Mount Hope (Victoria)
| Mount Hope | |
|---|---|
Mount Hope from the north west
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 202 metres (663 ft) AHD |
| Coordinates | 35°59′56″S 144°12′39″E / 35.99889°S 144.21083°ECoordinates: 35°59′56″S 144°12′39″E / 35.99889°S 144.21083°E |
| Geography | |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1836 by Thomas Livingstone Mitchell |
Mount Hope is a granite outcrop located to the north of Pyramid Hill in northern Victoria, Australia. The outcrop lies within the 126 hectare Mount Hope Nature Conservation Reserve which is managed by Parks Victoria.
The reserve has limited facilities, including picnic tables and an unsealed parking area at the foot of the outcrop which is accessed from the unsealed Old Leitchville Road. Activities include rock climbing and bird observing.
Communications facilities for Ambulance Victoria, Goulburn Murray Water and the Department of Sustainability and Environment are located near the mountain summit.
In 1836 Scottish-born explorer Thomas Livingstone Mitchell became the first European to sight the mountain. He ascended it on June 28 after having sighted it four days earlier from the north-west and commented:
This hill consisted of immense blocks of common granite composed of white felspar and quartz and black mica; and it appeared to form the western extremity of a low range. It was indeed a welcome sight to us all after traversing for several months so much flat country; and to me it was particularly interesting for, from its summit, I expected to obtain an extensive view over the unknown region between us and the southern coast. I accordingly named the hill Mount Hope.
On the summit he discovered two new plant species, Philotheca pungens and Hibbertia incana. He observed in the distance what is now known as Pyramid Hill:
A remarkable hill of granite appeared 5 1/3 miles from Mount Hope, bearing 30 degrees 10 minutes West of South. It is a triangular pyramid and, being quite isolated, it closely resembles the monuments of Egypt
Mitchell changed his course, having observed promising country from its summit:
The country which I had seen this day beyond Mount Hope was too inviting to be left behind us unexplored; and I therefore determined to turn into it without further delay, and to pursue the bearing of 215 degrees from North as the general direction of our route, until we should fall in with the line of river trees before mentioned
The mountain was climbed again in 1838 by Joseph Hawdon who was droving cattle between Howlong in New South Wales and Adelaide in South Australia. Hawdon observed:
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Wikipedia