Cradle Mountain

{{Short description|Mountain in Tasmania}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2011}} {{Infobox mountain | name = Cradle Mountain | other_name = Warloundigerler<ref>{{cite book |last1=Plomley |first1=NJB |last2=Robinson |first2=George Augustus |title=Friendly Mission, the Tasmanian journals and papers of George Augustus Robinson |date=2008 |publisher=Quintus |location=Hobart |isbn=9780977557226}}</ref> | image = Cradle Mountain Behind Dove Lake.jpg | image_size = 280 | image_alt = | image_caption = Cradle Mountain as seen from the north, across [[Dove Lake (Tasmania)|Dove Lake]] | elevation_m = 1545 | elevation_ref = <ref name=pb>{{cite peakbagger |pid=11509 |title=Cradle Mountain, Australia |units=meters |access-date=7 June 2015 }}</ref><ref name="height">{{cite web |title=LISTmap (Cradle Mountain) |publisher=[[Government of Tasmania]] |work=Department of Primary Industries and Water |url=http://www.thelist.tas.gov.au/listmap/listmap.jsp?llx=412500&lly=5384500&urx=413800&ury=5385000&layers=17 |access-date=19 June 2007 |archive-date=22 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722150949/http://www.thelist.tas.gov.au/listmap/listmapunsupported.jsp |url-status=live }}</ref> | prominence_m = 355 | prominence_ref = <ref name=pb/> | isolation_km = 4.95 | isolation_ref = <ref name=pb/> | map = Australia Tasmania | map_alt = | map_caption = Location in [[Tasmania]] | map_relief = 1 | map_size = 280 | location = [[Central Highlands (Tasmania)|Central Highlands]], [[Tasmania]], [[Australia]] | listing = [[List of highest mountains of Tasmania#Notable peaks|6th-highest mountain in Tasmania]]<ref name=pb/> | translation = | language = | pronunciation = | range = Cradle Cirque - Bluff Cirque | coordinates = {{coord|41|40|48|S|145|56|24|E|type:mountain_region:AU-TAS_scale:10000|name=Cradle Mountain|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_ref = <ref>{{Gazetteer of Australia |name=Cradle Mountain (TAS) |feature=TAS01477 |access-date=7 June 2015 }}</ref> | topo = | rock = [[dolerite]] | volcanic_belt = | volcanic_field = | volcanic_arc/belt = | first_ascent = | easiest_route = | normal_route = Walk / hike via the [[Overland Track]] | access = }}

'''Cradle Mountain''' is a locality and [[mountain]] in the [[Central Highlands (Tasmania)|Central Highlands]] region of the [[Australia]]n [[States and territories of Australia|state]] of [[Tasmania]]. The mountain is situated in the [[Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park]].

At {{convert|1545|m}} [[Australian Height Datum|above sea level]], it is the [[List of highest mountains of Tasmania|sixth-highest mountain in Tasmania]].<ref name=pb/>

The locality of Cradle Mountain is a rural locality in the local government areas of [[Meander Valley Council|Meander Valley]], [[Kentish Council|Kentish]] and [[West Coast Council|West Coast]] in the [[Launceston LGA Region|Launceston]] and [[North-west and west LGA Region|North-west and west]] local government regions of Tasmania. The locality is about {{convert|109|km}} west of the town of [[Westbury, Tasmania|Westbury]]. The [[2016 Australian census|2016 census]] recorded a population of 66 for the state suburb of Cradle Mountain.<ref name=Census2016Y>{{cite web |url=https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC60132?opendocument |title=2016 Census Quick Stats Cradle Mountain (Tas.) |author= |date=23 October 2017 |website=quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=13 September 2020 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Cradle Mountain was gazetted as a locality in 1966.<ref name=Placename>{{cite web |url=https://www.placenames.tas.gov.au/#p1 |title=Placenames Tasmania – Cradle Mountain |author= |publisher=Placenames Tasmania |access-date=13 September 2020 |at=Select “Search”, enter "38113D", click “Search”, select row, map is displayed, click “Details” |archive-date=6 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306231347/https://www.placenames.tas.gov.au/#p1 |url-status=live }}</ref> Cradle Mountain (the mountain) occupies a small area in the north-west of the locality, which occupies the northern half of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.<ref>{{google maps|url=https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Cradle+Mountain+TAS+7306/@-41.7268801,145.7953757,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0xaa7ac14da7d7a009:0x403c94dd0de0060!8m2!3d-41.581449!4d145.9337218 |title=Cradle Mountain, Tasmania |access-date=13 September 2020}}</ref> Route C132 (Cradle Mountain Road / Dove Lake Road) enters from the north and runs south to [[Dove Lake (Tasmania)|Dove Lake]], where it ends.<ref name=Placename/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/Documents/Route%20Descriptions%20V3.6.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801112712/http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/Documents/Route%20Descriptions%20V3.6.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2017-08-01 |title=Tasmanian Road Route Codes |author= |date=May 2017 |publisher=Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment |access-date=13 September 2020 }}</ref>

== History == Cradle Mountain sits between the Big River and Northern [[Aboriginal Tasmanians|Tasmanian Aboriginal people]]. Aboriginal Tasmanians were persecuted by the European settlers upon their arrival, and the last free Aboriginals in the area were seen just south of Cradle Mountain in 1836.

===Early European development=== In 1827 and 1828, the first Europeans to explore and summit Cradle Mountain were [[Joseph Fossey]] and [[Henry Hellyer]], who were surveying for the [[Van Diemen's Land Company]].<ref name="mt">{{cite thesis|title=Tourism and bushwalking in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park: Context, characteristics and impacts|url=https://eprints.utas.edu.au/15754/2/Byers_whole_thesis.pdf|type=Masters|last=Byers|first=Michael Charles|date=1996|publisher=The University of Tasmania|access-date=15 February 2019|archive-date=15 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215050406/https://eprints.utas.edu.au/15754/2/Byers_whole_thesis.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Trappers worked in the area from the 1860s until the collapse of the fur trade in the 1950s, although hunting in the park was declared illegal after 1927. They established huts, including Du Cane and Pine Valley, and [[Fire-stick farming|burned the land]] to encourage fresh growth and game.<ref name="mt" />

A large expanse of [[Athrotaxis selaginoides|King Billy pines]] were found by James Smith in 1863, and the area was [[Logging|logged]] until the 1910s. Smith's son continued logging the area on private (but National Park adjacent) land from 1943 to the 1972, ending after significant public protest.<ref name="mt" />

Cattle and sheep grazed in Cradle Valley from 1910 to 1930.

===Environmental protection and tourism=== In the 1910s [[Gustav Weindorfer|Gustav]] and [[Kate Cowle]] climbed Cradle Mountain. They found the land beautiful and Gustav proclaimed "This must be a national park for the people for all time. It is magnificent, and people must know about it and enjoy it".

They began campaigning for the area from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair to be a national park, and set up a popular chalet the next year. It was declared a scenic reserve in 1922, a wildlife reserve in 1927 and its current designation of national park from 1947. During this transition former trappers began building huts and guiding bushwalkers, including Paddy Hartnett, Weindorfer and Bob Quaile.

In 1931 fur trapper [[Bert Nichols]] blazed the Overland Track starting from Cradle Mountain and heading south to [[Lake St Clair (Tasmania)|Lake St Clair]]. By 1935 it was consolidated and used by independent walking parties.<ref name="LP_Walking_Au">{{Cite book|last=Bain|first=Andrew|title=Walking in Australia|publisher=Lonely Planet|year=2006|isbn=1-74059-310-3|edition=5|pages=214–228|display-authors=etal}}</ref><ref name="mt" />

==Geology== Cradle Mountain is formed by an igneous dolerite sill that intruded the Permian-Jurassic sedimentary layers, cooling to form a broad hard layer. Subsequent erosion from [[Pleistocene]] glaciation left caps of dolerite at Cradle Mountain, and surrounding peaks.<ref>{{cite web |last=Jennings |first=I.B. |date= |title=Geology of the Cradle Mountain Reserve |url=https://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/mrtdoc/dominfo/download/TR3_73_78/TR3_73_78.pdf |website=Economic and General Geology |location= |publisher= |access-date=17 April 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226213946/http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/mrtdoc/dominfo/download/TR3_73_78/TR3_73_78.pdf |archive-date=26 February 2021 }}</ref>

==Access== The area around the mountain has a large number of day walks, as well as being one terminus of the [[Overland Track]].<ref name="top10">{{cite web |author=Holbeck, Megan |title=Top 10 Australian Walks |publisher=Australian Geographic Online |url=http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/outdoor/top-10-australian-walks.htm |access-date=10 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110226124103/http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/outdoor/top-10-australian-walks.htm |archive-date=26 February 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="overland">{{cite web|title=Overland Track|publisher=Tasmanian Parks & Wildlife Service, [[Department of Primary Industries and Water]]|url=https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/cradle-mountain/overland-track|access-date=2 August 2021|archive-date=28 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728141059/https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/cradle-mountain/overland-track|url-status=live}}</ref> The Overland Track winds through a variety of landscapes to its opposite end—{{convert|80.8|km}} to the south—at [[Lake St Clair (Tasmania)|Lake St Clair]], Australia's deepest lake.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Dub, Tim |url=http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/cradle-mountain-high.htm |title=Cradle Mountain: past and present |journal=[[Australian Geographic]] |publisher=AG Online |access-date=7 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101213171855/http://australiangeographic.com.au/journal/cradle-mountain-high.htm |archive-date=13 December 2010}}</ref>

The mountain is climbed by walkers virtually year round. It is a strenuous return hike from the Dove Lake car park with a recommended allotted time of six-and-a-half hours. The climb up the rocky part of the mountain involves scrambling over large boulders for several hundred metres. The entire climb is exposed to any bad weather that may arrive quickly, while climbing the upper slopes in winter can be dangerous due to slick ice on the rocks and heavy snow covering holes and other hazards. From the summit, there are views of [[Dove Lake (Tasmania)|Dove Lake]], [[Barn Bluff]] and [[Mount Ossa (Tasmania)|Mount Ossa]].

==Climate== The area has a [[Subpolar oceanic climate]] (''[[Köppen climate classification|Cfc]]'') with cool summers and cold, very snowy winters; with heavy precipitation throughout the year which peaks distinctly in the winter months. Climate data are sourced from an altitude of {{convert|903|m|}} on the exposed western slopes. It receives an average of 47.9 snowy days annually, which can occur in any month of the year.

{{Weather box | location = Cradle Valley (Waldheim, 1926–1977, rainfall 1917–2009); 903 m AMSL; 41.64° S, 145.94° E | single line = y | metric first = y | unit precipitation days = 0.2 mm | Jan record high C = 30.0 | Feb record high C = 30.5 | Mar record high C = 25.1 | Apr record high C = 20.0 | May record high C = 17.8 | Jun record high C = 11.1 | Jul record high C = 11.5 | Aug record high C = 12.7 | Sep record high C = 17.9 | Oct record high C = 19.9 | Nov record high C = 22.0 | Dec record high C = 27.0 | year record high C = 30.5 | Jan high C = 16.6 | Feb high C = 17.0 | Mar high C = 14.4 | Apr high C = 10.8 | May high C = 7.9 | Jun high C = 5.1 | Jul high C = 4.6 | Aug high C = 4.9 | Sep high C = 7.5 | Oct high C = 10.5 | Nov high C = 12.8 | Dec high C = 15.2 | year high C = | Jan low C = 5.2 | Feb low C = 5.9 | Mar low C = 4.7 | Apr low C = 3.1 | May low C = 1.5 | Jun low C = -0.2 | Jul low C = -0.2 | Aug low C = -0.5 | Sep low C = 0.3 | Oct low C = 1.5 | Nov low C = 2.5 | Dec low C = 4.1 | year low C = | Jan record low C = -1.0 | Feb record low C = -1.9 | Mar record low C = -2.5 | Apr record low C = -4.0 | May record low C = -8.3 | Jun record low C = -8.3 | Jul record low C = -7.8 | Aug record low C = -8.5 | Sep record low C = -8.0 | Oct record low C = -5.0 | Nov record low C = -3.5 | Dec record low C = -1.3 | year record low C = -8.5 | precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation mm = 148.8 | Feb precipitation mm = 121.9 | Mar precipitation mm = 148.1 | Apr precipitation mm = 204.1 | May precipitation mm = 276.4 | Jun precipitation mm = 272.3 | Jul precipitation mm = 315.7 | Aug precipitation mm = 301.7 | Sep precipitation mm = 269.4 | Oct precipitation mm = 252.4 | Nov precipitation mm = 205.1 | Dec precipitation mm = 181.7 | year precipitation mm = 2815.8 | Jan precipitation days = 16.9 | Feb precipitation days = 14.0 | Mar precipitation days = 17.9 | Apr precipitation days = 19.1 | May precipitation days = 21.4 | Jun precipitation days = 22.2 | Jul precipitation days = 23.3 | Aug precipitation days = 23.8 | Sep precipitation days = 21.7 | Oct precipitation days = 21.4 | Nov precipitation days = 18.4 | Dec precipitation days = 18.3 | year precipitation days = | Jan afthumidity = 74 | Feb afthumidity = 77 | Mar afthumidity = 84 | Apr afthumidity = 89 | May afthumidity = 90 | Jun afthumidity = 92 | Jul afthumidity = 93 | Aug afthumidity = 90 | Sep afthumidity = 85 | Oct afthumidity = 80 | Nov afthumidity = 77 | Dec afthumidity = 74 | year afthumidity = | source = Australian Bureau of Meteorology<ref name="bom">{{cite web |url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_096005_All.shtml |title = Climate Statistics for Cradle Valley, Tasmania |access-date = 6 March 2019 |archive-date = 6 March 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190306175046/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_096005_All.shtml |url-status = live }}</ref> }} ==Features== The mountain rises above the glacially formed Dove Lake ({{convert|934|m|disp=sqbr}}), Lake Wilks and Crater Lake.

The mountain has four named summits. In order of height they are Cradle Mountain ({{Convert|1545|m|disp=sqbr|0|abbr=on}}), Smithies Peak ({{Convert|1527|m|disp=sqbr|0|abbr=on}}), [[Gustav Weindorfer|Weindorfers]] Tower ({{Convert|1459|m|disp=sqbr|0}}) and Little Horn ({{Convert|1355|m|disp=sqbr|0|abbr=on}}).<ref name="height"/><ref name="height2">{{cite web |title=LISTmap (Cradle Mountain minor peaks) |publisher=[[Government of Tasmania]] |work=Department of Primary Industries and Water |url=http://www.thelist.tas.gov.au/listmap/listmap.jsp?llx=412500&lly=5384850&urx=414200&ury=5385850&layers=17 |access-date=19 June 2007 |archive-date=22 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722150949/http://www.thelist.tas.gov.au/listmap/listmapunsupported.jsp |url-status=live }}</ref>

The mountain itself is named after its resemblance to a gold-mining [[Rocker box|cradle]].

The relative heights of nearby peaks were measured in 1916<ref>Hutchison, Herman Robert, Giblin, Lynhurst Falkiner and Butler, William Frederick Dennis 1917 , 'A determination of the height of Barn Bluff' , Papers & Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania , pp. 1-5</ref>.

==Flora, fauna and fungi==

===Flora=== The area is covered in a variety of alpine and sub-alpine vegetation, including the colourful [[Nothofagus gunnii|deciduous beech]], itself an anomaly given that most Australian native flora is evergreen. [[Gleichenia alpina|Alpine coral fern]] and [[Gymnoschoenus sphaerocephalus|button grass]] dominate the alpine wet sedgelands near the mountain summit. Stands of [[Eucalyptus coccifera|Tasmanian snow gum]] can be found at slightly lower elevations alongside [[Euphrasia collina|Tasmanian eyebright]], [[Richea scoparia|scoparia heath]], [[Bellendena|mountain rocket]], [[Telopea truncata|waratah]], [[Diselma|Cheshunt pine]] and [[Athrotaxis cupressoides|pencil pine]]. Within the valleys surrounding the mountain, species such as [[Nothofagus cunninghamii|myrtle beech]], [[Richea pandanifolia|pandani]], [[Atherosperma|sassafras]], [[Athrotaxis selaginoides|King Billy pine]] and [[Phyllocladus aspleniifolius|celery top pine]] form thick [[temperate rainforest]] with dense, mossy undergrowth.

===Fauna=== [[Common wombat|Wombats]] are a common sight throughout the area, while [[pademelon]]s, [[Tasmanian devil]]s and [[echidna]]s can also be seen. Bird species in the area include [[green rosella]]s, [[black currawong]]s, [[pink robin]]s and [[Tasmanian scrubwren]]s, while [[peregrine falcon]]s and [[wedge-tailed eagle]]s nest on the mountains cliffs. [[Tiger snake]]s are a highly venomous snake species known to be found in the area.

===Fungi=== [[File:Aurantiporus pulcherrimus APP6306.jpg|thumb|''[[Tyromyces pulcherrimus]]'', strawberry bracket fungus]]

Fungi are also a part of the park's biodiversity. While the Management Plan from 1999 for Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=6364|title=Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Management Plan 1999|date=1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011051737/http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=6364|access-date=2 August 2021|archive-date=11 October 2014}}</ref> only mentions fungi in the context of their destructive effects (''Phytophthora cinnamomi'' and ''Chalara australis''), the park has a variety of fungi that perform beneficial ecological roles. Parasitic fungi—often regarded negatively—are a vital part of healthy ecosystems, regulating ecosystem functions.

As primary recyclers of organic matter, saprobic fungi break down fallen branches and [[leaf litter]], making vital nutrients available to other organisms. Other fungi form symbiotic relationships with other organisms. Although rarely acknowledged, the great majority of plants in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park (and, indeed, in the world) form mutually beneficial mycorrhizal<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.anbg.gov.au/fungi/mycorrhiza.html|title=Mycorrhiza|first=jurisdiction:Commonwealth of Australia; corporateName:Australian National Botanic|last=Gardens|website=www.anbg.gov.au|access-date=5 October 2014|archive-date=28 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528154348/http://www.anbg.gov.au/fungi/mycorrhiza.html|url-status=live}}</ref> relationships with fungi.

Given the diversity of plants, specialist habitats and micro-climates in the park, a diversity of fungi, including lichens, is also expected to occur.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}} Several hundred species have already been recorded by field naturalists and interested individuals and can be found in the ''[[Atlas of Living Australia]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ala.org.au/|title=Atlas of Living Australia|website=www.ala.org.au|access-date=5 October 2014|archive-date=3 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503123715/http://www.ala.org.au/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Despite their essential roles in underpinning terrestrial ecosystems, fungi are barely recognised as a vital part of Australia's biodiversity.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}} Although Australia has national and state level biodiversity conservation strategies and has ratified international conventions, most overlook fungi, including Tasmania's Natural Heritage Strategy,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/conservation/natural-heritage-strategy-(2013-2030)|title=Natural Heritage Strategy for Tasmania (2013–2030)|website=dpipwe.tas.gov.au|access-date=21 July 2018|archive-date=21 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721162226/http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/conservation/natural-heritage-strategy-(2013-2030)|url-status=live}}</ref> which only makes one generic reference to fungi.

One of the more a conspicuous species found in the wetter parts of the park is the strawberry bracket fungus (''[[Tyromyces pulcherrimus]]''). It grows on myrtle beech (''Nothofagus cunninghammii'') and snow gums. The Australian citizen-science organisation, Fungimap is documenting and mapping the distribution of fungi including those that occur in national parks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fungimap.org.au/|title=fungimap|access-date=2 August 2021|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801213216/https://fungimap.org.au/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Gallery== <gallery mode="packed"> File:Cradle Mountain And Barn Bluff.jpg|Panorama from west, showing Cradle Mountain and, in the distance, [[Barn Bluff]] File:Cradle Mountain - 5.jpg|The summit ridge of Cradle Mountain File:Cradle Mountain - 6.jpg|The summit ridge of Cradle Mountain File:Cradle Mountain Seen From Barn Bluff.jpg|Cradle Mountain seen from neighbouring Barn Bluff File:Cradle Mountain Dove Lake HDR Stevage.jpg|View over Dove Lake; The boat shed was built in the 1940s File:1 cradle mountain aerial panorama 2018.jpg|Aerial panorama of Cradle Mountain </gallery>

==See also== {{stack|{{Portal|Australia|Mountains}}}} * [[Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park]] * [[List of highest mountains of Tasmania]]

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons category|Cradle Mountain}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20061210213510/http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/natparks/cradle/ Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Page] * [http://www.pvv.org/~bct/taz/overland_track.html Photojournal] covering Cradle Mountain as part of The Overland Track * [http://www.discovertasmania.com/activities__and__attractions/popular_attractions/cradle_mountain-lake_st_clair_national_park Cradle Mountain Tourist Attraction] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524021417/http://www.discovertasmania.com/activities__and__attractions/popular_attractions/cradle_mountain-lake_st_clair_national_park |date=24 May 2011 }} * [http://cradlemountain.locomotion.id.au/ Webcam] * [http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=28485 Parks and Wildlife Service Webcams] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130311200149/http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=28485 |date=11 March 2013 }}

===Public transport access=== *[https://archive.today/20130618181653/http://www.tigerline.com.au/ Tassielink] have buses to/from Devonport and Queenstown/Strahan. *[http://www.mcdermotts.com.au/ McDermott's] run buses between Cradle Mountain and Launceston (not every day)

[[Category:Localities of Meander Valley Council]] [[Category:Localities of Kentish Council]] [[Category:Localities of West Coast Council]] [[Category:Towns in Tasmania]] [[Category:Mountains of Tasmania]] [[Category:Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park]]