Eldon Range

{{Short description|Mountain range in Tasmania, Australia}} {{Use Australian English|date=June 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox mountain | name = Eldon Range | other_name = | image = North of Eldon air looking south.jpg | image_alt = | image_size = 350 | image_caption = Eldon Peak (left side) from the air from the north, looking south towards Lake Burbury and West Coast Range on right  | country_type =  | country = Australia | subdivision1_type = [[States and territories of Australia|State]] | subdivision1 = [[Tasmania]] | subdivision3_type = [[Regions of Tasmania|Region]] | subdivision3 = [[West Coast, Tasmania|West Coast]] | biome = | topo_map = | topo_maker =  | highest = Eldon Peak | highest_location = | elevation_m = 1440 | elevation_system = {{AHD}} | elevation_ref = <ref>{{cite peakbagger |pid= 34580 |title=Eldon Peak, Australia |units=meters |access-date= 9 June 2015 }}</ref>  | coordinates = {{coord|41|58|12|S|145|43|48|E|type:mountain_region:AU-TAS_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline}} | coordinates_ref = <ref name=peak>{{Gazetteer of Australia |name=Eldon Peak (TAS) |feature=TAS02623 |access-date= 9 June 2015 }}</ref>  | length_km = | width_km = | area_km2 = | length_orientation = E/W | width_orientation = | length_ref = | width_ref = | area_ref = | parent =  | range_coordinates = {{nowrap|{{coord|41|58|48|S|145|46|12|E|type:mountain_region:AU-TAS_scale:300000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}}} | range_coordinates_ref = <ref>{{Gazetteer of Australia |name=Eldon Range (TAS) |feature=TAS09762 |access-date= 9 June 2015 }}</ref>  | formed_by = | geology = [[Dolerite]] | age = [[Jurassic]] | orogeny =  | map = Australia Tasmania | map_alt = | map_caption = Location in [[Tasmania]], Australia | map_relief = 1 | label = Eldon Peak }}

The '''Eldon Range''' is a [[mountain range]] located in the [[West Coast, Tasmania|west coast]] region of [[Tasmania]], Australia.

The range is located at the north eastern edge of [[Lake Burbury]] and is part of the [[Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area]] which includes the [[Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park]].<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/media/pressrel/1619938/upload_binary/1619938.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf#search=%22media/pressrel/1619938%22 |title=JOINT STATEMENT BY THE HON JUDY JACKSON AND SENATOR GRAHAM RICHARDSON WORLD HERITAGE FOR THE TASMANIAN WILDERNESS |publisher=Parliament of Australia |author1=Jackson, Judy |author2=Richardson, Graham |author-link1=Judy Jackson |author-link2=Graham Richardson |date=18 December 1989 |access-date=9 June 2015}}</ref>

The range is east of the main line of the [[West Coast Range]] and runs at right angle to it in a west–east direction. It is separated from that range by the [[King River, Tasmania|King River]] valley and is bordered by the [[Eldon River]] to the north and west.

==Naming== It is claimed that Henry Hellyer named the present day [[Tullah, Tasmania#Town|Mount Farrell]] near [[Tullah, Tasmania|Tullah]] with this same name in 1828 after [[John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon|Lord Eldon]] [[Lord Chancellor]] of England.,<ref>{{cite book |author1=Gunn, Ronald Campbell |author2=Hellyer, Henry |author3=Lyne, John |author4=Mawle, William |author5=Oakden, Philip |author6=Parramore, William |title=Reference to the index of miscellaneous items including letters, genealogy notes and copies of land grants of some prominent Tasmanian pioneers |publication-date=2010 |publisher=University of Tasmania Library Special and Rare Materials Collection |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/152401794 |access-date=9 June 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation | author1=Henry Hellyer | author2=Edward Curr | title=Miscellaneous Items Collection / Henry Hellyer Letter | publication-date=1828 | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/239975359 | access-date=26 April 2023}}</ref> [[Charles Gould (geologist)|Charles Gould]] in 1869 gives this name to the range.<ref>{{Cite book |editor=Stoddart, D. M. |title=Walk to the West |first=James Backhouse |last=Walker |location=Hobart |publisher=Published on behalf of the Royal Society of Tasmania by Artemis Pub. Consultants |year=1993 |isbn=0-9598679-9-6}}</ref>

==Peaks== '''Eldon Peak''' ({{coord|41|58|12|S|145|43|48|E|region:AU-TAS_type:mountain}}<ref name=peak/>) is a mountain that is the highest point on the range. The peak has an elevation of {{convert|1440|m}} [[Australian Height Datum|above sea level]],<ref name=peak/> and is the western peak, being number 23 of the Abels.<ref>{{Citation | author1=Wilkinson, Bill | title=The Abels : Tasmania's mountains over 1100m high | publication-date=1994 | publisher=Regal Publications | isbn=978-0-949457-67-7}}</ref>

The similarly named '''Eldon Bluff''' ({{coord|41|58|S|145|49|E|region:AU-TAS_type:mountain}}) is the eastern peak. Eldon Bluff is {{convert|1361|m}} number 54 of [[The Abels]].

A smaller peak to the south is known as the Little Eldons, with an elevation of {{convert|640|m}} above sea level and it is separated from the Eldon Range by the South Eldon River. In the 1860s report of travels of Charles Gould, the Eldon range is mentioned.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39001542 |title=EXPLORATION OF WESTERN AND NORTH-WESTERN TASMANIA. |newspaper=[[Launceston Examiner]] |volume=XX |issue=2288 and 94 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=9 August 1860 |accessdate=26 April 2023 |page=2 (AFTERNOON) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

In the 1930s Eldon Peak was used as the starting point of a walk by F Smithies of Launceston and C Bradshaw of Linda.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article67915053 |title=A Notable Mountaineering Exploit |newspaper=[[The Advocate (Tasmania)|The Advocate]] |location=Burnie, Tas. |date=22 March 1932 |access-date=5 June 2015 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> In 1991 Crawford and Reid's climb is found described in Crawfords book on the King.<ref>{{Citation | author1=Crawford, Patsy | title=King : the story of a river | year=2000 | publication-date=2000 | publisher=Montpelier Press | isbn=978-1-876597-02-3 }} see chapter titled ''On Eldon Peak'' pp 152-155</ref>

Eldon Peak is one of the least visited peaks in Tasmania due to its remoteness. It was climbed in 1947 by Keith Lancaster, a Tasmanian bushwalker who recorded a cairn on the summit, indicating it was not the first European ascent.<ref>http://users.bigpond.net.au/dveltkamp/KeithLancaster/071HermitofGordonVale.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071220052515/http://users.bigpond.net.au/dveltkamp/KeithLancaster/071HermitofGordonVale.htm |date=20 December 2007 }} Keith Lancaster's Mountaineering diaries</ref> Lancaster ascended from the King River valley, a route no longer possible due to the impoundment of the river. Modern approaches would be from the south-east or south arriving at Lake Ewart at the foot of Eldon Bluff. All approaches are over trackless terrain with patches of difficult scrub.

Part of the route from the south east follows the western border of the [[Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park]], marked with poles by the bushman Charlie Spencer. Few of the poles still survive, and could not be relied upon. Navigation in this area would be extremely difficult in poor weather.

==Gallery== <gallery>

Eldon_Peak_from_south_east.JPG|Eldon peak viewed from the south east

Eldon_Peak_from_air,_from_north.JPG|Eldon peak viewed from the north Eldon_Peak,_from_west.JPG|Eldon peak viewed from the west

</gallery>

==See also== {{stack|{{Portal|Australia|Mountains}}}} * [[List of highest mountains of Tasmania]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==Further reading== *[[Charles Whitham]] ''Western Tasmania: A Land of Riches and Beauty''

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060821115426/http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/wha/wherein/detail.html Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area] - Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service

[[Category:Mountain ranges of Tasmania]] [[Category:Western Tasmania]] [[Category:Mountains of Tasmania|Eldon Peak]]