South West Wilderness

The South West Wilderness of Tasmania, Australia is a remote and inaccessible region of South West Tasmania containing unspoilt scenery, rugged peaks, wild rivers, unique flora and fauna, and a long and rugged coastline. Parts of the wilderness are more than 50 km from the nearest road, so the only access to the area is by foot, air or sea.

It has been known by a variety of names over the last century, and the label has been affected by a number of threats to the region. For some the term The Southwest has been the usual term, while recent maps and tourism promotion material have identified it variously including the Southwest Wilderness and South-West Wilderness.

Evidence has been found of human habitation in the South West Wilderness area going back at least 25,000 years. The coastal area was shared by four Tasmanian Aboriginal tribes for at least the last 3,000 years.

The coast of the area was mapped by Captain James Cook in 1777 as part of his third voyage of discovery aboard HMS Resolution, though this was not a focus of the voyage. It was undoubtedly sighted by earlier European voyagers, but little attempt appears to have been made to land.

During the 19th century, as Europeans colonised other parts of Australia and Tasmania, this area was found to be harsh and inhospitable. Limited numbers of sealers, whalers, miners and timber-getters based themselves in the area.

In 1955 Lake Pedder National Park was proclaimed. Over the following 35 years the park was gradually extended, and was renamed the Southwest National Park, finally reaching its present size in 1990. As detailed below, the Southwest National Park forms the bulk of the South West Wilderness.

The South West Wilderness is an important part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site, and is therefore regarded as containing "superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance".

The South West Wilderness is largely composed of the Southwest National Park, Tasmania’s largest National Park, which at 6,052.13 km² is larger than many small countries.

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Wikipedia