South West Tasmania

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South West Tasmania
Federal division(s)
Lyons, Franklin
Localities around South West Tasmania:
Southern Ocean North West Tasmania Central Highlands
Southern Ocean South West Tasmania Southern Tasmania
Southern Ocean Southern Ocean Southern Ocean

South West Tasmania is a region in Tasmania 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 and as part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

The most notable controversy occurring in the region was the flooding of Lake Pedder as part of a hydro-electric development, in 1972. This was followed, further north, by the proposed damming of the Franklin River 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

New Norfolk, the administrative centre for the Derwent Valley Council. The 2016 census has a population of 15 for the state suburb of Southwest.[1]

Early surveys

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

Thomas Bather Moore
was to establish tracks for access.

In 1927, a walk through the area between

Bathurst Harbour even included the then governor of the state, Sir James O'Grady, and its intention was a search for geological information.[2]

Locality boundaries

The

Road infrastructure

The A10 route (Lyell Highway) 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) enters from Maydena in the east and runs generally west through Strathgordon to the Gordon Dam, where it ends. Route C607 (Scotts Peak Dam Road) starts at an intersection with B61 and runs south and west to Scotts Peak Dam, where it ends.[4][5]

South West Advisory Committee

Members were Sir

A. G. Ogilvie
. Submissions were received on its subject area.[6][7][8] It made a preliminary report in May 1976,[9] and a final report in August 1978.[10]

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.[11]

The South West Tasmania Resources Survey produced 25 Discussion Papers, 22 Working Papers and 20 Occasional papers[12] - including the breakup of the region into river catchments:[13]

National inventory

Ten years after the South West Resources survey the Australia Heritage Commission published an inventory for the South West.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ "2016 Census Quick Stats Southwest (Tas.)". quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 23 October 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  2. ^ "VISIT TO SOUTH WEST TASMANIA". The Daily Telegraph. Launceston, Tas. 6 January 1927. p. 4. Retrieved 10 July 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ Google (20 July 2020). "Southwest, Tasmania" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Placenames Tasmania – Southwest". Placenames Tasmania. Select “Search”, enter "39388B", click “Search”, select row, map is displayed, click “Details”. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Tasmanian Road Route Codes" (PDF). Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment. May 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  6. ^ Tasmanian Conservation Trust (1976), Saving Tasmania's south-west : an Australian wilderness heritage, Tasmanian Conservation Trust, retrieved 24 August 2014
  7. ^ Tasmania. National Parks and Wildlife Service (1976), Submission to the Special Advisory Committee on south-west Tasmania, National Parks and Wildlife, retrieved 24 August 2014
  8. ^ Cartland, George; Foot, Geoffrey James; Ogilvie, Albert George; Tasmania. Parliament. South West Advisory Committee (1976), South West Advisory Committee preliminary report, May 1976 : to the Minister for National Parks and Wildlife, the Honourable N.L.C. Batt M.H.A., Parliament House, Tasmania, T.J. Hughes, Govt. Printer, retrieved 24 August 2014
  9.  : Tasmanian Parliamentary paper ; no.61 of 1978
  10. – details of Survey p.1
  11. – details of Survey p.201 – Map 7-1
  12. "A Report to the Australian Heritage Commission'.

Further reading