Natural values

Towering 1270 metres above Hobart, kunanyi / Mt Wellington is home to forests, woodlands and alpine environments that provide food and shelter for an incredibly diverse range of native plants and animals, some found nowhere else on earth.

The mountain is part of the Wellington Park and the dominant feature of the Wellington Range, which also features Collins Cap, Lost World and Cathedral Rock. 

Its geology has been shaped by the earth’s forces over millions of years, producing a landscape filled with protruding dolerite rock, sandstone cliffs and soils that include dolerite, sandstone, mudstone and peat.    

Within its foothills are mossy fern gullies, waterfalls, rainforest and dry eucalypt woodland. Higher up are open sandy flats and even alpine moor.

Wildlife

Mammals: Almost all of Tasmania’s mammal species can be found on the mountain. These include possums, wallabies, pademelons, potoroos, bandicoots, echidnas, wombats and Tasmanian devils.  

Birdlife: It is rich in birdlife, including the nationally threatened wedge-tailed eagle, swift parrot and grey goshawk. At least 67 bird species have been recorded in the park, making it some of the richest bird habitat in Tasmania. 

Reptiles:  All three of Tasmania’s snakes can be found within Wellington Park – the tiger, copperhead and whip snakes. 

Snails: The mountain is home to the silky snail, listed as rare in Tasmania, it is found nowhere else in the world.

Flora

The diversity of micro climates on the mountain produces a diverse range of flora with more than 500 native plant species recorded in Wellington Park. They include the endemic Mt Wellington eyebright, the rare Tasmanian daisytree and large, towering treeferns in the wetter foothill forest. 

Eucalypt trees dominate kunanyi / Mt Wellington’s forests and woodlands, and include gum-topped stringybark, alpine yellow gum and snow peppermint higher up. Stringybark and blue gum can be found at lower altitudes. Swamp gum, the world’s tallest flowering plant, can also be found on the mountain.

All flora within Wellington Park is protected and permits are required to collect or remove any vegetation.