Mount Read (Tasmania)

Mount Read
Mount Read

Location in Tasmania

Highest point
Elevation 1,123 m (3,684 ft) [1]
Coordinates 41°50′24″S 145°32′24″E / 41.84000°S 145.54000°E / -41.84000; 145.54000 (Mount Read)Coordinates: 41°50′24″S 145°32′24″E / 41.84000°S 145.54000°E / -41.84000; 145.54000 (Mount Read) [2]
Geography
Location West Coast, Tasmania, Australia
Parent range West Coast Range

Mount Read is a mountain located in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia, and is at the north west edge of the West Coast Range.[3]

With an elevation of 1,123 metres (3,684 ft) above sea level, Mount Read has had as colourful a history, similar to that of Mount Lyell, with mines, settlements and other activities on its slopes for over a hundred years.

Geology

The main copper and gold ore bearing deposits in the West Coast Range are known as occurring in the 'Mount Read Volcanics' relating to the complex geology of the area.[4][5][6]

Mineralisation and deposits were being identified well beyond the life of the original mines utilised on Mount Read [7]

To the south east of Mount Read are many features of glaciation [8] in the Tyndall Range as well as glacial lakes of Lake Westwood, Lake Selina, and Lake Julia.

Hercules Haulage

The Hercules Mine on Mount Read was connected by a 1,642-foot (500 m) haulage incline to Williamsford and then to the North East Dundas Tramway. The haulage was self-acting and 1-mile (1.6 km) long and 1,642 feet (500 m) high with a maximum gradient of 1 in 5.[9][10]

The mine was in production in the late nineteenth century.[11] It had a major strike in 1906 [12][13] The mine produced well into the mid twentieth century [14] The mine site had ceased operation and was subject to cleanup processes in the early 2000s.[15][16]

The Hercules Gold and Silver Mining Company was an operating company that ceased in 1916.[17] The Mount Read and Rosebery Mines Limited started as an ex-Mount Lyell offshoot, absorbed by EZ by 1925.[18][19]

Mount Read locality/community

The community surrounding the Hercules minesite had various struggles for services and facilities [20][21]

Huon Pine

Also, despite extensive historic mining and human activity on its slopes, Mount Read has unique and significant stands of Huon Pine forests on its slopes.[22][23] The southern slopes of Mount Read have been identified as a special habitat [24][25] enclosed in the Lake Johnston Nature Reserve.[26]

Climate

It currently has a Bureau of Meteorology automatic weather station in place, and it scores well in extreme weather conditions. Its extreme rainfall records for Autumn 2006 put it on a par with the Lake Margaret rainfall - which was still apparently recorded till 30 June 2006 by Hydro employees, but not appearing on the BOM website.

Climate data for Mount Read
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 30.4
(86.7)		 29.5
(85.1)		 25.5
(77.9)		 19.0
(66.2)		 15.3
(59.5)		 11.4
(52.5)		 10.0
(50)		 12.5
(54.5)		 16.2
(61.2)		 19.6
(67.3)		 24.5
(76.1)		 27.6
(81.7)		 30.4
(86.7)
Average high °C (°F) 14.3
(57.7)		 14.4
(57.9)		 11.9
(53.4)		 8.9
(48)		 6.4
(43.5)		 4.7
(40.5)		 3.7
(38.7)		 4.1
(39.4)		 5.5
(41.9)		 7.6
(45.7)		 10.8
(51.4)		 11.7
(53.1)		 8.7
(47.7)
Average low °C (°F) 5.8
(42.4)		 6.4
(43.5)		 5.0
(41)		 3.4
(38.1)		 2.2
(36)		 1.0
(33.8)		 0.2
(32.4)		 0.1
(32.2)		 0.4
(32.7)		 1.3
(34.3)		 3.1
(37.6)		 3.9
(39)		 2.7
(36.9)
Record low °C (°F) −1.2
(29.8)		 −0.8
(30.6)		 −4.7
(23.5)		 −4.5
(23.9)		 −3.9
(25)		 −5.2
(22.6)		 −5.0
(23)		 −5.0
(23)		 −5.1
(22.8)		 −5.0
(23)		 −4.0
(24.8)		 −2.3
(27.9)		 −5.2
(22.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 201.1
(7.917)		 174.4
(6.866)		 264.2
(10.402)		 283.7
(11.169)		 397.4
(15.646)		 341.1
(13.429)		 391.5
(15.413)		 336.3
(13.24)		 377.1
(14.846)		 397.6
(15.654)		 220.4
(8.677)		 292.2
(11.504)		 3,628.1
(142.839)
Average precipitation days 19.1 17.4 22.5 24.0 26.7 25.9 26.6 25.6 25.8 25.9 21.2 21.7 282.4
Average relative humidity (%) 76 75 84 88 94 92 95 93 91 84 77 80 86
Source: [27]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Mount Read, Australia". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "Mount Read (TAS)". Gazetteer of Australia online. Geoscience Australia, Australian Government.
  3. ↑ Baillie, Peter (2010). "The West Coast Range, Tasmania: Mountains and Geological Giants" (PDF). Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania (reprint ed.) (Hobart, Tasmania: University of Tasmania) 144: 1–13. ISSN 0080-4703. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  4. ↑ Corbett, K. D.; McPhie, Jocelyn (1993), "Mount Read volcanics and associated ore deposits, Tasmania", IAVCEI, Canberra 1993 : excursion guide (Australian Geological Survey Organisation), ISBN 978-0-642-19664-4
  5. ↑ Corbett, K. D.; Large, Ross R. (1990), "Excursion guide E1 : the Mount Read Volcanics and related ore deposits", Australian Geological Convention (10th ed.) (Hobart, Tas.: Geological Society of Australia), retrieved 10 June 2015
  6. ↑ Collins, P. L. F.; Large, Ross R.; University of Tasmania (1986), "The Mount Read volcanics and associated ore deposits : a symposium, Burnie, November 1986", Department of Mines, Tasmania (Geological Society of Australia, Tasmanian Division), ISBN 978-0-7246-1955-9
  7. ↑ Large, R. R.; Zaw, K. (May 1992), The precious metal-rich South Hercules mineralization, Western Tasmania: a possible subsea-floor replacement volcanic-hosted massive sulfide deposit, retrieved 10 June 2015
  8. ↑ http://travelmedia.tourismtasmania.com.au/about/history/gondwana.html
  9. ↑ "Hercules Mine". Light Railways (35): 22. Autumn 1971. Has the gradient average as 1 in 3.2, and a maximum of 1.5 with operating speed of 14 mph.
  10. ↑ Chynoweth, Wayne. "Hercules Mine". Light Railways (27): 25.
  11. ↑ "MEETING.". The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954) (Hobart, Tas.: National Library of Australia). 25 March 1899. p. 1 Supplement: The Mercury Supplement. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  12. ↑ "HERCULES MINE.". Daily Telegraph (Launceston, Tas. : 1883 - 1928) (Launceston, Tas.: National Library of Australia). 23 March 1906. p. 2. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "STRIKE AT HERCULES MINE.". Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW : 1888 - 1954) (Broken Hill, NSW: National Library of Australia). 5 January 1906. p. 3. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  14. ↑ Electrolytic Zinc Co. of Australasia. West Coast Department (1957), Operations of Rosebery and Hercules Mines, Tasmania, [Launceston, Tas.] [Electrolytic Zinc Company of Australasia Limited, West Coast Department], retrieved 10 June 2015
  15. ↑ Environmental & Technical Services Pty. Ltd; Pasminco Rosebery Mine (2000), Progress report on the environmental improvement program for the Hercules minesite, Williamsfordd, Pasminco, retrieved 10 June 2015
  16. ↑ Lockey, Jim; Pitt & Sherry; Zinifex Rosebery Mine (2005), Hercules mine : decommissioning and rehabilitation plan - public discussion draft, Pitt & Sherry, retrieved 10 June 2015
  17. ↑ The Hercules Gold and Silver Mining Company NG3247 [Records], State Library of Tasmania, retrieved 10 June 2015
  18. ↑ The Mount Read and Rosebery Mines Limited NG3248 [Records], State Library of Tasmania, retrieved 10 June 2015
  19. ↑ "MOUNT READ ROSEBERRY MINES.". The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 25 September 1916. p. 8. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  20. ↑ "Mount Read.". Zeehan and Dundas Herald (Tas. : 1890 - 1922) (Tas.: National Library of Australia). 17 June 1901. p. 2. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  21. ↑ "MOUNT READ POST OFFICE.". Zeehan and Dundas Herald (Tas. : 1890 - 1922) (Tas.: National Library of Australia). 27 March 1908. p. 2. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  22. ↑ http://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/weekend-australian-magazine/the-oldest-tree/story-e6frg8h6-1226130673929
  23. ↑ http://www.apstas.com/Mt_Read_Huon_pine.html The Mount Read Huon - a very special and old tree by Dr. Keith Corbett
  24. ↑ http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033589401922331
  25. ↑ http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=6597
  26. ↑ http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/indeX.aspX?base=6330 Summary of Lake Johnston Nature Reserve - Site Development Plan 2001
  27. ↑ "Climate statistics for Mount Read". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved January 26, 2015.

Further reading

External links

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