Maydena is a locality in

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, alongside the River Tyenna. Maydena is on the

Gordon River Road The Gordon River Road, sometimes called the Strathgordon Road, (B61), is a road in the south western region of Tasmania, Australia. The road was built by the Hydro-Electric Commission of Tasmania with funding from the Australian Government t ...

, south west of

New Norfolk New Norfolk ( ; Aboriginal Tasmanians#Big River, Leenowwenne/palawa kani: ''Wulawali'') is a river bank, riverside town located on the Derwent River (Tasmania), River Derwent in southeastern Tasmania, Australia. Established in 1807, it is Tasm ...

, through the Bushy Park Hop Fields, turn left at Westerway, past

Mount Field National Park Mount Field National Park is a national park in Tasmania, Australia, 64 km northwest of Hobart, Australia, Hobart. The landscape ranges from eucalyptus temperate rainforest to alpine moorland, rising to 1,434 metres (4,705 ft) at the ...

and

Russell Falls The Russell Falls, a Waterfall#Types, tieredcascade waterfall on the Russell Falls Creek, is located in the Central Highlands (Tasmania), Central Highlands region of Tasmania, Australia. Location and features The Russell Falls are situated on ...

, through Tyenna and Fitzgerald townships and then up to Maydena itself.

continues to

Lake Pedder Lake Pedder, once a glacial outwash lake, is a man-made impoundment and diversion lake located in South West Tasmania, Australia. In addition to its natural catchment from the Frankland Range, the lake is formed by the 1972 damming of the ...

Lake Gordon Lake Gordon is a man-made reservoir created by the Gordon Dam, located on the upper reaches of the Gordon River in the south-west region of Tasmania, Australia. Features The reservoir was formed in the early 1970s as a result of the dam const ...

and

Strathgordon Strathgordon is a rural locality in the local government area (LGA) of Derwent Valley in the South-east LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about west of the town of New Norfolk. The 2016 census recorded a population of 15 for the state s ...

, in the

Southwest National Park Southwest National Park is an Australian national park located in the South West Tasmania, south-west of Tasmania, bounded by the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park to the north and the Hartz Mountains National Park to the east. It is a ...

of Tasmania. Maydena was formerly called Junee and was a small settlement that provided access to Adamsfield Osmiridium mining in the early 1900s. In 1947–1950 Australian Newsprint Mills built 100 houses for the workers of the forestry operations of Australian Newsprint Mill to provide timber for the production of newsprint at their newsprint Mill in Boyer, Tasmania. At the 1954 Census Maydena had a population of 518 with a further 60 at the Maydena Newsprint Camp. At the 2021 census, Maydena had a population of 198. Maydena's state primary school and a community online centre have now been closed.Maydena Community Online Center

History

The 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge railway line in Maydena was once used for hauling

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

and

osmiridium Osmiridium and iridosmine are natural alloys of the elements osmium and iridium, with traces of other platinum-group metals. Osmiridium has been defined as containing a higher proportion of iridium, with iridosmine containing more osmium. However ...

ore, as well as a way point for the Hydro Electric Commission to build the Gordon River Road to Strathgordon and the construction of the Lake Gordon Dam for the Gordon Power Station, the largest in Tasmania. The railway ceased operation in 1991 and a portion of the disused rail track is now being used by a pedal powered 'Railtrack Riders' tourist attraction. Maydena Post Office opened on 1 May 1944.

Maydena Bike Park

The Maydena Bike Park (MBP) is a gravity-focused

Mountain bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling (''mountain biking''). Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in r ...

park. The park was originally conceptualized in 2008, before officially opening on 26 January 2018. The park encircles the southern side of the township, and has been able to successfully restore and re-use some buildings like the old School. Owned and operated by Dirt Art, the Park is now one of the largest employers and a significant driver of tourism to the area. In addition to recreational riding, MBP also hosts events ranging from social Friday-evening Downhill through summer to invite only, internationally viewed flagship events such as RedBull Hardline.

Climate

Maydena has a cool, rainy

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Cfb''). Some winter nights drop below freezing, the average winter daytime temperatures average between and . The summer is mild with temperatures averaging around to at night rising to to during the day. Rainfall averaged annually and an average of 219.3 days of rainfall. During the period 1992 to 2020, Maydena's record high of was recorded on 31 January 2020, and the record low of was recorded on 6 June 2006.

References

External links

* * {{authority control Towns in Tasmania