Mount Ossa is the highest

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, with a summit 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 ...

. It makes up part of the Pelion Range within

Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is located in the Central Highlands area of Tasmania ( Australia), northwest of Hobart. The park contains many walking trails, and is where hikes along the well-known Overland Track usually begin. Ma ...

in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. It was first surveyed by Europeans in the 1860s, and confirmed to be the state's high point in 1954. Like most peaks in the area it is capped with

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...

dolerite Diabase (), also called dolerite () or microgabbro, is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. Diabase dikes and sills are typically shallow intrusive bodies and often exhibit fine-grain ...

History

The Mount Ossa highland area spans the boundary between the Big River and Northern

Tasmanian Aboriginal The Aboriginal Tasmanians (Palawa kani: ''Palawa'' or ''Pakana'') are the Aboriginal people of the Australian island of Tasmania, located south of the mainland. For much of the 20th century, the Tasmanian Aboriginal people were widely, and ...

nations. Several artifacts and campsites containing various stone types and tools have been discovered around Pelion to the north, and

Lake St Clair (Tasmania) Lake St Clair or ''leeawulenna'' is a natural freshwater lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on ...

to the south. It was first surveyed by Charles Gould in the 1860s and named after Mount Ossa in Greece following the theme of classical Greek names set by

George Frankland George Frankland (1800 – 30 December 1838) was an English surveyor and Surveyor-General of Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania). In 1823, Frankland was appointed surveyor-general at Poona, India, where he became acquainted with Edward Dum ...

, an early Tasmanian surveyor. However, its location was marked as on what is now called Mount Nereus, and later surveyors alternatively referred to it as Parsons Hood, Mount Dundas, Mount Blackhouse or simply numbered it. For years it was thought that

Cradle Mountain Cradle Mountain is a locality and mountain in the Central Highlands region of the Australian state of Tasmania. The mountain is situated in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. At above sea level, it is the sixth-highest mount ...

was the highest in Tasmania, with inexact equipment stymying attempts to closely examine the area. It was confirmed to be the highest mountain in Tasmania after an aerial survey in 1954.

Early development

In 1892 the ''Mole Creek and Zeehan Mineral Prospecting and Exploration Company Ltd'' discovered

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.9 Mya. It is the last period of the Paleoz ...

coal at the base of Mt Ossa and surrounding areas, excavating several tunnels. The seams were found to be of low quality and the tunnels were not developed, although copper mining was present in the surrounding area. A 1920s attempt to prospect for oil failed after the government warned investors away. Mining and surveying activities led to the development of the area. Stewards Track was created from the east, and was extended and renamed the Innes Track (now Arm River Track). Old Pelion Hut formed the base of mining operations, and still stands today as a hut on the

Overland Track The Overland Track is an Australian bushwalking track, traversing Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It's walked by more than nine thousand people each year, with numbers limited i ...

and start point for bushwalkers climbing Mount Ossa. Trappers worked in the area from the 1860s until the collapse of the fur trade in the 1950s, although hunting in the park was declared illegal after 1927. They established huts, some of which are still in use, and burned the land to encourage fresh growth and game.

National park

In the 1910s Gustav and Kate Weindorfer began campaigning for the area from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair, including Mount Ossa, to be a national park. It was declared a scenic reserve in 1922, a wildlife reserve in 1927 and its current designation of national park from 1947. During this transition former trappers began building huts and guiding bushwalkers, including

Paddy Hartnett Paddy may refer to: People *Paddy (given name), a list of people with the given name or nickname *An ethnic slur for an Irishman Birds *Paddy (pigeon), a Second World War carrier pigeon *Snowy sheathbill or paddy, a bird species *Black-faced sh ...

, Weindorfer and Bob Quaile. Since then Mount Ossa has become a popular bushwalking destination with an established route to the top. In 1991 30% of Overland Track walkers detoured up the mountain.

Climbing

Mount Ossa can be climbed via a well worn track from Pelion Gap to the summit. It can be approached either as a side trip from the

or via the Arm River Track. Conditions can be very severe in winter, with powerful winds and freezing temperatures. A short scramble is required to ascend the summit.

Gallery

MountOssa sept15.JPG, Mount Ossa, As viewed from the summit of Mt Pelion East Mount Ossa From Pelion Plains.jpg, Mount Ossa From Pelion Plains

References

External links

State8 Tasmania Mount Ossa
{{CentralHighlandsTasmania , state=autocollapse Ossa Ossa, Mount Ossa, Mount