The West Coast Range is a mountain range located in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia.
The range lies to the west and north of the main parts of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.
The range has had a significant number of mines utilising the geologically rich zone of Mount Read Volcanics. A number of adjacent ranges lie to the east: the Engineer Range, the Raglan Range, the Eldon Range, and the Sticht Range but in most cases these are on a west–east alignment, while the West Coast Range runs in a north–south direction, following the Mount Read volcanic arc.
The range has encompassed multiple land uses including the catchment area for Hydro Tasmania dams, mines, transport routes and historical sites. Of the communities that have existed actually in the range itself, Gormanston, is probably the last to remain.
Geographical features
These are determined by a number of factors - the southerly direction of glaciation in the King River Valley and around the Tyndalls; as well as the general north -south orientation of the West Coast Range itself.
Mountains
The following mountains are contained within the West Coast Range, including sub-ranges without a specifically named peak and also including subsidiary peaks.
Smaller hills and features
Darwin Crater - a probable meteorite impact crater associated with Darwin glass
Gooseneck Hill
Henty Glacial Moraine
Marble Bluff - adjacent to the confluence of the Eldon and South Eldon rivers and the northern edge of Lake Burbury Teepookana Plateau Thureau Hills - adjacent to the eastern slopes of Mount Owen and Mount Huxley Walford Peak - adjacent to Lake Dora
Rivers
Anthony River on the northern part of the range
Bird River at the southern end of the range
Eldon River on the eastern side of the range
Governor River on the eastern side of the range
Henty River on the western side of the range
King River starting in the Eldon Range and passing between Mount Huxley and Mount Jukes, dammed by The Hydro Mackintosh River Murchison River Pieman River Queen River runs through Queenstown, then to join with the King River to the west of Mount Huxley Sophia River South Eldon River Tofft River runs between the Thureau hills and Mount Owen and Mount Huxley Yolande River between Lake Margaret and the Henty River
Lakes
Basin Lake - on the western side of the range
Lake Adam - a tributary lake for Lake Margaret
Lake Barnabas
Lake Beatrice - on the eastern edge of Mount Sedgwick
Lake Burbury - created by the damming of the King River by The Hydro
Lake Dora
Lake Dorothy
Lake Huntley - on the eastern side of Mount Tyndall
Lake Julia - in the area of the range known as 'The Tyndalls'
Lake Mackintosh - created by damming the Mackintosh River
Lake Magdala - a tributary lake for Lake Margaret
Lake Martha - tributary lake for Lake Margaret
Lake Mary, Tasmania - a tributary lake for Lake Margaret
Lake Margaret on the northern side of Mount Sedgwick
Lake Monica - tributary lake for Lake Margaret
Lake Murchison - created by the damming of the Murchison River
Lake Myra - tributary lake for Lake Margaret
Lake Paul - tributary lake for Lake Margaret
Lake Peter - tributary lake for Lake Margaret
Lake Philip - a tributary lake for Lake Margaret
Lake Plimsoll
Lake Polycarp - a tributary lake for Lake Margaret
Lake Rolleston - between the Tyndall Range and the Sticht Range
Lake Selina - just west of Lake Plimsoll
Lake Spicer - just west of Eldon Peak
Lake Tyndall - south of Mount Tyndall
Lake Westwood - next to Mount Julia
Reserves
Mount Farrell Regional Reserve
Mount Murchison Regional Reserve
Tyndall Regional Reserve
Lake Beatrice Conservation Area
Princess River Conservation Area
Crotty Conservation Area
West Coast Range Regional Reserve (Clark River Valley)
Vegetation
The slopes of Mount Owen, Mount Lyell and Mount Sedgwick are covered in stumps of forest trees killed by fires and smelter fumes from the earlier part of the twentieth century. The devastation of forests close to the mining operations at Queenstown was substantial as early as the 1890s and continued late into the twentieth century.
Some Huon Pine on the slopes of Mount Read have been found that show considerable age.