Mount Owen (Tasmania)

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Mount Owen
Elevation
Location	West Coast, Tasmania
Range	West Coast Range
Coordinates	42°52′S, 145°22′E
First ascent	unknown
Easiest route	from North West along track to TV tower

Mount Owen is the mountain directly east of the town of Queenstown in Tasmania, Australia.

Like most of the mountains in the West Coast Range - it was named by Charles Gould after Richard Owen as the taller mountains were named after opponents or critics of Charles Darwin, the smaller after his supporters.

[edit] Features

A map in Geoffrey Blainey's 'The Peaks of Lyell' sourced from 1900-1910 calls the north west peak the 'North Spur', and the north western slopes clearly seen from Gormanston and the Linda Valley the 'Long Spur'.

The northern slopes, clearly visible from the Lyell Highway passing through the Linda Valley, show the extent of degradation due to fire, smelter fumes, and heavy rainfall.

It has small glacial lakes on its upper eastern slope, indicating the extent of Glaciation in the King River valley.

The western slopes loom over Queenstown, and in winter are regularly covered in snow.

The eastern wall to its north eastern peak that 'hangs over' the western shore of Lake Burbury, or in earlier times the North Mount Lyell Railway formation which passed beneath.

[edit] Access

It also has TV and communications towers on its north west peak (North Spur), which has been utilised a vehicle access track

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West Coast Range context

• North - Mount Lyell
• Mount Owen
• South - Mount Huxley

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[edit] References

• Blainey, Geoffrey (2000). The Peaks of Lyell, 6th ed., Hobart: St. David's Park Publishing. ISBN 0-7246-2265-9. 
• Whitham, Charles. Western Tasmania - A land of riches and beauty, Reprint 2003, Queenstown: Municipality of Queenstown. 

2003 edition - Queenstown: Municipality of Queenstown.

1949 edition - Hobart: Davies Brothers. OCLC 48825404; ASIN B000FMPZ80

1924 edition - Queenstown: Mount Lyell Tourist Association. OCLC 35070001; ASIN B0008BM4XC