Mount Sorell is a mountain located in the West Coast region of

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, Australia. With an elevation of

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as '' orthometric heights''. The ...

, the mountain is the most south westerly of all the peaks within the West Coast Range.

History

The mountain was named in honour of William Sorell (1775 – 4 June 1848), a soldier who served as the third Lieutenant-Governor of

Van Diemen's Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sep ...

. Alluvial gold was found in adjacent creeks in the 1880s.

Geology

Its eastern face dominates the

Clark River, Tasmania Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educated ...

valley, which separates it from Mount Darwin. Because of its position, its appearance and dominance over the Macquarie Harbour just north east of Sarah Island, it was an early named mountain, and no doubt one which gave a sense of barrier to convicts with dreams of escape. Some folklore passed from convict times claim leg irons or other items were found by troops looking for escaped convicts on its slopes. It has no points of access like the nearby mountains, and in general remains relatively untouched compared to the West Coast Range mountains with old mine workings, walking track, and other signs of human activity. The Cape at the outer part of Hells Gates at the entrance to Macquarie Harbour is known as Cape Sorell, and there is a locality in south eastern Tasmania called Sorell.

History

Geology

See also

References

Further reading