Great Western Tiers

mountains, Tasmania, Australia

Also known as: Great Western Mountains, Western Tiers

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Also called:: Great Western Mountains or Western Tiers

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Great Western Tiers, mountains in central Tasmania, Australia. They form the northern and eastern border of the Central Plateau. Basaltic in composition, their fault-formed scarps rise to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) near the River Mersey in the northwest; from Mount Ironstone, the highest peak (4,736 feet [1,444 m]), they slope gradually to the south. Their eastern face overlooks the Macquarie River valley. The large drop afforded by streams plunging over the edge of the mountains is used in the Great Lake–South Esk and the Mersey–Forth hydroelectric projects. Gentle slopes at the base of the mountains provide good farmland.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.