The Montezuma Falls (formerly Osbourne Falls), a
horsetail waterfall on a minor tributary to the
Pieman River
The Pieman River is a major perennial river located in the west coast region of Tasmania, Australia.
Course and features
Formed by the confluence of the Mackintosh River and Murchison River, the Pieman River rises in what is now known as L ...
, is located on the
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
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
, Australia.
Naming
The falls draws its name from
Montezuma (1466-1520), an
Aztec
The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...
emperor of Mexico. A mining company called the Montezuma Silver Mining Company, formed in 1891, held leases in the area surrounding the falls.
Location and features
The Montezuma Falls are situated north-east of
Zeehan
Zeehan is a town on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia south-west of Burnie. It is part of the West Coast Council, along with the seaport Strahan, and neighbouring mining towns of Dundas, Rosebery and Queenstown.
History
The greater ...
, near the village of , accessible via the
Murchison Highway
The Murchison Highway is a highway located in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia. The highway runs generally north–south, with Somerset, near Burnie, as its northern terminus and Zeehan as its southern terminus. The highway was ...
. The falls commence at an elevation of
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
and descend in the range of ,
[ making the falls one of the highest in Tasmania.][
The three-hour return ]walking track
A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. The ...
from the trackhead at the foot of Mount Read near .
Railway
The track follows much of the route of the former narrow gauge North East Dundas Tramway
The North East Dundas Tramway was a Narrow-gauge railway, narrow gauge tramway (industrial), tramway, that ran between Zeehan and Deep Lead (now Williamsford, Tasmania, Williamsford) on the West Coast, Tasmania, West Coast of Tasmania. Opening ...
and earlier views of the falls include the passing railway line.
The falls location was a stopping point on the North East Dundas tram
The proximity of the line to the falls was described in 1926:
This little railway is a "show" line of the highest order, for it dives quickly amongst the mountains, brushing the fringe of immense forests, and at one point giving a near view, of the hand- some Montezuma Falls-so near that the spray actually dashes at times against the carriage win- dows. From Williamsford one can take a motor for the five miles to Rosebery.
The railway alignment, after closing of the operation, was used for trips to view the falls.
See also
* List of waterfalls of Tasmania
References
Further reading
*
*
*
{{Australian Waterfalls , state=autocollapse
Waterfalls of Tasmania
West Coast Range
Horsetail waterfalls