History
Evidence has been found for human habitation in the South West Wilderness area going back at least 25,000 years. The coastal area was shared by four Tasmanian Aboriginal tribes for at least the last 3,000 years.
The coast of the area was mapped by Captain James Cook in 1777 as part of his third voyage of discovery aboard the HMS Resolution, though this was not a focus of this voyage. It was undoubtedly sighted by earlier European voyagers, but little attempt appears to have been made to land.
During the 19th century, as Europeans colonised other parts of Australia and Tasmania, this area was found to be harsh and inhospitable. Limited numbers of sealers, whalers, miners and timber-getters based themselves in the area.
In 1955 Lake Pedder National Park was proclaimed. Over the following 35 years the park was gradually extended, and was renamed the Southwest National Park, finally reaching its present size in 1990. As detailed below, the Southwest National Park forms the bulk of the South West Wilderness.
Read more about this topic: South West Wilderness
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