Bushwalk Australia

Hi everyone, I have a bit of an odd request.

Just some background first, I'm a 5th year Masters of Architecture student at the University of Tasmania and I am currently undertaking my graduate project and Honours thesis on wilderness architecture in the Tasmanian southwest.

The physical site I have chosen for the the project is the area immediately to the west of the Scotts Peak Dam, adjacent to Red Knoll. The reason I have chosen this site specifically is that it straddles the physical boundary between the conservation disaster that was/is Lake Pedder, and the relatively pristine southwest wilderness area, and perhaps more so because it represents a focal point between various conservation, land management, and land exploitation ideologies. As such, the ongoing story surrounding Lake Pedder will be one of the key issues I consider.

So my request to you:

- Does anyone have a detailed topographical map of the Lake Pedder area before it was flooded, or know where I could find one?
- Does anyone have any photos of the valley between Red Knoll and Scotts Peak before the flooding?

Likewise, I am very interested in the cultural and social history of the area, as well as the physical place, so if anyone has any information they think would be helpful I'd be hugely grateful!

Thanks, Nick Clark
UTas BEnvDes
UTas MArch (Hons)

Nick have you tried Hydro Tasmania? They are helpful (from my experience).
Others would be TasMap but you may have to get the right contact otherwise it woud be a dead end and frustrating experience.

Be interested in your final product.
I still have a bottle of sand off the original lake shore- reminder of lost worlds. A great place then

Contact the HWC Nick, they would have lots of things like this.

Thanks guys, HEC were my next point of contact as my site is actually on HEC land (they own the narrow strip encompassing the two dams, within the Southwest Con Area and NP...).

I'll get onto HWC as well!

Hi Nick, Have you looked at this link? There are some great images but not sure if they are what your after.
http://www.lakepedder.org/index.html.
This is also brilliant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0qoYQ_AzPU

Hope it helps. Apolpgies if you have already seen them.
Sharon

I would also try the Mines Dept - here is a quick scan from a 1960 Mines department map of the SW that included the old Lake Pedder

Not that detailed but I bet they have more stuff somehwere.

Sad that i never got to see it like that.

Thanks for posting that Phil

And here is a bit more with some interesting trips noted...

Thats a great map!

Isn't "wilderness architecture" a contradiction, like "American intelligence", "German humour" or "English cuisine"?

Seriously, there used to be 2 inch to the mile dyline contour maps of this area. Plotted contours with the new Lake Pedder later drawn in by hand. I got mine years ago (since disposed of) from the cartography deparment in what was the Lands Dept in Macquarie St Hobart about 20 years ago. I think they really appreciated someone who was interested in maps coming in. I suggest you go and talk to them. There's a good chance they'll be able to run off a dyline for you. Failing that, try the Hobart Library.

JamesMc

Thanks again everyone Phil those maps are great, thanks! Sharon, I've trolled through the lakepedder.org website but I hadn't spotted the youtube clip so thank you, I've never seen footage of the old lake!

The further into this project I get the deeper it seems to go. The Lake Pedder history is only one of about half dozen major issues I have to research and alone it's turning into something of a blackhole... Oh well, it's turning into quite an interesting subject If anyone is interested in the project I'll continue to post work here throughout the year.

JamesMc wrote:Isn't "wilderness architecture" a contradiction, like "American intelligence", "German humour" or "English cuisine"?

JamesMc

Firstly, thanks for your suggestion of contacting the Lands Department.

Yes, wilderness architecture can be a contradiction of terms and to be honest usually is. But then, in the context of my site at Scotts Peak Dam, would you actually call it wilderness? If you regard wilderness as landscape untouched by human influence, then it certainly isn't. Beyond the obvious impact made by the Lake Pedder dams and the local quarries developed to build them, you also have a century of impact from bushwalkers, prospectors and explorers (think erosion, pollution from human waste and the introduction Phytophthora to begin with), and several millennia of land management by the indigenous population.

I don't mean to say that a project in the area wouldn't need to be sensative to the natural place, of course it would, but I am interested in exploring the potential for architecture in wild places to be a positive element of its environment, rather than a violent intrusion. Naturally, I may find that there shouldn't be built works in these areas, but then that's the purpose of the project

For anyone interested, here's another couple of videos I found. It's one broadcast in two parts from the 'last summer'.

Pt 1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYEb08HVFxg&feature=related

Pt 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhvfJGHI16o&feature=related

nickthetasmaniac wrote:<snip>- Does anyone have any photos of the valley between Red Knoll and Scotts Peak before the flooding?
<snip>

Here's one returning from Lake Pedder and approaching Scotts Peak Dam under construction, that I posted in another thread a long time back -
download/file.php?id=1824&mode=view
I would have others from my trip in 1971, so will have a look at the old slides and post anything that that might cover the area you are interested in.

Another forum thread with more photos and information about the original Lake Pedder is here - viewtopic.php?f=9&t=699

Good luck with your research!

Thanks Ian! If you have any more slides that would be a huge help

Hi Nick, I have looked through my other old slides and found another from further west of the Scotts Peak Dam that shows the ridge leading up to Red Knoll on the RH side, and Schnells Ridge on the LH skyline. Both photos posted below with a diagra mof where they were taken from relative to your site on Red Knoll. I trust this will be of use, and happy to let you make use of the photos in your project if you wish to.

Thanks again Ian. I'll let you know if I use any of the slides you sent me

Was reading through a copy of 'The Pedder Parers' last night. Didn't realise there were 2 other options on the table. Would have been fantastic if they went for option 3 instead

I belive that the sucess of saving the Franklin River lies in the lessons learnt and hurt of the loss of the original Lake Pedder. If one of the alternatives had gone ahead for Lake Pedder would the outcome for the Franklin have been the same?