The river rises below Mount Hugel west of Derwent Bridge on the western slopes of the Central Highlands and flows generally west and south through remote and rugged mountainous country until meeting its confluence with the Gordon River. From source to mouth the river is joined by sixteen tributaries including the Surprise, Collingwood, Lucan, Loddon, Andrew and the Jane rivers. In its upper reaches, the Franklin is impounded by two reservoirs, Lake Undine and Lake Dixon. The river is crossed by the Lyell Highway, also in its upper reaches. There are some archaeological sites that have identified pre-European activity. The upper reaches of the Franklin River were traversed by explorers in the nineteenth century, in their attempts to access Frenchmans Cap.
In the early twentieth century, access to the river was mostly pine logging in the lower reaches.[2][3]
In the middle of the century, adventurous canoers sought to conquer the river's formidable challenges. The book Shooting The Franklin : Early canoeing on Tasmania's wild rivers identifies three trips in the 1950s.[4]
In the case of earlier travellers, few locations of the river were named at all. During his initial journeys down the river, Bob Brown submitted names for some features. Before and since, rafters and canoers have added names for many of the bends and rapids on the river:
In the 1980s, the Franklin River become synonymous with Australia's largest conservation movement of the time, the movement battled to block Hydro Tasmania's proposed hydro-electric power plan, from building on the Franklin.
The focus on the dam and the issues of wilderness experience led to the development of people utilising the river at levels never previously experienced. The result of a drowning on the river led to stricter guidelines for users of the river. Richard Flanagan's Death of a River Guide is a fictional account of a drowning, by a writer with an academic and historical understanding of the area.[5]
^"Map of Franklin River, TAS". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
^Kerr, Garry J.; McDermott, Harry (2004). The Huon pine story: the history of harvest and use of a unique timber (2nd ed.). Mainsail Books. ISBN978-0-9577917-0-1.
Binks, C. J (1980), Explorers of Western Tasmania, Mary Fisher Bookshop, ISBN978-0-908291-16-8
Buckman, Greg (2008), Tasmania's Wilderness Battles A History, Allen & Unwin, ISBN978-1-74176-487-1
Dean, John (Johnson) (2002), Shooting the Franklin : early canoeing on Tasmania's wild rivers, J. and S. Dean, ISBN978-0-9581744-0-4
Gee, H and Fenton, J. (Eds) (1978) The South West Book - A Tasmanian Wilderness Melbourne, Australian Conservation Foundation. ISBN0-85802-054-8
Griffiths, Peter, and Baxter, Bruce (1997) The ever varying flood : a guide to the Franklin River Richmond, Vic.Prowling Tiger Press ISBN0-9586647-1-4
Lines, William J. (2006) Patriots : defending Australia's natural heritage St. Lucia, Qld. : University of Queensland Press, 2006. ISBN0-7022-3554-7
External links
location within the World Heritage Area
May 05, 2023
franklin, river, british, columbia, canada, vancouver, island, river, victoria, australia, victoria, major, perennial, river, located, central, highlands, western, regions, tasmania, australia, river, located, franklin, gordon, wild, rivers, national, park, no. For the Franklin River in British Columbia Canada see Franklin River Vancouver Island For the river in Victoria Australia see Franklin River Victoria The Franklin River is a major perennial river located in the Central Highlands and western regions of Tasmania Australia The river is located in the Franklin Gordon Wild Rivers National Park at the mid northern area of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Its source is situated at the western edge of the Central Highlands and it flows west towards the West Coast FranklinFranklin River near the Lyell HighwayLocation of the Franklin River mouth in TasmaniaEtymologySir John FranklinLocationCountryAustraliaStateTasmaniaRegionCentral Highlands WesternPhysical characteristicsSourceMount Hugel locationFranklin Gordon Wild Rivers National Park coordinates42 18 48 S 146 12 56 E 42 31333 S 146 21556 E 42 31333 146 21556 elevation951 m 3 120 ft MouthGordon River coordinates42 35 27 S 145 44 24 E 42 59083 S 145 74000 E 42 59083 145 74000 Coordinates 42 35 27 S 145 44 24 E 42 59083 S 145 74000 E 42 59083 145 74000 elevation11 m 36 ft Length129 km 80 mi Basin featuresRiver systemGordon RiverTributaries leftSurprise River Loddon River Jane River rightCollingwood River Lucan River Andrew RiverReservoirsLake Undine Lake Dixon 1 The river is named in honour of Sir John Franklin a Governor of Tasmania who later died searching for the Northwest Passage Sir John Franklin the river s namesake Contents 1 Location and features 1 1 Named places on the Franklin 2 Franklin River conservation battle 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksLocation and features EditThe river rises below Mount Hugel west of Derwent Bridge on the western slopes of the Central Highlands and flows generally west and south through remote and rugged mountainous country until meeting its confluence with the Gordon River From source to mouth the river is joined by sixteen tributaries including the Surprise Collingwood Lucan Loddon Andrew and the Jane rivers In its upper reaches the Franklin is impounded by two reservoirs Lake Undine and Lake Dixon The river is crossed by the Lyell Highway also in its upper reaches There are some archaeological sites that have identified pre European activity The upper reaches of the Franklin River were traversed by explorers in the nineteenth century in their attempts to access Frenchmans Cap In the early twentieth century access to the river was mostly pine logging in the lower reaches 2 3 In the middle of the century adventurous canoers sought to conquer the river s formidable challenges The book Shooting The Franklin Early canoeing on Tasmania s wild rivers identifies three trips in the 1950s 4 Named places on the Franklin Edit Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as KMLIn the case of earlier travellers few locations of the river were named at all During his initial journeys down the river Bob Brown submitted names for some features Before and since rafters and canoers have added names for many of the bends and rapids on the river Location Coordinates Location CoordinatesLivingstone Cut 42 20 5 S 145 47 49 E 42 33472 S 145 79694 E 42 33472 145 79694 Livingstone Cut Pig Trough 42 25 21 S 145 44 54 E 42 42250 S 145 74833 E 42 42250 145 74833 Pig Trough The Forceit 42 20 7 S 145 47 47 E 42 33528 S 145 79639 E 42 33528 145 79639 The Forceit Rock Island Bend 42 25 22 S 145 44 58 E 42 42278 S 145 74944 E 42 42278 145 74944 Rock Island Bend Sidewinder 42 20 18 S 145 47 41 E 42 33833 S 145 79472 E 42 33833 145 79472 Sidewinder Shower Cliff 42 25 18 S 145 45 7 E 42 42167 S 145 75194 E 42 42167 145 75194 Shower Cliff Thunderrush 42 20 27 S 145 47 35 E 42 34083 S 145 79306 E 42 34083 145 79306 Thunderrush Newland Cascades 42 25 18 S 145 45 16 E 42 42167 S 145 75444 E 42 42167 145 75444 Newland Cascades The Sanctum 42 20 37 S 145 47 31 E 42 34361 S 145 79194 E 42 34361 145 79194 The Sanctum Confluence of Jane River 42 27 32 S 145 46 18 E 42 45889 S 145 77167 E 42 45889 145 77167 Confluence of Jane River The Cauldron 42 20 48 S 145 47 27 E 42 34667 S 145 79083 E 42 34667 145 79083 The Cauldron Flat Island 42 28 21 S 145 45 37 E 42 47250 S 145 76028 E 42 47250 145 76028 Flat Island Mousehole 42 21 4 S 145 47 17 E 42 35111 S 145 78806 E 42 35111 145 78806 Mousehole Blackmans Bend 42 31 5 S 145 46 4 E 42 51806 S 145 76778 E 42 51806 145 76778 Blackmans Bend Deliverance Reach 42 21 4 S 145 47 6 E 42 35111 S 145 78500 E 42 35111 145 78500 Deliverance Reach Double Fall 42 31 27 S 145 45 23 E 42 52417 S 145 75639 E 42 52417 145 75639 Double Fall The Biscuit 42 21 45 S 145 46 34 E 42 36250 S 145 77611 E 42 36250 145 77611 The Biscuit Big Fall or Devils Hole 42 33 25 S 145 45 16 E 42 55694 S 145 75444 E 42 55694 145 75444 Big Fall Rafters Basin 42 21 52 S 145 46 20 E 42 36444 S 145 77222 E 42 36444 145 77222 Rafters Basin Galleon Bluff 42 33 37 S 145 45 52 E 42 56028 S 145 76444 E 42 56028 145 76444 Galleon Bluff Confluence of Andrew River 42 21 57 S 145 46 4 E 42 36583 S 145 76778 E 42 36583 145 76778 Confluence of Andrew River Verandah Cliffs 42 34 16 S 145 44 59 E 42 57111 S 145 74972 E 42 57111 145 74972 Verandah Cliffs Propsting Gorge 42 23 25 S 145 45 32 E 42 39028 S 145 75889 E 42 39028 145 75889 Propsting Gorge Shingle Island 42 34 59 S 145 44 40 E 42 58306 S 145 74444 E 42 58306 145 74444 Shingle Island Glen Calder 42 24 46 S 145 44 43 E 42 41278 S 145 74528 E 42 41278 145 74528 Glen Calder Pyramid Island 42 35 26 S 145 44 25 E 42 59056 S 145 74028 E 42 59056 145 74028 Pyramid Island Gaylard Rapids 42 25 8 S 145 44 49 E 42 41889 S 145 74694 E 42 41889 145 74694 Gaylard Rapids Confluence into Gordon River 42 35 27 S 145 44 24 E 42 59083 S 145 74000 E 42 59083 145 74000 Confluence into Gordon River Franklin River conservation battle EditMain article Franklin Dam controversy In the 1980s the Franklin River become synonymous with Australia s largest conservation movement of the time the movement battled to block Hydro Tasmania s proposed hydro electric power plan from building on the Franklin The focus on the dam and the issues of wilderness experience led to the development of people utilising the river at levels never previously experienced The result of a drowning on the river led to stricter guidelines for users of the river Richard Flanagan s Death of a River Guide is a fictional account of a drowning by a writer with an academic and historical understanding of the area 5 See also Edit Australia portalCommonwealth v TasmaniaReferences Edit Map of Franklin River TAS Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia 2015 Retrieved 18 June 2016 Kerr Garry J McDermott Harry 2004 The Huon pine story the history of harvest and use of a unique timber 2nd ed Mainsail Books ISBN 978 0 9577917 0 1 Flanagan Richard 1985 A terrible beauty history of the Gordon River country Greenhouse ISBN 978 0 86436 001 4 Dean John Johnson 2002 Shooting the Franklin early canoeing on Tasmania s wild rivers J and S Dean ISBN 978 0 9581744 0 4 Flanagan Richard 1994 Death of a river guide McPhee Gribble ISBN 978 0 86914 344 5 Further reading EditBinks C J 1980 Explorers of Western Tasmania Mary Fisher Bookshop ISBN 978 0 908291 16 8 Buckman Greg 2008 Tasmania s Wilderness Battles A History Allen amp Unwin ISBN 978 1 74176 487 1 Dean John Johnson 2002 Shooting the Franklin early canoeing on Tasmania s wild rivers J and S Dean ISBN 978 0 9581744 0 4 Gee H and Fenton J Eds 1978 The South West Book A Tasmanian Wilderness Melbourne Australian Conservation Foundation ISBN 0 85802 054 8 Griffiths Peter and Baxter Bruce 1997 The ever varying flood a guide to the Franklin River Richmond Vic Prowling Tiger Press ISBN 0 9586647 1 4 Lines William J 2006 Patriots defending Australia s natural heritage St Lucia Qld University of Queensland Press 2006 ISBN 0 7022 3554 7External links Edithttps web archive org web 20060821115426 http www parks tas gov au wha wherein detail html location within the World Heritage Area Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Franklin River amp oldid 1142523261, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
