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| Tasmanian central highlands | |
|---|---|
| Name | Central Highlands (Tasmania) |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Tasmania |
| Region | Central Highlands |
Tasmanian central highlands The Central Highlands of Tasmania form a prominent upland plateau in the island state of Australia, situated inland from Hobart and Launceston. The region comprises lakes, plateaux, glaciated cirques and alpine plains that are important to environmental science, water resource management and recreational angling, and have been the focus of policy debates involving agencies such as the Tasmanian Government, the Australian National University and conservation groups including the Tasmanian Land Conservancy. The landscape has cultural significance for Indigenous nations including the Palawa, and features in the histories recorded by figures like Abel Tasman and explorers such as John Oxley and Lachlan Macquarie.
The highlands lie on the central part of the island between geographic anchors such as Derwent River, River Ouse (Tasmania), Great Lake (Tasmania), Walls of Jerusalem National Park, and the Western Tiers. Prominent local landmarks include Miena, Bridestowe, Lake St Clair, Ben Lomond, and Mount Field (proximal features), with access via corridors like the Lyell Highway, the Highland Lakes Road, and the A5 road. Surrounding regional centres and administrative entities include Central Highlands Council (Tasmania), Northern Midlands Council, and the urban influences of New Norfolk and Deloraine. The highlands form part of broader physiographic divisions including the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area buffer zone and adjoin landscapes such as the Western Tasmania. Settlement patterns cluster near hydro villages like Poatina and historical pastoral runs such as Sorell Creek holdings.
Bedrock and Quaternary geomorphic features reflect episodes recorded in works by geologists associated with Geoscience Australia and the University of Tasmania. The plateau rests on Silurian and Devonian lithologies comparable to formations mapped near Mount Read, West Coast Range, and the Fingal Valley. Glacial cirques, moraines and patterned ground echo Pleistocene glaciation documented in research by investigators from CSIRO and the Australian Academy of Science. Karst and lacustrine processes influenced the development of basins such as Great Lake (Tasmania) and Donnelly River (Tasmania) tributaries, with structural controls linked to faults studied in the Tasmanian Geological Survey. Mineral occurrences recorded historically near Lyell, Zeehan, and Queenstown, Tasmania provide context for regional geological evolution.
The highlands display montane and alpine climates classified in datasets curated by the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia) and analysed in studies from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. Cold winters with snow and cool summers influence evaporative regimes in headwaters of the Derwent River and South Esk River, where catchment management has been coordinated by agencies like the Derwent Catchment Project. Major hydrological infrastructure includes hydroelectric impoundments and schemes operated by Hydro Tasmania feeding systems such as the Great Lake and Waddamana Power Station (historic), with water allocation oversight involving entities including the Tasmanian Water and Sewerage Corporation. Climatic variability is monitored through networks tied to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and researched in climate modelling by groups at the University of Melbourne and Monash University.
Montane button grass moorlands, alpine heath and buttongrass plains host flora documented in floras by the Tasmanian Herbarium and field guides authored by botanists associated with the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. Key plant taxa include endemic genera and species recorded in surveys by the Australian National Herbarium and conservation listings managed by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (Australia). Fauna includes populations of Tasmanian devil, Eastern quoll, Tasmanian pademelon, and avifauna such as Black currawong and Green rosella studied by ornithologists at the BirdLife Australia network. Aquatic systems support native galaxias and trout introduced for angling, with fisheries management involving the Inland Fisheries Service (Tasmania) and research collaborations with the University of Tasmania School of Aquaculture. Threats from invasive species and pathogens have been the focus of mitigation plans by Parks and Wildlife Service (Tasmania) and conservation NGOs like the Tasmanian Land Conservancy.
The area lies within the cultural landscape of the Palawa people, whose seasonal movement and connection to features such as lake systems and mountain plateaux are recorded in oral histories and ethnographic work by researchers at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. European exploration links include voyages by Abel Tasman and subsequent colonial surveys by figures like George Frankland and John Batman (contextual explorers and surveyors), while 19th‑century pastoralism and hydroelectric development involved entities including the Hydro-Electric Commission (Tasmania). Archaeological investigations by teams from the University of Tasmania and heritage assessments by the Tasmanian Heritage Council document pre-contact sites, convict-era routes and mid-20th-century dam works such as those affecting Great Lake (Tasmania).
Land tenure mixes national parks managed by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, reserves under the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, pastoral leases, hydroelectric easements owned by Hydro Tasmania, and private conservation covenants held by the Tasmanian Land Conservancy. Policy instruments and management plans developed by the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (Tasmania) and legal frameworks referenced in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 guide conservation outcomes. Restoration and threatened species programs involve partnerships with research institutes such as the Australian National University and NGOs including WWF-Australia and Bush Heritage Australia, while community groups like local angling clubs and Landcare chapters contribute to on-ground stewardship.
Recreational activities include trout fishing promoted by the Inland Fisheries Service (Tasmania), bushwalking on routes appearing in guides by the Australian Alpine Club, and alpine skiing and touring events organised through associations such as the Ski and Snowboard Club of Tasmania. Accommodation and visitor services are provided in towns like Miena, Bothwell, and Hamilton, and attractions are marketed by regional bodies including Tourism Tasmania and the Central Highlands Council (Tasmania). Visitor impacts and sustainable tourism strategies are subjects of research at institutions like the University of Tasmania and governance discussions involving the Tasmanian Tourism Industry Council.
Category:Regions of Tasmania