Melaleuca | |
|---|---|
 A tourist plane prepares for take-off from Melaleuca. | |
  Melaleuca | |
| Coordinates:43°25′19.2″S146°9′46.8″E / 43.422000°S 146.163000°E /-43.422000; 146.163000 | |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Tasmania |
| LGA | |
| Government | |
| • State electorate | |
| • Federal division | |
| Population | |
| • Total | 0 (?)[citation needed] |
| Postcode | none |
Melaleuca is a remote locality (former settlement) in thesouth-west area ofTasmania, Australia.
Access is only by sea viaPort Davey, by air[1] or by foot.
The locality now consists of a couple of buildings and a bird hide where theorange-bellied parrot can be viewed, and is a tourist attraction. Melaleuca has a gravel airstrip, which is used by small aircraft, which servicehiking needs and which bring tourists to the remoteSouth West Wilderness region of the state. Two hiking trails meet at Melaleuca: thePort Davey Track and theSouth Coast Track.
From the 1930s until the area gainedWorld Heritage status, Melaleuca had been the location leased for mining ventures.[2]
From 1936 until his death in 1991, Melaleuca was home to tin minerDeny King who discovered the extinct shrub,Banksia kingii as well as a species ofeyebright,Euphrasia kingii and the endangered King's lomatia or King's holly,Lomatia tasmanica. King also built the walkers' accommodation and airstrip and in 1975 was made a Member of theOrder of Australia for his services to the community.[3]
| Climate data for Melaleuca, Port Davey (6 m AMSL; BOM 1946-1999) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 19.2 (66.6) | 19.0 (66.2) | 17.8 (64.0) | 15.5 (59.9) | 13.1 (55.6) | 11.8 (53.2) | 11.7 (53.1) | 12.0 (53.6) | 13.9 (57.0) | 15.2 (59.4) | 16.3 (61.3) | 19.2 (66.6) | 15.4 (59.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 9.6 (49.3) | 9.5 (49.1) | 8.7 (47.7) | 7.7 (45.9) | 6.1 (43.0) | 3.9 (39.0) | 3.9 (39.0) | 4.6 (40.3) | 5.7 (42.3) | 6.2 (43.2) | 7.3 (45.1) | 8.6 (47.5) | 6.8 (44.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 135.2 (5.32) | 114.6 (4.51) | 151.5 (5.96) | 207.7 (8.18) | 234.2 (9.22) | 217.5 (8.56) | 238.8 (9.40) | 235.7 (9.28) | 200.2 (7.88) | 194.6 (7.66) | 154.9 (6.10) | 162.3 (6.39) | 2,142.5 (84.35) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 17.1 | 14.1 | 17.3 | 20.4 | 21.9 | 20.4 | 22.2 | 23.0 | 21.4 | 22.2 | 19.6 | 18.2 | 237.8 |
| Source:[4] | |||||||||||||
