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| West Coast Range | |
|---|---|
| Name | West Coast Range |
| Photo caption | Aerial view of peaks including Mount Lyell and surrounding terrain |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Tasmania |
| Highest | Mount Murchison |
| Elevation m | 1275 |
| Length km | 150 |
West Coast Range is a mountain range on the west coast of Tasmania in Australia. The range forms a distinctive, widely rugged escarpment that separates the west coast region from the Central Plateau and drains into major river systems such as the King River, Henty River, and Franklin River. The area is noted for extensive mining, dense temperate rainforest, and significant conservation debates involving stakeholders such as the Tasmanian Government, Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, and local communities.
The range extends roughly from the headwaters near Lake Burbury and Lake Gordon to the coastal escarpments around Strahan and Cockle Creek, encompassing prominent peaks including Mount Lyell, Mount Owen, Mount Murchison, and Mount Jukes. Valleys carved by glaciers and rivers host features such as the Gordon River, King River Gorge, and the tributaries that feed Macquarie Harbour. Nearby localities and infrastructures include Queenstown, Strahan, Zeehan, Rosebery, and the historical rail corridor of the West Coast Wilderness Railway. Access routes connect through passes near Tullah and via the Lyell Highway and the Murchison Highway.
The lithology of the region records complex Proterozoic to Paleozoic histories including sequences of Precambrian and Cambrian sediments metamorphosed during orogenies related to the Gondwana assembly. Key lithologies are massive schist, sandstone, and volcanic rock hosting pyritic and sulfide ore deposits which resulted in rich polymetallic mineralization exploited at sites such as Mount Lyell and Zeehan. Tectonic structures include major fault systems that influenced mineral emplacement and later glacial sculpting during the Pleistocene. Geophysical surveys and drilling by companies like Riversgold and historical firms such as Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company have charted ore bodies including copper, lead, zinc, and tin deposits.
The climate is temperate maritime with high precipitation influenced by westerly airstreams from the Southern Ocean and the Roaring Forties. Snowfall at higher elevations and persistent orographic rain support extensive cool temperate rainforest dominated by species such as Antarctic beech and myrtaceous communities near river valleys and buttongrass plains characteristic of the Tasmanian temperate rainforests. Fauna includes endemic mammals like the Tasmanian devil, spotted-tail quoll, and diverse avifauna including the green rosella and yellow wattlebird which inhabit adjacent reserves. The region’s peatlands and alpine herbfields are ecosystems of conservation concern monitored by agencies including the Parks and Wildlife Service (Tasmania).
Aboriginal people of groups associated with the western Tasmanian coast used coastal and riverine resources prior to European contact; maritime approaches feature in records from early explorers such as Abel Tasman and later surveys by George Bass and Matthew Flinders. European exploration accelerated in the 19th century with prospecting by figures like James Reid Scott and others connected to colonial administrations of Van Diemen's Land. Settlement hubs grew at Queenstown and Zeehan during mining booms, while transport projects involved the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company and later the West Coast Wilderness Railway. Political and social movements including the Franklin Dam controversy and campaigns by environmental groups such as the Tasmanian Wilderness Society shaped 20th-century policy debates over hydroelectric development and heritage listing.
Mineral discovery in the 19th century led to intensive extraction of copper, silver, lead, zinc, and tin at mines like Mount Lyell Mine, Comstock Mine, and operations around Rosebery and Zeehan. Smelting works, port facilities at Strahan and rail links such as the Emu Bay Railway transported ore. Mining impacts included deforestation and acid drainage events in river systems that prompted remediation efforts by companies, regulators, and community groups; notable corporations with historical involvement include Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company and later entities managing tailings and rehabilitation. Contemporary resource exploration involves multinational and Australian firms seeking base metals and rare earths with environmental assessments conducted under the aegis of the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994 (Tasmania) and state planning instruments.
Large tracts of high conservation value lie within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and national parks managed by the Parks and Wildlife Service (Tasmania), with tourism centered on wilderness experiences offered from towns like Strahan and Queenstown. Recreational activities include hiking on routes connected to the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, trout fishing in rivers such as the King River, and scenic rail journeys on the West Coast Wilderness Railway. Conservation conflicts have involved the Franklin Dam controversy legacy, world heritage listings championed by the Australian Heritage Commission, and contemporary stakeholder engagement among government bodies, indigenous representatives, and conservation NGOs like the Australian Conservation Foundation.