Eldon Range

Eldon Range is a mountain range in western Tasmania, Australia. It is located at the edge of Lake Burbury and the western edge of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area which includes the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.

The range is east of the main line of the West Coast Range and runs at right angle to it in a West-East direction. It is separated from that range by the King River valley and is bordered by the Eldon River to the north and west.

Naming

It is claimed that Henry Hellyer named the present day Mount Farrell near Tullah with this same name in 1828 after Lord Eldon Lord Chancellor of England, however Charles Gould in 1869 gives this name to the range. [Cite book |editor=Stoddart, D.M |title=Walk to the West |first=James Backhouse |last=Walker |location=Hobart |publisher=Published on behalf of the Royal Society of Tasmania by Artemis Pub. Consultants |year=1993 |isbn=0-9598679-9-6]

Mountains

Eldon Peak (coord|41|58|S|145|43|E|region:AU-TAS_type:mountain) is the highest point at 1439 metres, and the western peak. Similarly named Eldon Bluff (coord|41|58|S|145|49|E|region:AU-TAS_type:mountain) is the eastern peak. A smaller peak to the south is known as the Little Eldons with a height of 640 metres and it is separated from the Eldon Range by the South Eldon river.

Eldon Peak is one of the least visited peaks in Tasmania due to its remoteness. It was climbed in 1947 by legendary Tasmanian bushwalker Keith Lancaster, who recorded a cairn on the summit, indicating it was not the first European ascent [http://users.bigpond.net.au/dveltkamp/KeithLancaster/071HermitofGordonVale.htm] . Lancaster ascended from the King River valley, a route no longer possible due to the impoundment of the river. Modern approaches would be from the south-east or south arriving at Lake Ewart at the foot of Eldon Bluff. All approaches are over trackless terrain with patches of difficult scrub.

Part of the route from the south east follows the western border of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, marked with poles by the bushman Charlie Spencer. Few of the poles still survive, and could not be relied upon. Navigation in this area would be extremely difficult in poor weather

References

Further reading

*Cite book |last=Whitham |first=Charles |title=Western Tasmania: A Land of Riches and Beauty
*2003 edition - Queenstown: Municipality of Queenstown.
*1949 edition - Hobart: Davies Brothers. OCLC 48825404; ASIN B000FMPZ80
*1924 edition - Queenstown: Mount Lyell Tourist Association. OCLC 35070001; ASIN B0008BM4XC
*

External links

* [http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/wha/wherein/detail.html Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area] - Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service

* [http://users.bigpond.net.au/dveltkamp/KeithLancaster/index.htm#1941-50] - Keith Lancaster's Mountaineering diaries