Mount Tennent ( Aboriginal: ') is a

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 area, and is usually higher ...

with an elevation of in the southern part of the

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding township#Aust ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. The Gudgenby River flows at the base of the mountain.

Location and features

Mount Tennent is named after a local

bushranger Bushrangers were originally escaped convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who used the bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities. By the 1820s, the term had evolved to refer to those who took up " robbery unde ...

, John Tennant who had a hideout on the slopes of the mountain in 1827. It had previously been named Mount Currie by Allan Cunningham after Captain Mark Currie, who led the first European expedition nearby (Fraser and McJannett) in 1823.

Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

refer to the mountain as ''Tharwa'', also the name of the village at the northern foot of the mountain. In 2004, ACTEW announced that the creation of a large

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contr ...

by damming the Gudgenby River below Mount Tennent, was one of three options being considered as part of the ''Future Water Options Project'' in order to provide improved reliability and increased supply of

potable water Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, ...

for

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

and the ACT. By 2005, the

ACT Government The Government of the Australian Capital Territory, also referred to as the Australian Capital Territory Government or ACT Government, is the executive authority of the Australian Capital Territory, one of the territories of Australia. The lea ...

decided that the creation of the Mount Tennent dam would not proceed, instead opting for the enlargement of the

Cotter Dam The Cotter Dam is a concrete gravity and rockfill embankment dam across the Cotter River, located in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Both the dam and river are named after early settler in the area Garrett Cotter. The impounded Cot ...

Recreation

Mount Tennent is home to Australia's Outward Bound HQ. Throughout the year Mt Tennent is used by Outward Bound as camping grounds for their courses. Outward Bound also plant many native trees in the area as an environmental initiative. Mt Tennent also has a variety of walking trails and driving trails throughout its range. Many people travel from the base of the mountain to the summit every day as a part of exercise and recreational habit.

Note

There is a spelling difference between the naming of the mountain and the bushranger's name.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tennent, Mount Mountains of the Australian Capital Territory

Location and features

Recreation

Note

References

Further reading

External links