Franklin River

For the Franklin River in British Columbia, Canada, see Franklin River (Vancouver Island). For the river in Victoria, Australia, see Franklin River (Victoria).
Franklin
River
Franklin River near the Lyell Highway
Name origin: Sir John Franklin
Country Australia
State Tasmania
Regions Central Highlands, Western
Part of Gordon River
Tributaries
 - left Surprise River, Loddon River, Jane River
 - right Collingwood River, Lucan River, Andrew River
Landmark Gordon Splits
Source Mount Hugel
 - location Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park
 - elevation 951 m (3,120 ft)
 - coordinates 42°18′48″S 146°12′56″E / 42.31333°S 146.21556°E / -42.31333; 146.21556
Mouth Gordon River
 - elevation 11 m (36 ft)
 - coordinates 42°35′27″S 145°44′24″E / 42.59083°S 145.74000°E / -42.59083; 145.74000Coordinates: 42°35′27″S 145°44′24″E / 42.59083°S 145.74000°E / -42.59083; 145.74000
Length 129 km (80 mi)
Reservoirs Lake Undine; Lake Dixon
National parks Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers; Southwest
Location of the Franklin River mouth
in Tasmania
[1]

The Franklin River is a major perennial river located in the Central Highlands and western regions of Tasmania, Australia. The river is located in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park at the mid northern area of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Its source is situated at the western edge of the Central Highlands and it flows west towards the West Coast.

The river is named in honour of Sir John Franklin, a Governor of Tasmania, who later died searching for the Northwest Passage.

Location and features

The river rises below Mount Hugel west of Derwent Bridge on the western slopes of the Central Highlands and flows generally west and south through remote and rugged mountainous country until meeting its confluence with the Gordon River. From source to mouth the river is joined by sixteen tributaries including the Surprise, Collingwood, Lucan, Loddon, Andrew and the Jane rivers. In its upper reaches, the Franklin is impounded by two reservoirs, Lake Undine and Lake Dixon. The river is crossed by the Lyell Highway, also in its upper reaches. There are some archaeological sites that have identified pre-European activity. The upper reaches of the Franklin River were traversed by explorers in the nineteenth century, in their attempts to access Frenchmans Cap.

In the early twentieth century, access to the river was mostly pine logging in the lower reaches.[2][3]

In the middle of the century, adventurous canoers sought to conquer the river's formidable challenges. The book Shooting The Franklin : Early canoeing on Tasmania's wild rivers identifies three trips in the 1950s.[4]

Named places on the Franklin

In the case of earlier travellers, few locations of the river were named at all. During his initial journeys down the river, Bob Brown submitted names for some features. Before and since, rafters and canoers have added names for many of the bends and rapids on the river:

Location Coordinates Location Coordinates
Livingstone Cut 42°20′5″S 145°47′49″E / 42.33472°S 145.79694°E / -42.33472; 145.79694 (Livingstone Cut) Pig Trough 42°25′21″S 145°44′54″E / 42.42250°S 145.74833°E / -42.42250; 145.74833 (Pig Trough)
The Forceit 42°20′7″S 145°47′47″E / 42.33528°S 145.79639°E / -42.33528; 145.79639 (The Forceit) Rock Island Bend 42°25′22″S 145°44′58″E / 42.42278°S 145.74944°E / -42.42278; 145.74944 (Rock Island Bend)
Sidewinder 42°20′18″S 145°47′41″E / 42.33833°S 145.79472°E / -42.33833; 145.79472 (Sidewinder) Shower Cliff 42°25′18″S 145°45′7″E / 42.42167°S 145.75194°E / -42.42167; 145.75194 (Shower Cliff)
Thunderrush 42°20′27″S 145°47′35″E / 42.34083°S 145.79306°E / -42.34083; 145.79306 (Thunderrush) Newland Cascades 42°25′18″S 145°45′16″E / 42.42167°S 145.75444°E / -42.42167; 145.75444 (Newland Cascades)
The Sanctum 42°20′37″S 145°47′31″E / 42.34361°S 145.79194°E / -42.34361; 145.79194 (The Sanctum) Confluence of Jane River 42°27′32″S 145°46′18″E / 42.45889°S 145.77167°E / -42.45889; 145.77167 (Confluence of Jane River)
The Cauldron 42°20′48″S 145°47′27″E / 42.34667°S 145.79083°E / -42.34667; 145.79083 (The Cauldron) Flat Island 42°28′21″S 145°45′37″E / 42.47250°S 145.76028°E / -42.47250; 145.76028 (Flat Island)
Mousehole 42°21′4″S 145°47′17″E / 42.35111°S 145.78806°E / -42.35111; 145.78806 (Mousehole) Blackmans Bend 42°31′5″S 145°46′4″E / 42.51806°S 145.76778°E / -42.51806; 145.76778 (Blackmans Bend)
Deliverance Reach 42°21′4″S 145°47′6″E / 42.35111°S 145.78500°E / -42.35111; 145.78500 (Deliverance Reach) Double Fall 42°31′27″S 145°45′23″E / 42.52417°S 145.75639°E / -42.52417; 145.75639 (Double Fall)
The Biscuit 42°21′45″S 145°46′34″E / 42.36250°S 145.77611°E / -42.36250; 145.77611 (The Biscuit) Big Fall or Devils Hole 42°33′25″S 145°45′16″E / 42.55694°S 145.75444°E / -42.55694; 145.75444 (Big Fall)
Rafters Basin 42°21′52″S 145°46′20″E / 42.36444°S 145.77222°E / -42.36444; 145.77222 (Rafters Basin) Galleon Bluff 42°33′37″S 145°45′52″E / 42.56028°S 145.76444°E / -42.56028; 145.76444 (Galleon Bluff)
Confluence of Andrew River 42°21′57″S 145°46′4″E / 42.36583°S 145.76778°E / -42.36583; 145.76778 (Confluence of Andrew River) Verandah Cliffs 42°34′16″S 145°44′59″E / 42.57111°S 145.74972°E / -42.57111; 145.74972 (Verandah Cliffs)
Propsting Gorge 42°23′25″S 145°45′32″E / 42.39028°S 145.75889°E / -42.39028; 145.75889 (Propsting Gorge) Shingle Island 42°34′59″S 145°44′40″E / 42.58306°S 145.74444°E / -42.58306; 145.74444 (Shingle Island)
Glen Calder 42°24′46″S 145°44′43″E / 42.41278°S 145.74528°E / -42.41278; 145.74528 (Glen Calder) Pyramid Island 42°35′26″S 145°44′25″E / 42.59056°S 145.74028°E / -42.59056; 145.74028 (Pyramid Island)
Gaylard Rapids 42°25′8″S 145°44′49″E / 42.41889°S 145.74694°E / -42.41889; 145.74694 (Gaylard Rapids) Confluence into Gordon River 42°35′27″S 145°44′24″E / 42.59083°S 145.74000°E / -42.59083; 145.74000 (Confluence into Gordon River)

Franklin River conservation battle

In the 1980s, the Franklin River become synonymous with Australia's largest conservation battle of the time, the movement to save the Franklin from the Hydro Tasmania proposed hydro-electric power scheme.

The focus on the dam and the issues of wilderness experience led to the development of people utilising the river at levels never previously experienced. The result of a drowning on the river led to stricter guidelines for users of the river. Richard Flanagan's Death of a River Guide is a fictional account of a drowning, by a writer with an academic and historical understanding of the area.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Map of Franklin River, TAS". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  2. ↑ Kerr, Garry J.; McDermott, Harry (2004). The Huon pine story: the history of harvest and use of a unique timber (2nd ed.). Mainsail Books. ISBN 978-0-9577917-0-1.
  3. ↑ Flanagan, Richard (1985). A terrible beauty: history of the Gordon River country. Greenhouse. ISBN 978-0-86436-001-4.
  4. ↑ Dean, John (Johnson) (2002). Shooting the Franklin: early canoeing on Tasmania's wild rivers. J. and S. Dean. ISBN 978-0-9581744-0-4.
  5. ↑ Flanagan, Richard (1994). Death of a river guide. McPhee Gribble. ISBN 978-0-86914-344-5.

Further reading

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