My Great Great Great Grandfather James Magee shepherded sheep up into the Central Plateau during summer, which is called Transhumance. They do this because the fields down in the Midlands dry up, while the fields up in the Central Plateau are lush and green.
He would camp up there in a little stone and tin hut, while also catching possums and kangaroos for a side income. My father also did this on the farm in his youth, selling the meat and skin as pocket money.
We would also sleep in a little tin hut when we went fishing up in the Central Plateau, it was on the back of dads Ute, i.e. a campervan. It was quite small and cramped, but much nicer than a tent when it’s snowing up the lakes!
Central Plateau History
The Luggermairrenerpairer clan are the traditional owners of the Central Highlands land and the area features many names inspired by them, including Miena, Liawenee, and Waddamana. I pay my respects to their elders past and present.
The earliest known European exploration of the Central Plateau was Lieutenant Thomas Laycock. In 1807 a drought had descended on Tasmania and the Port Dalrymple settlement required extra supplies, so they sent Thomas on horseback bound for Hobart with dispatches for extra rations. He ascended to the Central Plateau via the Lake River to Woods Lake. It then took him eight days over the uncharted mountainous terrain of the Central Plateau, which would have been incredibly difficult for him, as its full of craggy towering peaks and deep valleys littered with volcanic boulders.
The marshland in between the peaks is notoriously boggy. He did really well just finding a pathway through the Central Plateau.
But at the same time, it would have been so lovely to canter through the button grass plains, listening to the frogs croaking and the birds singing. Seeing the snow-covered mountains all around him, as it can snow in the Central Plateau at any time of the year. He then followed the Clyde River to the Derwent River, which led him to Hobart.
That’s a great story and a bit of family history. Thanks for sharing. Great pics too.