Tasmanian Wilderness

Tasmanian Wilderness
Name	Tasmanian Wilderness
Caption	Franklin River gorge in Southwest National Park
Location	Tasmania, Australia
Area	1,580,000 ha
Established	1982 (World Heritage listing 1982, extensions 1989, 2010)
Designation	UNESCO World Heritage Site
Governing body	Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service

Tasmanian Wilderness The Tasmanian Wilderness is a large World Heritage listed region in Tasmania encompassing complex alpine plateaus, temperate rainforests, eucalypt moorlands and coastal heathlands. It contains extensive glaciated landforms, deep river gorges and karst systems, and holds significant Indigenous archaeological sites, colonial exploration routes and national parks. The area is internationally recognized for its wilderness values, biodiversity, and cultural heritage.

Geography and Landscape

The region spans remote areas including Southwest National Park, Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Walls of Jerusalem National Park and Freycinet National Park and features mountain ranges such as the Western Arthur Range, Ben Lomond, Western Tiers and Central Highlands. Major rivers drain into the Gordon River, Franklin River, Derwent River and Huon River, while glacial lakes include Lake St Clair and Dove Lake. Notable karst and cave systems occur near Mole Creek and the limestone of the Moriarty Range, with dolerite columns forming dramatic cliffs like those at Castle Crag (Tasmania). The coastal margins include features at Tarkine, South Cape Bay and the peninsulas of Tasman Peninsula and Freycinet Peninsula. Climate gradients produce alpine snowfields, subalpine buttongrass moorlands and wet sclerophyll forest across altitudinal zones.

Ecology and Biodiversity

The area supports endemic fauna such as the Tasmanian devil, eastern quoll, spotted-tailed quoll, Tasmanian bettong and populations of common wombat and bennett's wallaby. Avifauna includes forty-spotted pardalote, Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle, green rosella and migratory shorebirds at coastal wetlands like Little Swanport. Freshwater ecosystems host species such as the Galaxias spp. and endemic invertebrates, while alpine vegetation includes cushion plants and endemic species like King Billy pine (Athrotaxis selaginoides) in refugial stands. Rainforest communities contain Nothofagus gunnii, Eucalyptus regnans and understories with Lomatia tinctoria and Tasmannia lanceolata. Threats to biodiversity have included Phytophthora cinnamomi, Devil facial tumour disease, invasive species such as red fox and weeds introduced via historical sites and tracks.

Indigenous Heritage and Archaeology

The area preserves archaeological evidence associated with peoples, with occupation sites, shell middens and artefact scatters linked to groups such as the Paredarerme, Lyluequonny and Toogee. Significant places include rock art at Mount William (Tasmania), ancient camp sites near Crescent Bay, and hearth and occupation deposits on the Tasman Peninsula and Freycinet Peninsula. Excavations recovering stone tools, bone assemblages and charcoal sequences have informed debates tied to researchers from institutions like the Australian National University and University of Tasmania. Indigenous songlines and oral traditions intersect with colonial-era encounters involving figures such as George Augustus Robinson and missions like the Flinders Island resettlement, with continuing cultural heritage management by organisations including the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre.

History and European Exploration

European exploration brought sealers, whalers and explorers including Abel Tasman's early contact history, nineteenth-century figures such as Matthew Flinders and inland surveyors like John Batman and Edward Curr. Nineteenth-century resource extraction involved timber operations linked to companies including Hydro-Electric Commission (Tasmania) and mining ventures at Zeehan and Queenstown, Tasmania. The region was central to the 20th-century environmental conflicts exemplified by campaigns led by organisations such as the Australian Conservation Foundation, Tasmanian Wilderness Society and activists like Bob Brown, resulting in high-profile events including the Franklin Dam controversy and legal actions before the High Court of Australia. Scientific expeditions from institutions such as the Royal Society of Tasmania and international researchers have mapped glacial geomorphology and palaeoecology across the plateau.

Conservation and Management

World Heritage listing was secured through nominations supported by governments including the Commonwealth of Australia and the Tasmanian Government, and management involves agencies like the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service and advisory bodies such as the Australian Heritage Council. Conservation measures address threatened species recovery programs overseen by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment and biosecurity responses coordinated with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Heritage protection engages legal frameworks including the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and state-level reserves legislation, while land-use debates have involved proposals by hydroelectric proponents and forestry interests, contested through litigation and inquiries conducted by bodies such as the Australian Human Rights Commission and environmental review panels.

Tourism and Recreation

Tourism destinations within the area include track networks like the Overland Track, walking routes to Cradle Mountain, river trips on the Gordon River and coastal experiences at Freycinet National Park and Bruny Island. Operators offering guided expeditions range from small ecotourism firms to larger outfitters licensed by the Parks and Wildlife Service and associations such as the Tourism Industry Council Tasmania. Visitor management balances access with conservation through permits, boardwalks and seasonal closures informed by research from Tourism Tasmania, universities and NGOs like WWF-Australia. Cultural tourism initiatives engage with Tasmanian Aboriginal guides and organisations to present Indigenous history, while volunteer groups coordinated by the Australian Conservation Foundation and local councils support track maintenance and invasive species control.

Category:Protected areas of Tasmania Category:World Heritage Sites in Australia