The Huon Valley As seen by Rod Ewins
The Huon Valley is a picturesque
orcharding and stock-farming region south of Hobart [see MAP]. It is named from the
Huon River, second-largest river in southeast Tasmania. This in
turn was named for Huon de Kermadec, who was commanding the French
frigate Esperance in May 1792 when they first encountered
Huon Island and the river. The two frigates Esperance and
Recherche comprised the rescue-cum-scientific exploring expedition
of Bruny d'Entrecasteaux (1791-3), after whom Bruny Island and its associated
passage, D'Entrecasteaux Channel, are named. Huon de Kermadec
also gave his name to the Huon Island Group, administered by New
Caledonia, and the Huon Gulf and Huon Peninsula, in eastern Papua
New Guinea.
The principal towns in the Huon Valley are Huonville (near which I lived for 31 years), Cygnet, Franklin, Geeveston, and Dover. The river is navigable for large container ships as far upstream as Port Huon, near Geeveston.
A. Snow on the Huon Road August 2002
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B. The River and Southbridge
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LINKS: Rod Ewins prints based on the Huon Tour of the Huon Valley