Australian Mountain Peaks
Cache Name: AMP042 – Mount Owen
Peak ID: 42
Elevation: 1146m
State: TAS
Location: West Coast Range, Tasmania
Coordinates: S 42.0903 E 145.601
Cache Size: 800ml Plastic screw top
Mount Owen is a mountain directly east of the town of Queenstown on the West Coast Range in Western Tasmania. Like most of the mountains in the West Coast Range, it was named by the geologist Charles Gould after Richard Owen. The taller mountains were named after opponents or critics of Charles Darwin, the smaller ones after his supporters. The northwestern slopes are clearly seen from Gormanston and the Linda Valley 'Long Spur'.
Historically, the tree line on Mount Owen was relatively high. However, timber on the slopes was used by the local mining operations. In the early days of settlement, fires started on the slopes destroyed housing in Queenstown and threatened the North Mount Lyell Railway.
By the early twentieth century, the slopes of Mount Owen were denuded and had limited remnant vegetation. There are TV and communications towers on its northwest peak (North Spur), which has been used as a vehicle access track. Other geological features near Mount Owen include Mount Lyell to the north and Mount Huxley to the south. Mount Owen is accessible on foot along a formed four-wheel track.