Tasmanian Wilderness

Inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1982; Tasmanian WIldernessupdated in 1989

61 Tasmanian Wilderness

The Tasmanian Wilderness The Tasmanian Wilderness was inscribed on the World Covering approximately 20 per cent of , the contains some of the last Heritage List for its outstanding natural and cultural Tasmanian Wilderness is one of the largest conservation remaining expanses of universal values under the following criteria: reserves in Australia. At 13,800 km2, it is one of the three largest temperate wilderness areas remaining in the temperate rainforest in the Natural Southern Hemisphere. southern hemisphere. • outstanding examples representing the major stages of With living evidence of the earth's evolutionary history The rugged and spectacular landscapes of the Tasmanian itsTasmanian ancient Gondwanan • outstanding examples representing Wilderness significant ongoing Wilderness contain rocks from almost every geological heritage, the area is geological processes, biological evolution and man’s period, the oldest being formed about 1,100 million years ago during the Precambrian period. Some of the deepest internationally recognised interaction with his natural environment; as distinct from and longest caves in Australia and other spectacular karst as a hotspot for plant the periods of the Earth’s development, this focuses upon landscapes are found here. diversity and endemicity. ongoing processes in the development of communities of plants and , landforms and marine and fresh Due to the diversity of its vegetation the region is recognised The landscape is graced water bodies as an International Centre for Plant Diversity by the with some of the world’s International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The longest lived trees and • contain superlative natural phenomena, formations or features, for instance outstanding examples of the most highly varied flora ranging from open and closed forests inhabited by the world’s important ecosystems, areas of exceptional natural through to buttongrass moorland and alpine communities largest carnivorous occurs in a unique mosaic of Antarctic and Australian beauty or exceptional combination of natural and cultural marsupials. elements. The Antarctic element consists of elements descended from those present on the supercontinent Rock art and remains in • contain the most important and significant natural Gondwana. limestone caves attest to habitats where threatened species of animals and plants the human occupation of outstanding universal value from the point of view of Some of the longest lived trees in the world such as Huon of the area for at least science or conservation still survive. pines (Lagarostrobos) and other native conifers grow in the 30,000 years. This is one area. Nothofagus is an ancient plant genus of Gondwanan Cultural of the richest and best ancestry, represented in the area by N. cunninghamii and preserved collections of Ice • a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a civilisation Australia’s only winter deciduous tree, N. gunnii. Some of the Age sites anywhere in the which has disappeared tallest flowering plants in the world,Eucalyptus regnans, world. • an outstanding example of a traditional human grow here. The area contains approximately 255, or 63 per settlement which is representative of a culture and which cent, of Tasmania's endemic vascular plant species. has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible The fauna is also of global significance because it includes change an unusually high proportion of endemic species and relict • directly or tangibly associated with events or with ideas groups of ancient lineage. The diverse topography, geology, or beliefs of outstanding universal significance. soils and vegetation, in association with harsh and variable

62 Tasmanian Wilderness 63 and the world’s world’s the and

Richea pandanifolia Richea View across some of the area’s extensive, high quality quality high extensive, area’s the of some across strip: View top wilderness temperate spectacular is simply system Cave Marakoopa The top: is stronghold whose pines, Pencil endemic Tasmanian and Tarn above: Area Heritage World the Shemesh Joe Arts. the and Heritage Parks, Environment, of Department Tasmania All images: Nothofagus cunninghamii Nothofagus relict Gondwanan page: title heath tallest

day management of the area is the responsibility of the Tasmanian Parks and and Parks Tasmanian the of responsibility the is area the of management day - preserved collections of Ice Age sites found anywhere in the world. During the the During world. the in anywhere found sites Age Ice of collections preserved to - - Resource Management and Conservation Division (Department of Primary Primary of (Department Division Conservation and Management Resource Water) and Industries Aboriginal Heritage Office (Department of Environment, Parks, Heritage Heritage Parks, of Environment, (Department Office Heritage Aboriginal ay est

• Wildlife Service (Department of Environment, Parks, Heritage and the Arts). Specialist Specialist Arts). the and Heritage Parks, Environment, of (Department Service Wildlife by: Service the to provided is advice • periods of earliest occupation, the Aboriginal people of the region are believed to have have to believed are region the of people Aboriginal the occupation, earliest of periods earth. on people southerly most the been D climatic conditions, combine to create a wide array of habitats. Many groups groups Many habitats. animal of array wide a create to combine conditions, climatic the of relicts as survived have crayfish freshwater burrowing and marsupials of fauna. Gondwanan has particular, in Wilderness Tasmanian the of and Tasmania, of insularity The such animals several for stronghold a remains area The uniqueness. its to contributed that parrot, ground and quoll eastern pademelon, Tasmanian devil, Tasmanian the as Australia. mainland on threatened or extinct either are Pedder , Branca Pedra froglet, moss the include region the to endemic Fauna primarily or entirely species of proportion high a with groups and galaxias stoneflies, shrimps, mountain crayfish, freshwater as such area, the to restricted harvestmen. and landhoppers caddisflies, occupation. Aboriginal to relate values Heritage World cultural area's The collection important and rich exceptionally an revealed have surveys Archaeological World the of all with along places, These Cave. Kutikina including sites, Aboriginal of Tasmanian the to important extremely are sites, Aboriginal property’s Heritage value. spiritual and emotional cultural, exceptional their for community Aboriginal indicate that valleys river inland west south the in located been have sites 40 Over were places these When ago. years 30,000 least at to dating occupation human sites the and now, is it than drier and colder significantly was climate the occupied survive to developed community Aboriginal Tasmanian the ways distinctive the reveal conditions. Age Ice and change climate and richest the of one forms art sites, rock includes also which places, of group This b Tasmanian Wilderness

and the Arts).

Further information

Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/ world/tasmanian-wilderness/index

UNESCO World Heritage http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/181

Contact

Tasmanian Wilderness

Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service GPO Box 1751 Hobart TAS 7001

Web: www.parks.tas.gov.au/wha/ whahome.html Tel: 03 6233 2270

Map produced by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts © Commonwealth of Australia 2008

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