In the Australian state of Tasmania , there are many areas which are commonly known by regional names . Regions are areas that share similar characteristics. These characteristics may be natural such as the Furneaux Islands , the coastline, or the Central Highlands . Alternatively, the characteristics may be cultural, such as a viticulture land use. Tasmania is divided by numerous regional boundaries, based on different characteristics. In many cases boundaries defined by different government agencies are coterminous and are often cited by the Australian and local media that tend to distinguish between North West, West Coast, Southern, and East Coast.
31-467: The West Coast of Tasmania is one of the regions of Tasmania in Australia . It is mainly isolated rough country and is associated with wilderness , mining and tourism . It served as the location of an early convict settlement in the early history of Van Diemen's Land , and contrasts sharply with the more developed and populous northern and eastern parts of the island state. The west coast has
62-637: A considerable record of the region, which regularly appears in either their own or on generally accessible websites on the Internet. The Tasmanian West bioregion comprises the West Coast region and the South West region. The gazetted locality/suburb named "West Coast" covers a largely uninhabited region between the Arthur River and Queenstown , and does not include the populated towns in
93-455: A much cooler and wetter climate when compared to the east coast. Frequent low pressure systems hit the west coast causing heavy rain, snow, and ice. The West Coast Range blocks these systems from impacting the east, therefore making the West Coast a rain catchment with some areas receiving over 2,000 millimetres (79 in) of rain a year. In winter temperatures at sea level hover around 10 °C (50 °F), and when not raining, morning frost
124-496: A scheme of tourist promotion; some tourist regions are in sub-regions, or a component of separate regions, and others are grabs of separate regions. Regions most commonly used for tourism purposes include: As of 2015 Tourism Tasmania, a Tasmanian Government body, divided the state into five regions on the Tasmanian mainland, and two regions covering the two major Bass Strait islands: Zones have also been historically used for
155-479: Is a land area made up of a group of interacting ecosystems that are repeated in similar form across the landscape. Regions and subregion cross state and territory boundaries. There are nine bioregions that are located within all or part of Tasmania: Since 2013, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) divided Tasmania into eleven land-based districts for the purpose weather forecasting . In addition,
186-539: Is a non-capital, urban region of one or more adjoining areas, with a population of 25,000 or more. The SDist is defined with consideration of a 20-year growth forecast. The SDist does not need to conform to LGA boundaries or to state territory boundaries. The two Statistical Districts in Tasmania are: The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) is a biogeographic regionalisation of Australia; divided into 89 bioregions and 419 subregions. Each region
217-542: Is adjoined by the localities of Arthur River , Couta Rocks, Cradle Mountain , Gormanston , Granville Harbour , Guildford , Lake Margaret , Lileah, Luina, Mawbanna , Middlesex, Nelson Bay, Parrawe, Queenstown , Roger River , Savage River , Southwest , Strahan , Temma, Togari, Trial Harbour , Trowutta , Tullah , Waratah , and West Takone . The locality contains the following road routes: • A10 • B24 • B27 • B28 • C132 • C214 • C218 • C247 • C248 • C249 • C252 The A10 route ( Zeehan Highway ) enters from Queenstown in
248-454: Is at Strahan , with the airstrip at Queenstown no longer a current registered landing ground. In the 1970s a regular service to the east coast was run by Airlines of Tasmania . All transport services to the west coast are subject to interruption by severe weather. In addition to closures of air and marine service, the roads to the west coast may be blocked for days at a time by ice and snow during severe winter conditions. The consequence of
279-415: Is between Macquarie Heads on the west and Entrance Island on the east (the main length of the harbour runs southeast of Hells Gates). There is a wider area of water between Entrance Island and the eastern shore, but it is too shallow to get a boat over. Braddon Point is the name of the feature on the eastern shore, while the shallow water south of the point is named Fraser Flats, and the channel adjacent to
310-522: Is common. The temperatures are much lower inland from the coast with maximums in winter often failing to surpass 0 °C (32 °F). Typically, the snow line in winter is around 900 metres (3000 ft), however sea level snow falls several times each winter as well. Summer is mild with maximum temperatures averaging between 17 °C (63 °F) and 21 °C (70 °F), though some days still fail to reach 10 °C (50 °F). Despite snowfall usually occurring in winter, it has been known to fall in
341-651: The local government areas . The types of LGAs in Tasmania are cities and councils . Tasmania has 29 local government areas which have an elected council and carry out various functions delegated to them by the Tasmanian Government. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has multiple regional structures for which it analyses and reports data. These regional structures derive from the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (AGSC). The AGSC defines at
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#1732793562147372-595: The Bureau detailed nine coastal districts and a further five inshore districts covering the bays and channels in the River Derwent lower estuary. In some schemes a quadrant of the coast is made into four parts: In general terms, the usage is found in a number of forms: These regional schemes do not relate to the physical realities of the coast, or any of the coastal processes, but are simply organisational categorigisation. Tourism regions are
403-459: The West Coast region. It is in the local government areas of Circular Head (34.6%), Kentish (0.3%), Waratah-Wynyard (27.1%), and West Coast (38%). Its central point is about 137 kilometres (85 mi) west of the town of Sheffield . The 2016 census has a population of nil for the state suburb of West Coast. The Southern Ocean forms part of the western boundary. The locality encircles Corinna , Renison Bell , Rosebery and Zeehan , and
434-581: The breakwater can still be seen despite the passage of time. The Strahan Marine Board was involved with the monitoring of the mouth until 19 May 1970, when the Hobart Marine Board took over. Both Entrance and Bonnet Islands have lights, and they were built before the Cape Sorell Lighthouse . Due to the precarious entrance, and the changes in the hydrology of the area, charts and maps were updated regularly while Strahan
465-585: The breakwater is known as Kelly Channel. The name of the channel relates to the original convicts' claim that it was their point of "entrance to Hell ", their Hell being the Macquarie Harbour Penal Station on Sarah Island and the outlying surrounds of the harbour. Between 1900 and 1902 the Macquarie Harbour Entrance Works involved the building of a breakwater and the channel was dredged. Parts of
496-495: The creation of the world heritage wilderness area, a steady number of small publications concerning the history and features of the region have been produced. For a brief time in the early 20th century the west coast had population and political power on a parity with Hobart and Launceston . Following the demise of most of the Zeehan mines, the west coast population has either remained static, or declined relative to other parts of
527-474: The island. The environment is described with particular historical understanding by C.J. Binks in " Explorers of Western Tasmania ", Chapter 2 - "A Sketch of the Western Country". (See also West Coast Range ) The convict era is introduced in articles about Macquarie Harbour Penal Station , Convicts on the West Coast of Tasmania , and Hell's Gates . The reliance on the railways can be found in
558-536: The isolation, and the ways that the communities coped with the difficulties, were little examined prior to the 1990s, except for parts of Tim Bowden 's 1979 Radio Documentary " The West Coasters ", and various references in Geoffrey Blainey 's " The Peaks of Lyell " book and the important works of C.J. Binks and Kerry Pink . Since the rise of tourism on the west coast, the Franklin Dam issue and
589-491: The locality to Trial Harbour. Regions of Tasmania Some regions were historically identified in terms of land use. In the 1960s the Atlas of Tasmania was the definitive Tasmanian Government publication in relation to regional geographical variations in Tasmania. In Tasmania the third tier of elected government after the federal and state governments are the local government authorities, which are responsible for
620-500: The main holdings of the record, while the late Eric Thomas's collection in the 'Galley Museum' in Queenstown is on a par with both. Some examples of collections: Due to the rise of tourism in the 1990s, a considerable number of DVDs and videos are commercially available of the region. These DVDs and videos often cover areas which had been inaccessible as recently as 30 or 40 years ago. Additionally, tourists and hikers have gathered
651-414: The main structural hierarchy of statistical analysis. These regions are structured to provide a broad range of social , demographic and economic statistics. The basis for the boundary delineations centre on socio-economic criteria. The five divisions for Tasmania are: The Statistical Region (SR) structure was established in 1986 as a means for labor force analysis. The Statistical District (SDist)
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#1732793562147682-422: The middle of summer. Many outsiders have had difficulty understanding the isolation of the west coast, and the small communities, and the historical context to that isolation. Initially the only way in and out was by sea, and no serviceable roads to either the north or east existed until the 1930s (east) or the 1960s (north). Railways were the main land connection from the 1920s to the 1960s - though that connection
713-730: The northern boundary and runs south and west before exiting to Couta Rocks. Route C218 (Roger River Road / Sumac Road / Rapid River Road / Tayatea Road / Trowutta Road) enters from Roger River to the north and follows a circular path through the northern part of the locality before returning to Roger River. Route C247 (an extension of Corinna Road) starts at an intersection with C249 in Corinna and runs north-east until it exits to Savage River. Route C132 (Belvoir Road) starts at an intersection with A10 and exits north-east to Guildford. Route C248 (Trial Harbour Road) starts in Zeehan and runs southwest through
744-510: The purposes of public transport including: Hobart and surrounds, Launceston, Tamar and the North, North West Coast, East Coast, and Western Wilderness. Hell%27s Gates (Tasmania) Hells Gates is the name of the mouth of Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast of Tasmania , Australia. It is a notoriously shallow and dangerous channel entrance to the harbour. The actual channel
775-473: The separate article West Coast Tasmania Railways . The mining history was captured first in Charles Whitham 's Western Tasmania book - and Geoffrey Blainey 's Peaks of Lyell and the books that have followed. See also the list at West Coast Tasmania Mines for a list that includes historical names and locations - many now long abandoned. The vast tracts of forest ( Huon Pine , among others) in
806-577: The south and runs generally north-west until it reaches Zeehan, where it becomes the Murchison Highway and runs north-east through Rosebery, and then turns north until it reaches the north-eastern boundary, where it exits to Guildford. At Queenstown the Lyell Highway changes from A10 to B24 and runs south and west to Strahan, following part of the southern boundary of the locality. Route B27 (Henty Road) enters from Zeehan and runs through
837-659: The south-west corner to Strahan. Route B28 (Anthony Road) starts at an intersection with A10 and runs north-east to Rosebery, where it rejoins A10. Route C252 (Pieman Road) starts at an intersection with A10 on the northern boundary of Rosebery and runs west to Lake Pieman , where it ends at an intersection with C249. Route C249 enters from Zeehan as Heemskirk Road and runs north-west and north to Lake Pieman, where it becomes Corinna Road and continues north through Corinna, where it becomes Norfolk Road and continues north until it ends at an intersection with C214. Route C214 (Blackwater Road / Rebecca Road) starts at an intersection with C218 on
868-903: The very smallest level, the Census Collection District (CCD). These CCD's aggregate to form the Statistical Local Area (SLA), which is the common base unit for each of the larger regional structures. The boundaries of the SLA are designed to be typically coterminous with Local Government Areas unless the LGA does not fit entirely into a Statistical Subdivision (SSD), or is not of a comparative nature to other LGA's. Bureau of Statistics provides statistics for Local Government Areas, as well as three other statistical structures: Statistical Divisions , Statistical Regions , and Statistical Districts . Statistical Divisions (SD) form
899-575: The west and south west regions as its 'last frontier' for the remaining catchments for its power development schemes. As most of the European activity on the west coast (after the convict era) lies within the invention and use of the camera, most aspects of west coast history have been captured on film. The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery , and the State Library of Tasmania in Hobart are
930-629: The west coast region have been subject to fire, and exploitation - as well as significant areas now under conservation. The history of the West Coast Piners who utilised the Franklin River and Gordon River and their tributaries is a vital part of west coast history. The legacy of the Hydro Electric Commission (The Hydro) on the west coast is a complex one, due to its sense in the 1940s to 1980s considering
961-497: Was with the north coast, rather than the more populous southeast. The treacherous conditions at Hells Gates at the mouth of Macquarie Harbour , and ocean travel along the exposed western side of Tasmania have made marine travel a dangerous pastime even to the current day, despite modern technology. Memorial plaques to recent lost sailors on the wall at the northern edge of the Strahan wharf illustrate this. The current airstrip