake Julia - in the area of the range known as 'The Tyndalls'
- Lake Macintosh, Tasmania - created by damming the Mackintosh River
- Lake Mary, Tasmania - a tributary lake for Lake Margaret
- Lake MargaretLake Margaret (Tasmania)Lake Margaret is the name of a lake high up on the north side of Mount Sedgwick,in the West Coast Range, West Coast of Tasmania in Australia.-Dam:...
on the northern side of Mount Sedgwick - Lake Murchison, Tasmania - created by the damming of the Murchison River
- Lake Plimsoll
- Lake Polycarp
- Lake Rolleston - between the Tyndall Range and the Sticht Range
- Lake SelinaLake Selina (Tasmania)Lake Selina is the name of a lake to the east of Mount Read,in the West Coast Range, West Coast of Tasmania. Its location and conditions have led it be a location of research into Pleistocene and Holocene environments ....
- just west of Lake Plimsoll - Lake Spicer - just west of Eldon Peak
- Lake WestwoodLake Westwood (Tasmania)Lake Westwood is a glacial lake in The Tyndalls to the east of Mount Read,in the West Coast Range, West Coast of Tasmania.It is located south east of the Henty Gold Mine and it lies between Lake Julia and Lake Selina adjacent to the Anthony Road B28 that travels between Tullah and...
- next to Mount Julia
Mountains
Including 'Ranges' within the West Coast Range with no specifically named peak - also including subsidiary peaks- Mount BlackMount BlackMount Black is a prominent mountain, high, with a gentle snow-covered slope on its southwest side and a steep rock face on its northwest side, forming a part of the polar escarpment just west of Bennett Platform and the upper reaches of Shackleton Glacier. It was discovered and photographed by R...
950 metres - Mount DarwinMount Darwin (Tasmania)Mount Darwin, Tasmania is a mountain in the West Coast Range, Tasmania, named after Charles Darwin.-Location:On the eastern side of the mountain sits Darwin, a long-abandoned town site. Mount Darwin is the southernmost mountain of the West Coast range...
1031 metres- South Darwin 780 metres
- Mount DundasMount Dundas (Tasmania)Mount Dundas is a mountain in Tasmania, Australia, that is at the north west edge of what is known as the West Coast RangeAs colourful a history as that of Mount Lyell, Mount Dundas has had a range of mines and railways within its vicinity....
1143 metres [furthest west of main peaks] - Mount Farrell 712 metres
- Mount GeikieMount GeikieMount Geikie is a mountain in the West Coast Range, Western Tasmania.Mount Geikie sits just north of Lake Margaret The surrounding high ground to the north of Mount Geikie is often known as 'The Tyndalls'...
1190 metres - Mount Hamilton 1075 metres
- Mount HuxleyMount Huxley (Tasmania)Mount Huxley is a mountain in the West Coast Range, Tasmania, named by Charles Gould in 1863 after Professor Thomas Henry Huxley.A smaller of the west coast range mountains, with a large 200 metre outcrop/rock face on its southern side above the King River gorge just west of the Crotty Dam - parts...
926 metres - Mount JukesMount Jukes (Tasmania)Mount Jukes is a mountain in the West Coast Range on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia. It was named by Charles Gould in 1862 after Professor Joseph Beete Jukes, English geologist, who was involved in issues relating to Charles Darwin...
1168 metres- Proprietary Peak 1103 metres
- Pyramid Peak
- South Jukes Peak 1000 metres
- West Jukes Peak
- Mount Julia 843 metres
- Mount Lyell 920 metres
- Mount MurchisonMount Murchison (Tasmania)Mount Murchison is the tallest mountain in the West Coast Range Tasmania, Australia.Like most of the mountains in the West Coast Range - the taller were named after opponents or critics of Charles Darwin, the smaller after his supporters.-References:...
1275 metres (tallest in West Coast Range) - Mount OwenMount Owen (Tasmania)Mount Owen is the mountain directly east of the town of Queenstown in Tasmania, Australia.Like most of the mountains in the West Coast Range - it was named by Charles Gould after Richard Owen as the taller mountains were named after opponents or critics of Charles Darwin, the smaller after his...
1146 metres - Mount ReadMount Read (Tasmania)Mount Read is a mountain in Tasmania, Australia, that is at the north west edge of what is known as the West Coast RangeAs colourful a history as that of Mount Lyell, Mount Read has had mines, settlements and other activities on its slopes for over a hundred years.The main copper and gold ore...
1124 metres (second tallest in West Coast Range)] - with a current Bureau of Meteorology automatic weather station working on its peak - Mount Selina 760 metres
- Mount Sedgwick 1147 metres
- Mount Sorell 1144 metres
- Mount StrahanMount StrahanMount Strahan is a mountain directly east of Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.It lies to the west of the main north-south line of the mountains of the West Coast Range and like Mount Sorell dominates the east side of the harbour near Sarah Island.It was named by Thomas...
855 metres - Mount TyndallMount Tyndall (Tasmania)Mount Tyndall is a mountain and high ground in the West Coast Range, Western Tasmania. The mountain was named after Irish scientist and mountaineer, John Tyndall.The surrounding high ground is often known as The Tyndalls or The Tyndall Range....
- Sticht RangeSticht RangeSticht Range is a mountain range in the West Coast, Tasmania. It runs between two tributaries of the Eldon River. It was named after Robert Carl Sticht the manager of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company-Location:...
- Tyndall RangeTyndall RangeThe Tyndall Range is a part of the West Coast Range of Western Tasmania. It is also the location of the Tyndall Regional Reserve a reserve that is the western buffer zone for the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park World Heritage Area....
- Victoria Peak - 949 metres - east of Lake Murchison
Smaller Hills and Features
- Darwin CraterDarwin CraterDarwin Crater is a suspected meteorite impact crater in Western Tasmania, Australia. It is expressed as a rimless circular flat-floored depression, in diameter, within mountainous and heavily forested terrain south of Queenstown. It lies east of the West Coast Range and just within the...
- a probable meteoriteMeteoriteA meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
impact craterImpact craterIn the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
associated with Darwin glassDarwin GlassDarwin glass is a natural glass found south of Queenstown in West Coast, Tasmania. It takes its name from Mount Darwin in the West Coast Range, where it was first reported, and later gave its name to Darwin Crater, a probable impact crater, and the inferred source of the glass.-Occurrence:Fragments... - Gooseneck Hill
- Henty Glacial Moraine
- Marble Bluff - adjacent to the confluence of the Eldon and South Eldon rivers and the northern edge of Lake Burbury
- Teepookana Plateau
- Thureau Hills - adjacent to the eastern slopes of Mount Owen and Mount Huxley
- Walford Peak - adjacent to Lake Dora
Vegetation
The slopes of Mount Owen, Mount Lyell and Mount Sedgwick are covered in stumps of forest trees killed by fires and smelter fumes from the earlier part of the twentieth century. The devastation of forests close to the mining operations at Queenstown was substantial as early as the 1890s and continued late into the twentieth century.Some Huon Pine on the slopes of Mount Read have been found that show considerable age.
Due to fire, mining and a range of human activities the vegetation zones along the West Coast range can be considered to be mainly modified, and few pockets of vegetation could be considered unchanged since European presence.
The eastern side of the range is on the western boundary 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 at these points the forests are in better condition.
Forestry conservation zones exist along its length in accordance with the Regional Forestry Agreement (RFA).
Climate
In the average winter the "1,000 metre snowline" sees most of the mountains with snow. In previous decades, Lake MargaretLake Margaret (Tasmania)
Lake Margaret is the name of a lake high up on the north side of Mount Sedgwick,in the West Coast Range, West Coast of Tasmania in Australia.-Dam:...
was the main long-term weather-reporting location, however the Mount Read automatic weather station now maintains extremes regularly reported on the Bureau of Meteorology
Bureau of Meteorology
The Bureau of Meteorology is an Executive Agency of the Australian Government responsible for providing weather services to Australia and surrounding areas. It was established in 1906 under the Meteorology Act, and brought together the state meteorological services that existed before then...
website for extreme conditions. The rainfall records of Lake Margaret were on a par with Tully
Tully, Queensland
Tully is a small town in Queensland, Australia, adjacent to the Bruce Highway approximately south of Cairns by road and north of Townsville. At the 2006 census, Tully had a population of 2,457....
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
for the highest rainfall in Australia. Approximations for the West Coast Range are made at 2800-3000 mm precipitation per year.
The prevailing weather is due to the location of the West Coast. It has no landmass shielding it from the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
or Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
weather, and being in the Roaring Forties
Roaring Forties
The Roaring Forties is the name given to strong westerly winds found in the Southern Hemisphere, generally between the latitudes of 40 and 49 degrees. Air displaced from the Equator towards the South Pole, which travels close to the surface between the latitudes of 30 and 60 degrees south, combines...
cold fronts and extreme weather are regular occurrences on the West Coast. The Cape Sorell Waverider Buoy
Cape Sorell, Tasmania
Cape Sorell is the headland and lighthouse located outside of Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast of Tasmania.It is an important orientation point for all vessels entering Macquarie Heads - and then through Hells Gates at the entrance to the harbour....
which was initiated by the BOM
Bureau of Meteorology
The Bureau of Meteorology is an Executive Agency of the Australian Government responsible for providing weather services to Australia and surrounding areas. It was established in 1906 under the Meteorology Act, and brought together the state meteorological services that existed before then...
in 1998 (there had been earlier testing buoys in the early 1990s) has given good indications of the behaviour of ocean swells to correlate with weather conditions.
Earlier weather records were kept for Queenstown and Zeehan. Due to change in population distribution and resources in the west coast, the main weather data is currently from Strahan Airport
Strahan Airport
Strahan Airport is an airport located 3 km west of Strahan, Tasmania, Australia. It is the main airport for the West Coast of Tasmania, and is owned and maintained by the West Coast Council...
and Mount Read.
The Following BOM recorded locations are relevant to West Coast Range:
| BOM number | Location Name | Start Record | End Record | Southings | Eastings | Height | Comments | |||
| 097035 97 | 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... |
1917 | 1929 | -42.2000 | 145.6000 | (Compare with Princess River and Lake Burbury Lake Burbury 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.... Park) |
||||
| 097058 97 | DUNDAS | 1896 | 1917 | -41.8833 | 145.4333 | |||||
| 097002 97 | FARRELL SIDING | 1934 | 1948 | -41.7000 | 145.5500 | |||||
| 097003 97 | GORMANSTON Gormanston, Tasmania Gormanston is a town in Tasmania on the slopes of Mount Owen, above the town of Queenstown in Tasmania's West Coast. At the 2006 census, Gormanston had a population of 167.... |
1895 | 2000 | -42.0747 | 145.5986 | 380.0 | (Compare with West Lyell) | |||
| 097088 97 | LAKE BURBURY PARK | 1995 | 1996 | -42.0983 | 145.6733 | 245.0 | ||||
| 097006 97 | LAKE MARGARET DAM | 1912 | .. | -41.9939 | 145.5706 | 665.0 | ||||
| 097020 97 | LAKE MARGARET POWER STATION | 1945 | .. | -42.0056 | 145.5419 | 320.0 | ||||
| 097040 97 | MAGNET | 1906 | 1936 | -41.5000 | 145.4500 | |||||
| 097085 97 | MOUNT READ | 1996 | .. | -41.8444 | 145.5419 | 1119.5 | (Current Automatic Weather Station) | |||
| 097039 97 | MOUNT READ (MOUNT LYELL M.&R.) | 1901 | 1920 | -41.9000 | 145.5500 | |||||
| 097057 97 | PILLINGER | 1907 | 1924 | -42.3333 | 145.5333 | |||||
| 097033 97 | PRINCESS RIVER | 1948 | 1976 | -42.0833 | 145.6667 | 215.0 | 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... >and Lake Burbury Lake Burbury 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.... Park) |
|||
| 097034 97 | QUEENSTOWN (7XS) | 1964 | 1995 | -42.0967 | 145.5447 | 129.0 | ||||
| 097008 97 | QUEENSTOWN (COPPER MINE) | 1906 | 2005 | -42.0661 | 145.5681 | 191.0 | ||||
| 097068 97 | QUEENSTOWN AERODROME | 1968 | 1988 | -42.0769 | 145.5294 | 262.0 | ||||
| 097086 97 | QUEENSTOWN (UPPER PRINCESS CREEK) | 1995 | 1999 | -42.0833 | 145.5286 | 250.0 | ||||
| 097091 97 | QUEENSTOWN (SOUTH QUEENSTOWN) | 1996 | .. | -42.0972 | 145.5439 | 118.0 | ||||
| 097087 97 | TULLAH (MEREDITH STREET) | 1995 | .. | -41.7383 | 145.6108 | 167.0 | ||||
| 097056 97 | TULLAH MINE SITE | 1969 | 1978 | -41.7167 | 145.6333 | 183.0 | ||||
| 097046 97 | WILLIAMSFORD (LEVEL 5) | 1965 | 1971 | -41.8333 | 145.5167 | 853.0 | ||||
| 097015 97 | WEST LYELL | 1945 | 2003 | -42.0622 | 145.5794 | 421.0 | (On south west slope of Mount Lyell |
Main Source: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/how/sitedat.shtml
History and exploration
Early European exploration of the range was made by explorers, and by convicts escaping from Macquarie Harbour Penal StationMacquarie Harbour Penal Station
The Macquarie Harbour Penal Station was a notorious British penal settlement established on Sarah Island in the southern portion of Macquarie Harbour in what was Van Diemen's Land in , Australia....
on Sarah Island. Most occurred in the late nineteenth century, but as late as the 1940s some government maps had "unexplored" or "insufficient survey" or words to that effect.
Perhaps the most salient sentinels on speedy decisions - of the mountains that are viewable from Macquarie Harbour
Macquarie Harbour
Macquarie Harbour is a large, shallow, but navigable by shallow draft vessels inlet on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.-History:James Kelly wrote in his narrative "First Discovery of Port Davey and Macquarie Harbour" how he sailed from Hobart in a small open five-oared whaleboat to discover...
- most were named after proponents for and against the ideas that Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
was putting forward in the late 19th century. The irony is those who were against Darwin were given the higher mountain names, while the smaller were named after his supporters.
There were very small mining settlements in the Tyndalls, on Mount Darwin and Mount Jukes
Mount Jukes (Tasmania)
Mount Jukes is a mountain in the West Coast Range on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia. It was named by Charles Gould in 1862 after Professor Joseph Beete Jukes, English geologist, who was involved in issues relating to Charles Darwin...
, and possibly very small camps of short duration in other locations. Linda
Linda, Tasmania
Linda was a mining town in the Linda Valley in the West Coast Range of Tasmania, Australia. It was the town supporting the North Mount Lyell mine...
in 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...
is probably the only other remaining named location with population in a valley in the range. Queenstown
Queenstown, Tasmania
Queenstown is a town in the West Coast region of the island of Tasmania. It is located in a valley on western slopes of Mount Owen on the West Coast Range.It had a population of 5,119 people . At the 2006 census, Queenstown had a population of 2,117....
lies in the Queen River
Queen River
The Queen River is a river that flows through Queenstown Tasmania, to the west of the West Coast Range in particular Mount Lyell and Mount Owen....
valley on the western slopes of Mount Owen, or south western slopes of Mount Lyell, and is in effect 'out' of the range.
Mining
The Tasmanian Mines Department (in its various names over the last hundred years) has had guides to the minerals found in Tasmania - most are found in the West Coast region, these includeBarium
Barium
Barium is a chemical element with the symbol Ba and atomic number 56. It is the fifth element in Group 2, a soft silvery metallic alkaline earth metal. Barium is never found in nature in its pure form due to its reactivity with air. Its oxide is historically known as baryta but it reacts with...
, Copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, Pyrites, Silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, Zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
.
Mining sites, in most cases short-lived exist on the upper regions of Mount Darwin, and Mount Jukes. Longer lasting mines existed on the middle slopes of Mount Lyell (North, West and South sides), and on the middle and upper slopes of Mount Read.
Mineral exploration has occurred on the slopes of almost all of the named mountains over time.
Conservation measures in recent decades have put special restrictions on the activity so as to not replicate the damage of the Mount Lyell operation. A good example of the capacity to mine in a sensitive area is the Henty Gold Mine
Henty Gold Mine
The Henty Gold Mine is located at the head of the Henty River on the edge of the West Coast Range in Western Tasmania. It is approximately 30 km north of Queenstown. It is east of Zeehan and south of Tullah. It can be reached by the Hydro-built road that passes between the Henty River and...
, at the northern end of the range.
See also West Coast Tasmania Mines for mines that occur on the West Coast Range - and the West Coast region.
Hydro Dams
The West Coast of Tasmania was always attractive to plans for dams for hydro electricity. The King River was surveyed for this at the time of the First World War.Then in the 1950s and early 1960s the early HEC surveys were conducted . The upper part of the Pieman scheme dammed parts of the West Coast Range, and the final major projects of the HEC dam making project were the Henty and King River Schemes.
Pieman River Scheme
The Pieman RiverPieman River
The Pieman River is a river on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia. It was dammed with the 122m high Reece Dam in 1986 - creating Lake Pieman.-Name:...
Power Scheme involved the damming of rivers that start in the West Coast Range. It was the scheme that followed the Gordon River
Gordon River
The Gordon River is one of the major rivers of Tasmania, Australia. It rises in the centre of the island at Lake Richmond and flows westward for about 193km where it empties into Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast of Tasmania. Major tributaries include the Serpentine River and the Franklin...
Scheme - and was to be followed by the Franklin River
Franklin River
The Franklin River lies in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park at the mid northern area of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Its source is situated at the western edge of the Central Highlands and it continues west towards the West Coast of Tasmania...
Scheme - but in reality was followed by the 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....
and Henty River schemes instead.
Construction commenced in 1974 and the scheme was completed by 1987. It involved dams on the Murchison and Macintosh rivers, as well as the Pieman River. The main construction town and administrative centre for the Hydro was at Tullah
Tullah, Tasmania
Tullah is a town in the northern part of the West Coast Range, on the west coast of Tasmania, about 111 km south of Burnie. The town has a population of roughly 270 people. At the 2006 census, Tullah had a population of 195....
.
The Mackintosh Dam and power station were north of Tullah, while the Murchsion Dam and Lake were south. A third dam - the Bastyan Dam was just north of Rosebery, while the Reece Dam was a long way to the west - close to the town of Corinna.
King River Scheme
The Crotty Dam is an 82 metre high Hydro TasmaniaHydro 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...
dam on the King River between Mount Huxley and Mount Jukes. The Darwin Dam
Darwin Dam (Tasmania)
Darwin Dam is one of two dams that contain Lake Burbury, West Coast, Tasmania.It captures the high rainfall in the catchment of the King River...
is a saddle dam at the foot of Mount Darwin. Both of the dams contain the 54 square kilometre Lake Burbury
Lake Burbury
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....
water storage area.
Transport
Initial access to the west coast region was by foot or by access from the sea - railways progressed further into the region much earlier than roads - the road from Hobart was not connected until the 1930's and the north coast until the 1960's.Railways
To support the Mount Lyell and North Mount Lyell mines, railways were built from ports on Macquarie HarbourMacquarie Harbour
Macquarie Harbour is a large, shallow, but navigable by shallow draft vessels inlet on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.-History:James Kelly wrote in his narrative "First Discovery of Port Davey and Macquarie Harbour" how he sailed from Hobart in a small open five-oared whaleboat to discover...
and travelled to the edge of the Range. They did not traverse the range.
- North Mount Lyell RailwayNorth Mount Lyell RailwayThe 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...
- port was at PillingerPillinger, TasmaniaPillinger, Tasmania is an abandoned port and townsite in Kelly Basin, on the south eastern side of Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast of Tasmania....
in Kelly BasinKelly Basin, TasmaniaKelly Basin is a bay on the south eastern side of Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.It was the location of the terminus of the North Mount Lyell Railway, and the ghost town of Pillinger.... - Mount Lyell RailwayWest Coast Wilderness RailwayThe West Coast Wilderness Railway, Tasmania is a reconstruction of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company railway between Queenstown and Regatta Point...
- port was at Regatta Point
Similarly the lines that connected with the Emu Bay Railway - the North East Dundas Tramway
North East Dundas Tramway
The North East Dundas Tramway was a gauge tramway on West Coast Tasmania that ran between Zeehan and Deep Lead . It was part of Tasmanian Government Railways...
for example, did not traverse the range, but travelled to the foot of the mountains where the mines were active.
Roads
The Lyell HighwayLyell 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...
connection running through the West Coast range at the Linda Valley was not constructed until the 1930's.
The road to Crotty from Queenstown (or more correctly the locality of Lynchford), built as the Mount Jukes Road by the Hydro as part of the King River dam scheme in the 1980's passed high above the King River Gorge on the northern side of Mount Jukes.
The Anthony Road
Anthony Road
The Anthony Road is a highway in Western Tasmania, running from the Murchison Highway to the Zeehan Highway near Queenstown...
constructed by the Hydro
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...
during the construction of the Anthony Power Scheme also cuts through the northern part of the range, as well as access to the glacial lakes in The Tyndalls - Lake Westwood
Lake Westwood (Tasmania)
Lake Westwood is a glacial lake in The Tyndalls to the east of Mount Read,in the West Coast Range, West Coast of Tasmania.It is located south east of the Henty Gold Mine and it lies between Lake Julia and Lake Selina adjacent to the Anthony Road B28 that travels between Tullah and...
, Lake Selina
Lake Selina (Tasmania)
Lake Selina is the name of a lake to the east of Mount Read,in the West Coast Range, West Coast of Tasmania. Its location and conditions have led it be a location of research into Pleistocene and Holocene environments ....
and Lake Julia.
Landing grounds
Although not currently serviced as a registered aerodrome the Queenstown airport (in operation in the 1960's and 1970's) just west of the townsite is the closest air service facility. Strahan AirportStrahan Airport
Strahan Airport is an airport located 3 km west of Strahan, Tasmania, Australia. It is the main airport for the West Coast of Tasmania, and is owned and maintained by the West Coast Council...
is the closest registered airport.
There have been temporary helicopter landing sites throughout the range used by mineral exploration activities - but no inventory is known of these locations.
Historical features and recent sites
Tramways and Railways- Comstock TramComstock Tram- Comstock Tram :* Name of two different tramways in West Coast, Tasmania, Australia** Comstock Tram - at Zeehan** Comstock Tram - at Mount Lyell...
around the slopes of Mount Lyell - not to be confused with a tramway with same name out of Zeehan. - Lake Margaret TramLake Margaret TramThe Lake Margaret Tram was located on the western side of Mount Sedgwick in the West Coast Range on the West Coast of Tasmania in service for the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company to the Lake Margaret community .- Construction :...
at western side of Mount Sedgwick - North Mount Lyell RailwayNorth Mount Lyell RailwayThe 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...
Linda Valley, along King River Valley,
through the Crotty and Darwin townsites to Pillinger and Kelly Basin.
Townsites
- Crotty Townsite, TasmaniaCrotty, TasmaniaCrotty 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...
on the eastern slopes of Mount Jukes - Darwin Townsite, TasmaniaDarwin Townsite, TasmaniaDarwin Townsite, TasmaniaLocation: 42° 14' S 145° 36'EA surveyed and short lived community at the eastern side of Mount Darwin on theWest Coast Range....
on the eastern slopes of Mount Darwin - GormanstonGormanston, TasmaniaGormanston is a town in Tasmania on the slopes of Mount Owen, above the town of Queenstown in Tasmania's West Coast. At the 2006 census, Gormanston had a population of 167....
on the northern slopes of Mount Owen - Lake MargaretLake Margaret (Tasmania)Lake Margaret is the name of a lake high up on the north side of Mount Sedgwick,in the West Coast Range, West Coast of Tasmania in Australia.-Dam:...
precinct - LindaLinda, TasmaniaLinda was a mining town in the Linda Valley in the West Coast Range of Tasmania, Australia. It was the town supporting the North Mount Lyell mine...
in the Linda ValleyLinda ValleyLinda 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...
between Mounts Owen and Lyell - TullahTullah, TasmaniaTullah is a town in the northern part of the West Coast Range, on the west coast of Tasmania, about 111 km south of Burnie. The town has a population of roughly 270 people. At the 2006 census, Tullah had a population of 195....
amidst Lake Rosebery - RoseberyRosebery, TasmaniaRosebery is a town on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is situated at the northern end of the West Coast Range, in the shadow of Mount Black and adjacent to the Pieman River now Lake Pieman....
- Williamsford
Mine sites
- Henty Gold MineHenty Gold MineThe Henty Gold Mine is located at the head of the Henty River on the edge of the West Coast Range in Western Tasmania. It is approximately 30 km north of Queenstown. It is east of Zeehan and south of Tullah. It can be reached by the Hydro-built road that passes between the Henty River and...
- Mount Jukes Mine sitesMount Jukes Mine sitesThe Mount Jukes Mine sites were a series of short-lived, small mine workings high on the upper regions of Mount Jukes in the West Coast Range on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia....
on the upper slopes -including 'Lake Jukes Mine'
Hydro sites
- Anthony Power Station
- Bastyan Power Station
- Crotty Dam
- Darwin DamDarwin Dam (Tasmania)Darwin Dam is one of two dams that contain Lake Burbury, West Coast, Tasmania.It captures the high rainfall in the catchment of the King River...
- John Butters Power Station
- Lake Margaret Power Station
- Franklin RiverFranklin RiverThe Franklin River lies in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park at the mid northern area of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Its source is situated at the western edge of the Central Highlands and it continues west towards the West Coast of Tasmania...
proposed power development - cancelled in the 1980s - Gordon RiverGordon RiverThe Gordon River is one of the major rivers of Tasmania, Australia. It rises in the centre of the island at Lake Richmond and flows westward for about 193km where it empties into Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast of Tasmania. Major tributaries include the Serpentine River and the Franklin...
proposed power development - cancelled in the 1980s
Main Roads
- Lyell HighwayLyell HighwayThe 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...
[A10] in the Linda Valley between Mounts Owen and Lyell - The Henty River Rd [B24] From Henty Glacial Moraine to the Lake Murchison Dam (Anthony Power Station) and Tullah
- Walking Tracks
- Numerous historic walking tracks blazed in the nineteenth century, and the twentieth century exist throughout the Range - some survive, some are overgrown.
- C. Binks Explorers of Western Tasmania, has an Appendix 'The exploration tracks 1880-1910' which is a thorough examination of the record.
- The most famous of the track makers was Thomas Bather MooreThomas Bather MooreThomas Bather Moore was a pioneer of Tasmania.He was born at New Norfolk and died at Queenstown. He was buried at the graveyard Strahan overlooking Macquarie Harbour....
. He named many features including Mount Strahan, the Thureau Hills and the Tofft River.
Geological mapping
Geological maps of Tasmania: Mount Read Volcanics Project P. Komyshan ...et al.Hobart : Geological Survey of Tasmania, Division of Mines and Mineral Resources, Mount Read Volcanics Project, 1986-1993 - 13 maps : col. ; 92 x 96 cm. or smaller.
- Map 1. Geology of the Mt. Charter-Hellyer area
- Map 2. Geology of Rosebery-Mt. Block area
- Map 3. Geology of the Henty River-Mt. Read area
- Map 4. Geology of the Mt. Murchison area
- Map 5. Geology of the Tyndall Range area
- Map 6. Geological compilation map of the Mount Read volcanics & associated rocks, Hellyer to south Darwin Peak
- Map 7. Geology of the Back Peak-Cradle Mountain Link Road area (not West Coast Range area)
- Map 8. Geology of the Mt. Cattley-Mt. Tor area (not West Coast Range area)
- Map 9. Geology of the Winterbrook-Moina area (not West Coast Range area)
- Map 10. Geology of the Elliott Bay-Mt. Osmund area (not West Coast Range area)
- Map 11. Geology of the Wanderer River-Moores Valley area (not West Coast Range area)
- Map 12. Geology of the D'Aguilar Range area (not West Coast Range area)
- Map 13. Geology of the Mt. Jukes-Mt. Darwin area.
External links
- West Coast Range on Google Maps
- http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/tazydevilbear/westcoastmtns/westcoastmtns.html&date=2009-10-25+22:39:36 - for a sample of photos of parts of the range
- http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/wha/wherein/detail.html - context of World Heritage Area
- Hydro Tasmania