Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park

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Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park
Tasmania
IUCN category II (national park)
Nelson Falls.jpg
Nelson Fall
Nearest town or cityStrathgordon
Coordinates42°24′34″S 146°01′55″E / 42.40944°S 146.03194°E / -42.40944; 146.03194Coordinates: 42°24′34″S 146°01′55″E / 42.40944°S 146.03194°E / -42.40944; 146.03194
Established1908
Area4,463.42 km2 (1,723.3 sq mi)
Managing authoritiesTasmania Parks and Wildlife Service
WebsiteFranklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park
See alsoProtected areas of Tasmania

Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers is a national park in Tasmania, 117 km west of Hobart. It is named after the two main river systems lying within the bounds of the park - the Franklin River and the Gordon River.

Location[edit]

The Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park lies between the Central Highlands and West Coast Range of Tasmania in the heart of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.[1]

It is bisected by the only road to pass through this area - the Lyell Highway.

History[edit]

The genesis of the Wild Rivers National Park was in the earlier Frenchmans Cap National Park which had the Franklin River as its boundary on the northern and western borders. Frenchmans Cap is a dominant feature in the region, and can be seen on the skyline from the west and north of the park.[2]

The Gordon and Franklin Rivers were the subject of one of Australia's largest conservation efforts.[3] The Franklin Dam was part of a proposed hydro-electric power scheme that had been in the plans of The Hydro for some time. The enthusiastic endorsement by Robin Gray's Liberal Government would have seen the river flooded. It became a national issue for the Tasmanian Wilderness Society, led by its director at the time, Bob Brown.

Despite being given heritage status, the catchments and rivers remain at risk.[clarification needed][4]

Access points[edit]

The Lyell Highway winds for 56 kilometres through the heart of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Tasmania. Parks and Wildlife Service (2010), Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park : visitor information, Dept. of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, retrieved 3 March 2014 see also http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/indeX.aspX?base=3937 Archived 11 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Tasmania. Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment; TASMAP (issuing body.) (2013), Frenchmans Cap : within the Franklin - Gordon Wild Rivers National Park : part of Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, Hobart, Tasmania TASMAP, retrieved 3 March 2014CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - the Tasmap series about the Franklin river and Frenchmans Cap is an excellent introduction to the area.
  3. ^ Brown, Bob; Brown, Bob, 1944-; Tasmanian Wilderness Society (1983), The Franklin and Lower Gordon Rivers (4th ed. (rev.) ed.), Tasmanian Wilderness Society, ISBN 978-0-908412-02-0CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Allardice, Sas (2005), "The Franklin-Gordon wild rivers: safe from more dams but still vulnerable", Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, 9 (2): 69–73, ISSN 1324-1486

External links[edit]

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