Port Davey, Tasmania
Encyclopedia
Port Davey is an inlet on the south west coast
of Tasmania
. It lies next to Bathurst Harbour
and is sheltered from the Roaring Forties
that buffet the south and west coasts of Tasmania
. It lies within the Melaleuca to Birchs Inlet Important Bird Area
. It is not populated, but has over time had a number of reclusive inhabitants. It is the penultimate location on the western part of the South Coast Walking Track - also known as South Coast
and Port Davey Track
s.
was the first European to record the inlet now called Port Davey, in March 1772. On the 13 December 1798, when Flinders
was off the West Coast, he mentioned Marion's small chart of the area, and tried to take the [Norfolk in closer to investigate the opening marked on Marion's chart. That opening was clearly marked on Flinders' first map of "Van Diemen's Land" Published in 1800. James Kelly has always been seen as the first to discover Port Davey - However Kelly would have seen Flinders' maps and may have had them with him.
The pioneer aviator Francis McClean organized and led an expedition to Port Davey to observe the May 9, 1910 solar eclipse
.
South Coast Tasmania
South Coast TasmaniaIs a term used in Tasmania - which is sometimes conflated with the South West Tasmania wilderness region.South East Cape is commonly used as a reference point of the eastern limit, and South West Cape the western end.-External links:*...
of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. It lies next to Bathurst Harbour
Bathurst Harbour
Bathurst Harbour is located in the South West Wilderness of Tasmania. It is a safe anchorage from the Roaring Forties that buffet the Western and South Coast Tasmania...
and is sheltered from the Roaring Forties
Roaring Forties
The Roaring Forties is the name given to strong westerly winds found in the Southern Hemisphere, generally between the latitudes of 40 and 49 degrees. Air displaced from the Equator towards the South Pole, which travels close to the surface between the latitudes of 30 and 60 degrees south, combines...
that buffet the south and west coasts of Tasmania
West Coast, Tasmania
The West Coast of Tasmania is the part of the state that is strongly associated with wilderness, mining and tourism, rough country and isolation...
. It lies within the Melaleuca to Birchs Inlet Important Bird Area
Melaleuca to Birchs Inlet Important Bird Area
The Melaleuca to Birchs Inlet Important Bird Area comprises a 2315 km2 section of coast and sub-coastal land in South West Tasmania. It stretches southward from the southern end of Birchs Inlet , encompasses Melaleuca and Port Davey, and extends to Louisa Bay on the coast facing the...
. It is not populated, but has over time had a number of reclusive inhabitants. It is the penultimate location on the western part of the South Coast Walking Track - also known as South Coast
South Coast
South Coast is a name often given to coastal areas to the south of a geographical region or major metropolitan area.-Australia:*South Coast refers to the coast of New South Wales Australia south of Sydney....
and Port Davey Track
Port Davey Track
The Port Davey track in the South Coast Tasmania region is a bushwalking track in the Southwest National Park of Tasmania, Australia.The Port Davey track starts or ends at Melaleuca and runs for 65km north to the Scotts Peak Road...
s.
History
The French navigator Marion du FresneMarc-Joseph Marion du Fresne
Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne , with the surname sometimes spelt Dufresne, was a French explorer who made important discoveries in the south Indian Ocean, in Tasmania and in New Zealand, where he died...
was the first European to record the inlet now called Port Davey, in March 1772. On the 13 December 1798, when Flinders
Matthew Flinders
Captain Matthew Flinders RN was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent, which had previously been...
was off the West Coast, he mentioned Marion's small chart of the area, and tried to take the [Norfolk in closer to investigate the opening marked on Marion's chart. That opening was clearly marked on Flinders' first map of "Van Diemen's Land" Published in 1800. James Kelly has always been seen as the first to discover Port Davey - However Kelly would have seen Flinders' maps and may have had them with him.
The pioneer aviator Francis McClean organized and led an expedition to Port Davey to observe the May 9, 1910 solar eclipse
Solar eclipse of May 9, 1910
A total solar eclipse occurred on May 9, 1910. -References:...
.
Further reading
- Gee, Helen and Fenton, Janet (eds) (1978) The South West Book: A Tasmanian Wilderness. Hawthorn, Vic: Australian Conservation Foundation. ISBN 0858020548; later edition, same title (1983) Sydney, NSW: William Collins Pty. Ltd., ISBN 0002173050
- South West Tasmania Resources Survey. (1981) Bathurst Harbour - Old River catchment Sandy Bay, Tas: Steering Committee, SWTRS. ISBN 0724610103 Working paper (South West Tasmania Resources Survey); no.21.
Microform
- Kelly, James, 1791-1859. First discovery of Port Davey and Macquarie Harbour [microform] p. 160-181 "Royal Society of Tasmania: Papers and Proceedings, 1920. Issued separately 24th December, 1920" Microfiche. Canberra: National Library of Australia, 2004