Lune River, Tasmania

This article is about the settlement in Tasmania. For the river in Tasmania, see Lune River (Tasmania). For other rivers named Lune, see Lune.

Lune River
Tasmania
Lune River is located in Tasmania
Lune River
Lune River
Coordinates43°25′26″S 146°54′28″E / 43.42389°S 146.90778°E / -43.42389; 146.90778
Population38 (SAL 2021)[1]
Postcode(s)7109
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10)
 • Summer (DST)AEDT (UTC+11)
LGA(s)Huon Valley Council
State electorate(s)Franklin
Federal division(s)Franklin

Lune River is a town in south-eastern Tasmania, Australia located near the mouth of a river of the same name.[2] It is home to some 24 people.[3]

In the 1850s, much of the town's economic activity was based on timber mills, fishing and small-scale farming.[4]


The Lune River area is noted for its fossils, particularly those from the Jurassic period.[5] According to Mineral Resources Tasmania, these fossils include petrified fern, agate, petrified wood and jasper.[6] They report that it is one of the only sources of petrified fern in Tasmania.[6]

The Lune River township is the departure point for the Ida Bay Railway.[7]

Geology

A Jurassic forest was buried in an andesitic volcanic eruption at Lune River. Here, beneath the lava flow, is mudstone with fossil wood and leaves. This example of nature's artwork is best displayed by cutting and polishing the fossil. The area is world-renowned for these beautiful fossils, which give us a wonderful view into the past landscapes and vegetation of Tasmania. It is also the only known locality where the Jurassic magmas reached the surface to form volcanoes; elsewhere, they crystallised at depth to form the large masses of dolerite that can be seen throughout much of Tasmania.

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Lune River (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ Charles Rawlings-Way; Meg Worby; Gabi Mocatta (2008). Tasmania. Lonely Planet. ISBN 9781741046915. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  3. ^ "Lune River".
  4. ^ "Far South". The Companion to Tasmanian History. University of Tasmania. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  5. ^ Australia's Fossil Heritage: A Catalogue of Important Australian Fossil Sites. Australian Heritage Council. 2012. ISBN 9780643101777.
  6. ^ a b "Lune River - Mineral Resources Tasmania". www.mrt.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  7. ^ Marceau, Alexandra (23 July 2013). "Get on board these tracks to nowhere". news.com.au. News Limited. Retrieved 16 August 2013.


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