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| Gordon River Road | |
|---|---|
| Name | Gordon River Road |
| Other name | Strathgordon Road |
| Length km | 83 |
| Location | Tasmania, Australia |
| Constructed | 1960s–1970s |
| Maintained by | Tasmanian Department of State Growth |
| Terminus a | Gordon River, west of Gordon River mouth |
| Terminus b | Lake Pedder/Strathgordon |
Gordon River Road Gordon River Road is a sealed and unsealed arterial access road in western Tasmania that connects the eastern road network near Maydena and Florentine with the western hydroelectric development and wilderness gateway at Strathgordon and Gordon Dam. The route provides vehicular access through terrain associated with Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Southwest National Park, Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and is a primary corridor for tourism, hydroelectric operations by Hydro Tasmania, forestry logistics, and scientific access to remote platypus and endemic flora sites.
The road begins near Maydena, linking to the Lyell Highway and traversing south-west across the Florentine River catchment, skirting the Southwest Conservation Area before descending towards the Gordon River valley; it terminates at Strathgordon adjacent to Lake Pedder and the Gordon Dam, providing an access point for excursions to Franklin River, Gordon River, Serpentine River and launch sites for river cruises. Along its approximately 83-kilometre course it crosses tributaries associated with the Derwent River basin, passes near the West Coast Range foothills, and offers access to trailheads for the South Coast Track and the Western Arthurs. The route includes sealed sections and gravel stretches that traverse terrain characterised by buttongrass moorland, temperate rainforest, and eucalypt forest communities found in the Takayna / Tarkine fringe and adjacent to parks managed by the Parks and Wildlife Service.
The origin of the road lies in mid-20th-century hydroelectric development projects led by Hydro-Electric Commission initiatives associated with the post-war expansion of Tasmania’s power grid under figures such as Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop—and in the context of national debates that involved organisations like the Australian Conservation Foundation and politicians including Gough Whitlam and Bob Brown. Construction was driven by the need to access the Gordon Dam site as part of the Gordon River Power Development, with works occurring during the 1960s and 1970s under state ministries influenced by premiers such as Eric Reece and administrations that commissioned consultants including the Hydro-Electric Commission engineering teams and contractors from interstate firms. The road has been central to controversies exemplified by campaigns around the Franklin Dam proposal and the resultant Franklin River campaign, intersecting with legal and political events such as the Commonwealth v Tasmania case and environmental activism led by the Tasmanian Wilderness Society.
Engineering works included bridge spans over the Florentine River, culverts designed for high-precipitation events typical of the West Coast climate, and rock-cutting through dolerite and Jurassic sediments found in the West Coast Range region. Contractors employed techniques similar to those used on other Tasmanian infrastructure projects like the Gordon Power Station access ways, utilising heavy plant sourced from firms involved in projects at Crotty and the King River hydropower developments. Geotechnical challenges included peat bogs in buttongrass plains and slope stability adjacent to rainforest gullies near Franklin River tributaries, necessitating drainage schemes modelled on earlier works at Lake Burbury and stabilisation reflecting standards later adopted by the Department of State Growth. Maintenance regimes involve periodic grading, resealing and bridge inspections coordinated with Hydro Tasmania and local councils.
The road traverses parts of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and provided unprecedented vehicle access to previously remote ecosystems, provoking responses from conservationists connected to the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, and the Wilderness Society. Its presence has influenced species surveys for endemic fauna such as the thylacine (extinct), Tasmanian devils, spotted-tail quoll, and the platypus in tributary streams, and prompted botanical assessments of endemic plants including King Billy pine and Huon pine populations. Road-induced edge effects and invasive species introductions have been documented in reports commissioned by agencies including the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and university departments at University of Tasmania campuses in Hobart and Launceston. The corridor has also affected hydrological regimes linked to reservoirs like Lake Pedder and altered fire management strategies used by the Tasmanian Fire Service and national park rangers.
Facilities at the western terminus include the township of Strathgordon with limited visitor accommodation, a service station established during the dam project era, interpretive signage about the Gordon Dam and Hydro Tasmania operations, and boat ramps into Lake Pedder. The eastern approaches provide connections to visitor centres at Maydena and access to guided tours offered by operators from Queenstown and Hobart, with informal camping areas and trailheads for multi-day walks such as routes to Franklin River campsites and the South Coast Track. Communications are intermittent; the road is subject to seasonal closures and managed access during maintenance by authorities including the Parks and Wildlife Service (Tasmania) and Hydro Tasmania.
Notable incidents on the route have included vehicle breakdowns in remote weather conditions, search and rescue operations coordinated by the SES and the Tasmania Police Airwing, and environmental spills during construction phases that attracted attention from the Environmental Protection Authority (Tasmania). Historical accidents involved heavy machinery during the dam build and occasional wildfire-related road closures involving the Tasmanian Fire Service. Visitor safety campaigns have referenced guidance from Parks and Wildlife Service rangers, Tourism Tasmania advisories, and local emergency services emphasising four-wheel-drive competence, river-crossing precautions near tributaries of the Gordon River, and preparedness for sudden weather changes typical of the Southwest National Park.
Gordon River Road underpins regional economies by enabling hydroelectric generation at the Gordon Power Station, facilitating tourism circuits from Hobart and Strahan to the Franklin River, and supporting forestry logistics historically linked to mills in Gordonvale and supply chains to Queenstown. Culturally, the corridor intersects with Aboriginal heritage sites significant to Palawa people and has been a focal point in environmental narratives that shaped national policy, including interventions by figures such as Bob Hawke and organisations like the Wilderness Society. The road features in publications by Australian Geographic, academic theses from the University of Tasmania, and documentary treatments aired by broadcasters including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that examine the tensions between resource development and conservation emblematic of late 20th-century Australian environmental history.
Category:Roads in Tasmania Category:Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area