Thark Ridge Dec 2022

Wednesday 21 December 2022

On a pleasant warm day, we walked along the Thark Ridge Track as far as the Municipal Cairn and retuned on a slightly different route for part of the way. This diversion was over a wide part of Thark Ridge past some large old cairns before re-joining the track where it leads down to Devils Throne.

A couple questions arose during the day, and I have looked up the information.

Thark Hut and by extension Thark Ridge are documented by Maria Grist as follows:

The name of this hut came from a play which was currently popular in the city, "Thark", a farce in 3 acts, by Ben Travers, 4/7/1927. The play was made into a film in 1932. There are two stone foundations left, marking the northern and southern ends of the hut.

The other structure near the hut site, which we pondered if it had been a toilet was in fact one of Hutchisons Fireplaces. According to Placenames Tasmania:

The surveyor H. R. Hutchison spent a great deal of time around the turn of the century on Mt Wellington and during the course of his time he built three substantial large stone fireplaces on Mt Wellington, all of similar design. The first, also known as Camp Rock, is situated on the plateau north of Smiths Monument, Tasmap Derwent 100:000 [UTM zone 55] 182488. The second is situated 100 metres south of Thark Hut remains, below Thark Ridge around Tasmap Derwent 100:000 [UTM zone 55] 166504. The third is situated about 5 minutes’ walk above Wellington Falls, at around Tasmap Derwent 100:000 [UTM zone 55] 150477.

And the other question was on the cairn where we had lunch It is recorded in Placenames Tasmania as Municipal Cairn:

Members of the Hobart Walking Club often navigate to this cairn at the western end of Thark Ridge and refer to it as the Municipal Cairn.

It is shown on Ron Smith’s map of Mt Wellington as “SW Corner 5’ cairn with pole”.

It is believed the name was first used by the late David Leaaman.

Request from Club to record this feature in 2020.

Description:

Cairn at the western end of Thark Ridge.

It is the corner of the Hobart, Glenorchy and Kingborough Municipalities at approximately 516072E 5249644N.