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| Frankland Range | |
|---|---|
| Name | Frankland Range |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Tasmania |
| Elevation m | 1083 |
Frankland Range The Frankland Range is a mountain range in south-western Tasmania, Australia, forming a prominent part of the South West Tasmania wilderness near the mouth of the Gordon River. The range lies within the World Heritage-listed Tasmanian Wilderness and sits adjacent to features such as Lake Pedder and the Franklin River. Remote and rugged, it is notable for steep ridgelines, alpine summits and a role in Tasmanian conservation history.
The range runs roughly north–south between the upper reaches of the Serpentine River and the Gordon River, forming a barrier between the South West Cape region and inland plateaus like the Western Arthurs and Bathurst Harbour. Peaks in the area rise above 1,000 metres, with steep escarpments dropping toward the Huon River catchment and the Arthur Range. Weather systems from the Southern Ocean and fronts associated with the Roaring Forties produce high rainfall and rapid changes in conditions across the ridgeline.
The bedrock of the range is predominantly Precambrian and Cambrian quartzite and schist, continuous with the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area geology that includes the Flowerpot Bay-type metamorphics and Ordovician sediments. Tectonic processes during the Tasman Orogeny and later uplift events shaped the folded strata, while extensive Pleistocene glaciation left corries, moraines and U-shaped valleys similar to those seen in the West Coast Range. Later chemical weathering and peat formation produced the extensive buttongrass and moorland soils comparable to those on the Central Plateau.
Vegetation includes alpine heath, cushion plants, and eucalypt forests on lower slopes such as those dominated by Eucalyptus delegatensis and Eucalyptus regnans in more sheltered gullies. Sphagnum bogs and buttongrass plains host endemic species comparable to those recorded in surveys of the Tasmanian Wilderness Area. Fauna includes populations of Tasmanian devil, Bennett's wallaby, and rare birdlife like the Forty-spotted pardalote in nearby habitats; higher altitudes support alpine specialists such as the Tasmanian tree frog and montane invertebrates similar to those catalogued in the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens collections. Introduced species and pathogens that affected fauna elsewhere in Tasmania, including Phytophthora cinnamomi and Dasyurus-related threats, are concerns for biodiversity in adjacent reserves.
The area lies within the traditional lands of Aboriginal Tasmanians associated with groups who travelled across the south-west as part of seasonal movements recorded in studies of Palawa heritage and oral histories linked to sites like Cataract Gorge. European exploration began with early 19th-century expeditions linked to the Van Diemen's Land era, and later survey work by figures connected to the Tasmanian Surveyor-General office documented peaks and passes during the 19th and 20th centuries. The range featured in debates involving the Hydro-Electric Commission (Tasmania) and environmental campaigns led by organizations such as the Tasmanian Wilderness Society and personalities involved in the Franklin Dam controversy.
Access is predominantly by bushwalking and paddling via routes connecting to the Overland Track-style wilderness travel, with approaches from launch points on Lake Pedder and the Gordon River system used by outfitters operating out of Strahan, Tasmania and staging points near Cockle Creek, Tasmania. Routes include long ridgeline traverses, scramble routes to summits, and multi-day treks that require navigation skills comparable to those needed for the Western Arthurs Traverse. Weather and remoteness mean visitors often rely on aircraft access such as charter flights to remote lakes, bushwalking huts maintained by groups like the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, and guidance from commercial operators registered with the Tourism Tasmania framework.
The Frankland Range is managed under the statutory protections of the National Parks and Reserves Management Act 2002 (Tasmania) as part of the larger Southwest National Park (Tasmania) and the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area buffer programs. Conservation efforts involve coordination between the Parks and Wildlife Service (Tasmania), Aboriginal heritage bodies representing Palawa interests, and national agencies associated with Environment Australia-era policies. Threat mitigation focuses on invasive species control, fire management aligned with practices used in Kunanyi / Mount Wellington planning, and research partnerships with institutions such as the University of Tasmania and the Australian National University to monitor climate impacts and assist long-term biodiversity programs.