1 million
years ago:
Glacial outwash blocks
the flow of the Serpentine River. A unique glacial lake is formed nine square
kilometres in area with a beach of pink quartz sand three kilometre long
and nearly one kilometre wide.
20000 years ago:
Aboriginal people lived
in the area and frequented the Lake.
1835:
Surveyor John Wedge
names the lake “Pedder” after the Chief Justice of the colony sir John Lewes
Pedder
1874:
Landscape painter William
Piguenit visits and paints at Lake Pedder
1898:
A branch of the Port
Davey track reaches Lake Pedder
1946:
The first light plane
landing is made on the 3 km beach
1955:
The Lake becomes the
heart and focus of the Lake Pedder National Park
1968:
The LPNPP is incorporated
in the South West National Park
1967:
Premier Eric Reece
announces the Gordon Power scheme will “result in some modification to
the Lake Pedder National Park”
1972:
The world’s first Green
Party, the United Tasmania Group (UTG) is formed to oppose the flooding.
1972:
In spite of a massive
campaign of national and international opposition, the lake is flooded to
provide an extra 60MW of electricity.
1973:
The Tasmanian government
refuses an offer from the Comonwealth Government to fund a simple alternative
version of the Gordon Scheme in order to save the lake.
1982:
The Huon Serpentine
impoundment is included within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area
because of the IUCN’s (International Union for the Conservation of Nature)
express hope for its restoration of the natural lake.
1993:
The IUCN, meeting in
Buenos Aires, passes a unanimous resolution calling for the restoration
of the lake.
1993:
Scientific studies
reveal that beneath 15 metres of water, the features of the Lake Pedder
area – beach, dunes and Serpentine River – are unchanged under a few millimetres
of silt.
1994:
Comalco closes its
third potline. Tasmania’s power surplus reaches 130MW
1994:
Pedder 2000 is launched
in Hobart with national and international expressions of support.