46-537: Mount Read is a mountain located in the West Coast region of Tasmania , Australia, and is at the north west edge of the West Coast Range . With an elevation of 1,123 metres (3,684 ft) above sea level , Mount Read has had as colourful a history, similar to that of Mount Lyell , with mines, settlements and other activities on its slopes for over a hundred years. The main copper and gold ore bearing deposits in
92-514: A tundra climate ( Köppen climate classification : ET ). It currently has a Bureau of Meteorology automatic weather station in place, and it scores well in extreme weather conditions. Its extreme rainfall records for Autumn 2006 put it on a par with the Lake Margaret rainfall – which was still apparently recorded till 30 June 2006 by Hydro employees, but not appearing on the BOM website. It has one of
138-615: A considerable record of the region, which regularly appears in either their own or on generally accessible websites on the Internet. The Tasmanian West bioregion comprises the West Coast region and the South West region. The gazetted locality/suburb named "West Coast" covers a largely uninhabited region between the Arthur River and Queenstown , and does not include the populated towns in
184-511: A registered aerodrome the Queenstown airport (in operation in the 1960s and 1970s) just west of the townsite is the closest air service facility. Strahan Airport is the closest registered airport. There have been a significant number of temporary helicopter landing sites throughout the range used by Hydro Tasmania and mineral exploration activities - but no inventory is known of these locations. Numerous historic walking tracks were started in
230-422: A specifically named peak and also including subsidiary peaks. 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
276-640: A year. In winter temperatures at sea level hover around 10 °C (50 °F), and when not raining, morning frost is common. The temperatures are much lower inland from the coast with maximums in winter often failing to surpass 0 °C (32 °F). Typically, the snow line in winter is around 900 metres (3000 ft), however sea level snow falls several times each winter as well. Summer is mild with maximum temperatures averaging between 17 °C (63 °F) and 21 °C (70 °F), though some days still fail to reach 10 °C (50 °F). Despite snowfall usually occurring in winter, it has been known to fall in
322-556: Is a saddle dam at the foot of Mount Darwin. Both of the dams contain the 54 square kilometre Lake Burbury water storage area. 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 1930s, and the north coast until the 1960s. To support the Mount Lyell and North Mount Lyell mines, railways were built from ports on Macquarie Harbour and travelled to
368-543: Is adjoined by the localities of Arthur River , Couta Rocks, Cradle Mountain , Gormanston , Granville Harbour , Guildford , Lake Margaret , Lileah, Luina, Mawbanna , Middlesex, Nelson Bay, Parrawe, Queenstown , Roger River , Savage River , Southwest , Strahan , Temma, Togari, Trial Harbour , Trowutta , Tullah , Waratah , and West Takone . The locality contains the following road routes: • A10 • B24 • B27 • B28 • C132 • C214 • C218 • C247 • C248 • C249 • C252 The A10 route ( Zeehan Highway ) enters from Queenstown in
414-455: Is at Strahan , with the airstrip at Queenstown no longer a current registered landing ground. In the 1970s a regular service to the east coast was run by Airlines of Tasmania . All transport services to the west coast are subject to interruption by severe weather. In addition to closures of air and marine service, the roads to the west coast may be blocked for days at a time by ice and snow during severe winter conditions. The consequence of
460-648: Is mentioned as early as 1898 Situated at 1000 metres Mount Read (township) was the most elevated town which has existed in Tasmania Despite extensive historic mining and human activity on its slopes, Mount Read has unique and significant stands of Huon pine forests on its slopes. The southern slopes of Mount Read have been identified as a special habitat enclosed in the Lake Johnston Nature Reserve. Mount Read has an alpine subpolar oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cfc ), bordering on
506-520: Is the greatest anywhere in Australia, particularly in the cooler months. West Coast, Tasmania The West Coast of Tasmania is one of the regions of Tasmania in Australia . It is mainly isolated rough country and is associated with wilderness , mining and tourism . It served as the location of an early convict settlement in the early history of Van Diemen's Land , and contrasts sharply with
SECTION 10
#1732851439876552-651: 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
598-551: 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
644-717: 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. The Crotty Dam is an 82 metre high Hydro Tasmania dam on the King River between Mount Huxley and Mount Jukes . The Darwin Dam
690-624: 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. The Tasmanian Mines Department (in its various names over
736-549: The West Coast Range are known to occur in the Mount Read Volcanics relating to the complex geology of the area. Mineralisation and deposits were being identified well beyond the life of the original mines utilised on Mount Read. To the south east of Mount Read are many features of glaciation in the Tyndall Range as well as glacial lakes of Lake Westwood , Lake Selina , and Lake Julia. The Hercules Mine on Mount Read
782-460: The West Coast region. It is in the local government areas of Circular Head (34.6%), Kentish (0.3%), Waratah-Wynyard (27.1%), and West Coast (38%). Its central point is about 137 kilometres (85 mi) west of the town of Sheffield . The 2016 census has a population of nil for the state suburb of West Coast. The Southern Ocean forms part of the western boundary. The locality encircles Corinna , Renison Bell , Rosebery and Zeehan , and
828-486: The communities that have existed actually in the range itself, Gormanston is probably the last to remain. 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. The following mountains are contained within the West Coast Range, including sub-ranges without
874-491: The creation of the world heritage wilderness area, a steady number of small publications concerning the history and features of the region have been produced. For a brief time in the early 20th century the west coast had population and political power on a parity with Hobart and Launceston . Following the demise of most of the Zeehan mines, the west coast population has either remained static, or declined relative to other parts of
920-683: 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
966-677: 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. The Lyell Highway connection running through the West Coast range at the Linda Valley was not constructed until the 1930s. The road to Crotty from Queenstown (or more correctly
SECTION 20
#17328514398761012-489: The forests are in better condition. Forestry conservation zones exist along its length in accordance with the Regional Forestry Agreement (RFA). In the average winter the "1,000 metre snowline" sees most of the mountains with snow. In previous decades, Lake Margaret was the main long-term weather-reporting location, however the Mount Read automatic weather station now maintains extremes regularly reported on
1058-630: The highest annual rain day amount in the world at 282 days, topping Cherrapunji in India, but falling behind Mount Waialeale in Hawaii and López de Micay in Colombia, which have 335 and 315 rainy days respectively. Its monthly temperature averages are comparable to those of Reykjavík in Iceland. Snowfalls are highly frequent and often very heavy, occurring at all times of the year. The mean afternoon relative humidity
1104-467: The island. The environment is described with particular historical understanding by C.J. Binks in " Explorers of Western Tasmania ", Chapter 2 - "A Sketch of the Western Country". (See also West Coast Range ) The convict era is introduced in articles about Macquarie Harbour Penal Station , Convicts on the West Coast of Tasmania , and Hell's Gates . The reliance on the railways can be found in
1150-524: The isolation, and the ways that the communities coped with the difficulties, were little examined prior to the 1990s, except for parts of Tim Bowden 's 1979 Radio Documentary " The West Coasters ", and various references in Geoffrey Blainey 's " The Peaks of Lyell " book and the important works of C.J. Binks and Kerry Pink . Since the rise of tourism on the west coast, the Franklin Dam issue and
1196-522: The last hundred years) has had guides to the minerals found in Tasmania - most are found in the West Coast region, these include 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
1242-825: The locality of Lynchford), built as the Mount Jukes Road by the Hydro as part of the King River dam scheme in the 1980s 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. Although not currently serviced as
1288-516: The locality to Trial Harbour. West Coast Range The West Coast Range is a mountain range located in the West Coast region of Tasmania , Australia . The range lies to the west and north of the main parts 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
1334-494: The main holdings of the record, while the late Eric Thomas's collection in the 'Galley Museum' in Queenstown is on a par with both. Some examples of collections: Due to the rise of tourism in the 1990s, a considerable number of DVDs and videos are commercially available of the region. These DVDs and videos often cover areas which had been inaccessible as recently as 30 or 40 years ago. Additionally, tourists and hikers have gathered
1380-423: The middle of summer. Many outsiders have had difficulty understanding the isolation of the west coast, and the small communities, and the historical context to that isolation. Initially the only way in and out was by sea, and no serviceable roads to either the north or east existed until the 1930s (east) or the 1960s (north). Railways were the main land connection from the 1920s to the 1960s - though that connection
1426-438: The more developed and populous northern and eastern parts of the island state. The west coast has a much cooler and wetter climate when compared to the east coast. Frequent low pressure systems hit the west coast causing heavy rain, snow, and ice. The West Coast Range blocks these systems from impacting the east, therefore making the West Coast a rain catchment with some areas receiving over 2,000 millimetres (79 in) of rain
Mount Read - Misplaced Pages Continue
1472-491: The mountains that are viewable from Macquarie Harbour - most were names associated with the proponents for and against the ideas that Charles Darwin was putting forward in the late 19th century. Thomas Bather Moore named Darwin, Geikie and Read and the Tyndall Range. Charles Gould named 1860 between 1862 Murchison, Sedgwick, Lyell and Owen; Huxley and Jukes were named later. There were very small mining settlements in
1518-721: The northern boundary and runs south and west before exiting to Couta Rocks. Route C218 (Roger River Road / Sumac Road / Rapid River Road / Tayatea Road / Trowutta Road) enters from Roger River to the north and follows a circular path through the northern part of the locality before returning to Roger River. Route C247 (an extension of Corinna Road) starts at an intersection with C249 in Corinna and runs north-east until it exits to Savage River. Route C132 (Belvoir Road) starts at an intersection with A10 and exits north-east to Guildford. Route C248 (Trial Harbour Road) starts in Zeehan and runs southwest through
1564-466: The separate article West Coast Tasmania Railways . The mining history was captured first in Charles Whitham 's Western Tasmania book - and Geoffrey Blainey 's Peaks of Lyell and the books that have followed. See also the list at West Coast Tasmania Mines for a list that includes historical names and locations - many now long abandoned. The vast tracts of forest ( Huon Pine , among others) in
1610-429: 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
1656-491: 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. The West Coast of Tasmania was always attractive to plans for dams for hydro electricity. The King River
1702-562: The south and runs generally north-west until it reaches Zeehan, where it becomes the Murchison Highway and runs north-east through Rosebery, and then turns north until it reaches the north-eastern boundary, where it exits to Guildford. At Queenstown the Lyell Highway changes from A10 to B24 and runs south and west to Strahan, following part of the southern boundary of the locality. Route B27 (Henty Road) enters from Zeehan and runs through
1748-659: The south-west corner to Strahan. Route B28 (Anthony Road) starts at an intersection with A10 and runs north-east to Rosebery, where it rejoins A10. Route C252 (Pieman Road) starts at an intersection with A10 on the northern boundary of Rosebery and runs west to Lake Pieman , where it ends at an intersection with C249. Route C249 enters from Zeehan as Heemskirk Road and runs north-west and north to Lake Pieman, where it becomes Corinna Road and continues north through Corinna, where it becomes Norfolk Road and continues north until it ends at an intersection with C214. Route C214 (Blackwater Road / Rebecca Road) starts at an intersection with C218 on
1794-559: The west and south west regions as its 'last frontier' for the remaining catchments for its power development schemes. As most of the European activity on the west coast (after the convict era) lies within the invention and use of the camera, most aspects of west coast history have been captured on film. The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery , and the State Library of Tasmania in Hobart are
1840-603: The west coast region have been subject to fire, and exploitation - as well as significant areas now under conservation. The history of the West Coast Piners who utilised the Franklin River and Gordon River and their tributaries is a vital part of west coast history. The legacy of the Hydro Electric Commission (The Hydro) on the west coast is a complex one, due to its sense in the 1940s to 1980s considering
1886-477: 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: Early European exploration of the range was made by explorers, and by convicts escaping from Macquarie Harbour Penal Station 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. Of
Mount Read - Misplaced Pages Continue
1932-433: Was connected by a 1,642-foot (500 m) haulage incline to Williamsford and then to the North East Dundas Tramway . The haulage was self-acting and 1-mile (1.6 km) long and 1,642 feet (500 m) high with a maximum gradient of 1 in 5. The mine was in production in the late nineteenth century. It had a major strike in 1906. The mine produced well into the mid twentieth century. The mine site had ceased operation and
1978-523: Was subject to cleanup processes in the early 2000s. The Hercules Gold and Silver Mining Company was an operating company that ceased in 1916. The Mount Read and Rosebery Mines Limited started as an ex-Mount Lyell offshoot, absorbed by EZ by 1925. The community, mainly known in early sources as the Mount Read township surrounding the Hercules minesite had various struggles for services and facilities. The hotel
2024-610: 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. The Pieman River Power Scheme involved the damming of rivers that start in the West Coast Range. It
2070-640: 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
2116-493: Was with the north coast, rather than the more populous southeast. The treacherous conditions at Hells Gates at the mouth of Macquarie Harbour , and ocean travel along the exposed western side of Tasmania have made marine travel a dangerous pastime even to the current day, despite modern technology. Memorial plaques to recent lost sailors on the wall at the northern edge of the Strahan wharf illustrate this. The current airstrip
#875124