South West Tasmania is a

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

that has evoked curiosity and wonder during the period of European presence on the island. Initially relatively unexplored by Europeans, in the mid-twentieth century the area was considered for its potential resources for development. Much of the area is now protected within the

Southwest National Park Southwest National Park is an Australian national park located in the South West Tasmania, south-west of Tasmania, bounded by the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park to the north and the Hartz Mountains National Park to the east. It is a ...

and as part of the

Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, abbreviated to TWWHA, is a World Heritage Site in Tasmania, Australia. It is one of the largest conservation areas in Australia, covering , or almost 25 per cent of Tasmania. It is also one of the l ...

. The most notable controversy occurring in the region was the flooding of

Lake Pedder Lake Pedder, once a glacial outwash lake, is a man-made impoundment and diversion lake located in South West Tasmania, Australia. In addition to its natural catchment from the Frankland Range, the lake is formed by the 1972 damming of the ...

as part of a hydro-electric development, in 1972. This was followed, further north, by the proposed damming of the

Franklin River The Franklin River is a major perennial river located in the Central Highlands (Tasmania), Central Highlands and Western Tasmania, western regions of Tasmania, Australia. The river is located in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park at ...

in the early 1980s, which did not proceed. Southwest is a locality that covers most of the region. The locality (and therefore the region) is in the local government areas of Derwent Valley (29%),

Huon Valley The Huon Valley, often shortened to the Huon, is a rural region and river valley in southern Tasmania, Australia. Centred on the lower reaches of the Huon River, it was historically renowned for its apple orchards. Today the valley’s econ ...

(20%), Central Highlands (7%) and West Coast (44%). Its central point, near the encircled locality of

Strathgordon Strathgordon is a rural locality in the local government area (LGA) of Derwent Valley in the South-east LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about west of the town of New Norfolk. The 2016 census recorded a population of 15 for the state s ...

, is about west of the town of

New Norfolk New Norfolk ( ; Aboriginal Tasmanians#Big River, Leenowwenne/palawa kani: ''Wulawali'') is a river bank, riverside town located on the Derwent River (Tasmania), River Derwent in southeastern Tasmania, Australia. Established in 1807, it is Tasm ...

, the administrative centre for the Derwent Valley Council. The 2016 census has a population of 15 for the state suburb of Southwest.

Early surveys

Most early walks through the region were for discovery, or in the case of

Thomas Bather Moore Thomas Bather Moore (1850 1919) was a pioneer explorer of Western and South West, Tasmania, Australia. Biography He was born at New Norfolk, Van Diemen's Land and died at Queenstown. He was buried at the graveyard Strahan overlooking Macquar ...

was to establish tracks for access. In 1927, a walk through the area between

Cox Bight Cox or COX may refer to: Companies * Cox Enterprises, a media and communications company ** Cox Communications, cable provider ** Cox Media Group, a company that owns television and radio stations ** Cox Automotive, an Atlanta-based business ...

and

Bathurst Harbour Bathurst Harbour is a shallow bay located in the south west region of Tasmania, Australia. Bathurst Harbour is contained within the Port Davey/Bathurst Harbour Marine Nature Reserve, and the Southwest National Park, part of the Tasmanian Wil ...

even included the then governor of the state, Sir

James O'Grady Sir James O'Grady, (6 May 1866 – 10 December 1934) was a trade unionist and Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was the first colonial governor appointed by the Labour Party from within its own ranks. Early life O'Grady was ...

, and its intention was a search for geological information.

Locality boundaries

The

Southern Ocean The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the world ocean, generally taken to be south of 60th parallel south, 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is the seco ...

forms the western and southern boundaries. The locality encircles Strathgordon, and is adjoined by the localities of Macquarie Heads, Strahan, West Coast, Queenstown, Gormanston, Lake St Clair,

Derwent Bridge Derwent Bridge is a rural locality in the local government area (LGA) of Central Highlands in the Central LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about north-west of the town of Hamilton. The 2021 Census it listed with a population of 40 fo ...

, Butlers Gorge,

Tarraleah Tarraleah is a rural locality in the Local Government Area (LGA) of Central Highlands in the Central LGA region of Tasmania, Australia. In the 2016 census, a population of nil for the state suburb of Tarraleah was recorded. A large section ...

, Wayatinah, Florentine,

Maydena Maydena is a locality in Tasmania, Australia, alongside the River Tyenna. Maydena is on the Gordon River Road, south west of New Norfolk, through the Bushy Park Hop Fields, turn left at Westerway, past Mount Field National Park and Russell Fal ...

, Styx, Lonnavale,

Geeveston Geeveston is a small town in the south of Tasmania in Australia near the Huon River, south west of Hobart, making it Australia's most southerly administrative centre. The town takes its name from William Geeves, an English settler who was giv ...

, Raminea,

Strathblane Strathblane (, ) is a village and List of civil parishes in Scotland, parish in the registration county of Stirling, situated in the southwestern part of the Stirling (council area), Stirling council area, in central Scotland. It lies at the foo ...

Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...

, Lune River, and Recherche.

Road infrastructure

The A10 route (

Lyell Highway The Lyell Highway (Route A10) is a highway in Tasmania, running from Hobart to Queenstown. It is the one of two transport routes that passes through the West Coast Range, the other being the B28 Anthony Road. Name The name is derived fro ...

) enters from Derwent Bridge in the north-east and runs generally north-west until it reaches the north-western boundary, where it exits to Queenstown. Route B61 (

Gordon River Road The Gordon River Road, sometimes called the Strathgordon Road, (B61), is a road in the south western region of Tasmania, Australia. The road was built by the Hydro-Electric Commission of Tasmania with funding from the Australian Government t ...

) enters from Maydena in the east and runs generally west through Strathgordon to the

Gordon Dam The Gordon Dam, also known as the Gordon River Dam, is a major gated double curvature concrete arch dam with a controlled Spillway#Types, spillway across the Gordon River, located in Southwest National Park, Tasmania, Australia. The impounded r ...

, where it ends. Route C607 ( Scotts Peak Dam Road) starts at an intersection with B61 and runs south and west to

Scotts Peak Dam The Scotts Peak Dam is a rockfill embankment dam without a spillway across the Huon River, located in the South West region of Tasmania, Australia. The impounded reservoir, also formed with the Edgar Dam and the Serpentine Dam, is called La ...

, where it ends.

South West Advisory Committee

Members were Sir George B Cartland, G. J. Foot and A. G. Ogilvie. Submissions were received on its subject area. It made a preliminary report in May 1976, and a final report in August 1978.

South West Tasmania Resources Survey

Following national and international concern over the fate of South West Tasmania, Commonwealth Government funded the survey with the ''States Grants (Nature Conservation Act) Act'' of 1974. Further funding was provided from the ''Environment (Financial Assistance) Act'' of 1977. The South West Tasmania Resources Survey produced 25 Discussion Papers, 22 Working Papers and 20 Occasional papers - including the breakup of the region into river catchments: *

* Picton River * Huon Weld *

Lake Gordon Lake Gordon is a man-made reservoir created by the Gordon Dam, located on the upper reaches of the Gordon River in the south-west region of Tasmania, Australia. Features The reservoir was formed in the early 1970s as a result of the dam const ...

–

* Lower Gordon *

Macquarie Harbour Macquarie Harbour is a shallow fjord in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia. It is approximately , and has an average depth of , with deeper places up to . It is navigable by shallow-draft vessels. The main channel is kept clear by th ...

* King River * Mackintosh-Murchison * Wanderer and Giblin *

Davey River The Davey River is a perennial river located in the south-west region of Tasmania, Australia. Course and features The Davey River rises on the western slopes of the Frankland Range, below Coronation Peak, and flows generally south by west thr ...

* New River and South Coast

National inventory

Ten years after the South West Resources survey the Australia Heritage Commission published an inventory for the South West.R.G. Lesslie, B.G. Mackey, J. Shulmeister (1988) ''National wilderness inventory : Stage II, wilderness quality in Tasmania'' Canberra : Australian Heritage Commission "A Report to the Australian Heritage Commission'.

Early surveys

Locality boundaries

Road infrastructure

South West Advisory Committee

South West Tasmania Resources Survey

National inventory

See also

References

Further reading