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State of Tasmania
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Tasmania_coat_of_arms_smalljpg
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"Ubertas et Fidelitas" (Fertility and Faithfulness)
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The Apple Isle
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<b>Flora</b> Tasmanian Blue Gum <b>Fauna</b> none
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Hobart
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Premier
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Paul Lennon
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ALP
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William Cox
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Governor
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TAS
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7<sup>th</sup>
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90,758
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68,401
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22,357
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State
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$16,114
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2004-05
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7<sup>th</sup>
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$33,243
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8<sup>th</sup>
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2463
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6<sup>th</sup>
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484,700
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End of March 2005
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4<sup>th</sup>
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709
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Mount Ossa +1,617 m
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UTC +10 (+11 DST )
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AU-TS
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The
Island of , an
Australian State , is located 200 km south of the eastern side of the
Continent , being separated from it by
Bass Strait . Tasmania has a population of 484,700 (March 2005, ABS) and an area of 68 332 km&
2 (26,383 square miles). Tasmania promotes itself as the ''Natural State'' owing to its large, and relatively unspoilt, natural environment. 40% of Tasmania is formally in reserves, National Parks and
World Heritage Sites .
The
Capital and largest city is
Hobart , which includes the communities of Hobart,
Glenorchy , and
Clarence . Other major population centres include
Launceston in the north, and
Devonport and
Burnie in the northwest.
The subantarctic
Macquarie Island is also under the administration of the state.
See Also: History of Tasmania
It is believed that the island was joined to the mainland until the end of the most recent
Ice Age approximately 10,000 years ago.
Much of the island is composed of Jurassic dolerite, a basaltic intrusion of magma that upwelled through other rock types and formed large columnar crystals as it cooled. Tasmania has the world's largest areas of dolerite, with many distinctive
Mountain s and
Cliff s formed from this rock type. The Central Plateau and the SE portions of the island are mostly dolerite.
Mt. Wellington above Hobart is a good example, with the Organ Pipes showing the distinct columns. In the SW,
Precambrian Quartzite s are formed from very ancient sea sediments and form strikingly sharp ridges and ranges, such as Federation Peak or
Frenchman's Cap . In the NE,
Granite s can be seen at Freycinet. In the NW and W, mineral rich
Conglomerate rocks can be seen at Mt. Murchison near
Rosebery , or at
Mt. Owen near
Queenstown . Also present in the S and NW are
Limestone s in which some magnificent
Cave s can be found.
The quartzite and dolerite in the higher mountains show evidence of
Glaciation and much of Australia's glaciated landscape is found on the Central Plateau and the Southwest. The combination of these different rock types offers incredible scenery, much of it distinct from any other regions of the world.
See Also: Tasmanian Aborigine
Tasmania was first inhabited by the
Tasmanian Aborigine s, and evidence indicates their presence in the region, later to become an island, at least 35,000 years ago (rising sea levels cut Tasmania off from mainland Australia about 10,000 years ago). The Aboriginal people in Tasmania were divided into nine main ethnic groups (see map). The indigenous population at the time of
British settlement in
1803 has been estimated at between 5,000 and 10,000 people, but through persecution (see
Black War and
Black Line ) and
Disease the population had dwindled to 300 in
1833 . The entire indigenous population was moved to
Flinders Island by
George Augustus Robinson at this time.
Truganini (1812-1876) is generally recognised as the last full-blooded Tasmanian Aborigine, although there is strong evidence that it was in fact
Fanny Cochrane Smith , who was born at Wybalena, and died in
1905 .
The first reported sighting of Tasmania by a
European was on
November 24 1642 by the
Dutch explorer
Abel Tasman who named the island Anthoonij van Diemenslandt, after his sponsor, the Governor of the
Dutch East Indies . The name was later shortened to
Van Diemens Land by the British. Captain
James Cook also sighted the island in
1777 , and numerous other European seafarers made landfalls, adding a colourful array to the names of topographical features.
The first settlement was by the
British at
Risdon Cove on the eastern bank of the
Derwent estuary in
1803 , by a small party sent from
Sydney , under Lt. John Bowen for the purpose of preventing the French from claiming the island. An alternative settlement was established by Captain David Collins 5 km to the south in 1804 in
Sullivan's Cove on the western side of the Derwent, where fresh water was more plentiful. The latter settlement became known as Hobart Town or Hobarton, later shortened to Hobart, after the British Colonial Secretary of the time, Lord Hobart. The settlement at Risdon was later abandoned.
The early settlers were mostly convicts and their military guards, with the task of developing
Agriculture and other industries. Numerous other
Convict-based Settlement s were made in Van Diemens Land, including secondary prisons, such as the particularly harsh penal colonies at
Port Arthur in the southeast and
Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast.
Van Diemens Land was proclaimed a separate colony from
New South Wales , with its own judicial establishment and
Legislative Council , on
December 3 1825 .
Although the state is seldom in the world news, global attention has turned to Tasmania a few times.
Tasmania was badly affected by the
1967 Tasmanian Fires in which there was major loss of life and property.
In the
1970s the state government announced plans to flood environmentally significant
Lake Pedder . National and international attention surrounded the
No Dams Campaign for the
Franklin River in the early
1980s . This contributed to the start of the
Green Movement .
Tasmania has received a position in the top ten of several popular international tourism publications.
On
April 28 ,
1996 in the incident now known as the
Port Arthur Massacre , lone gunman
Martin Bryant shot dead 35 people (including tourists and residents) and injured 37 others. The use of
Firearm s was immediately reviewed, and new gun ownership laws were adopted nationwide, with Tasmania's law one of the strictest in the nation.
The
Sydney To Hobart Yacht Race is an annual blue-water sailing event that attracts foreign media attention.
On
May 14 2004 the royal wedding of former Hobart woman
Mary Donaldson to
Frederik, Crown Prince Of Denmark , and their subsequent visit in
2005 , again drew some international attention to the state.
In
April and
May 2006 the
Beaconsfield Gold Mine created world media attention when a minor earth quake triggered a rockfall that killed one person.
See Also: Geography of Tasmania
Tasmania is a rugged island of
Temperate Climate , and was considered so similar in some ways to pre-industrial
England that it was referred to by some English colonists as 'a Southern England'.
Tasmania has been volcanically inactive in recent geological times, and has 'rounded smooth' mountain ranges similar to mainland Australia (unlike most of New Zealand).
The most mountainous regions are the
Central Highlands and south western areas, which cover most of the central, west and south west parts of the state. The central east area (the
Midlands ) is fairly flat by comparison, and is predominantly used for agriculture, although various types of farming activity can be seen all around the state.
The West Coast, being populated and having historically over 150 years of mineral exploration and exploitation, is a vital region to the state. It has a high rainfall which powers some of the hydro-electric schemes, and the earnings from mineral activities are significant. The
West Coast Range has some of the better known West Coast mines on its slopes – notably the
Mount Lyell mine.
The Southwest region, in particular, is densely forested, the
National Park holding some of the last temperate rainforests in the
Southern Hemisphere . Management of such an isolated and inaccessible area has been made easier and more reliable with the advent of
Satellite Imaging .
, near
Launceston ]]
Most of the population lives on and around the coastal rivers – the
Derwent and
Huon River s in the south, the
Tamar and
Mersey River s in the north.
The temperate climate (Tasmania is the only Australian state with any land south of the 40th
Parallel ), rustic environment and numerous historic features (for example,
Richmond Bridge in southeastern Tasmania is the oldest bridge in Australia) make Tasmania a popular choice for retirees who prefer a temperate climate over a
Tropical one such as
Queensland . Tasmania receives a large amount of
Snow in the highlands throughout the winter months, but very little in significantly populated areas.
Tasmania is separated from the Australian mainland by
Bass Strait , reputed to be one of the potentially roughest waters in the world. The extreme by relatively rare seas experienced in Bass Strait are primarily a result of its shallow depth (typically around 60 m) and susceptibility to Indian and Southern Ocean currents and swells.
foreshore with the city centre and Mt Wellington in the background]]
Tasmania is located at latitude 40° South, longitude 144° East, right in the pathway of the notorious "Roaring Forties" wind that encircles the globe. Tasmania has a very similar climate to
England .
The seasons are opposite to that of the
Northern Hemisphere . Summer is from December to February when the average maximum temperature is 21° Celsius ( 70° Fahrenheit ). Winter is from June to August with an average maximum temperature of 12° Celsius ( 40° Fahrenheit ).
40.8C (105.4F),
Hobart ,
4 January 1976
-13.0C (8.6F),
Shannon ,
30 June 1983 {Link without Title}
The annual rainfall varies from 626mm ( 24 inches ) in
Hobart to 2400mm ( 95 inches ) on the west coast. The prevailing weather pattern is from west to east and creates a rain shadow in the same direction. The weather on the east coast is nearly always warmer and milder than the rest of the state. Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year. Tasmania has four distinct seasons. Summer is warm with sunny days and mild evenings. The weather is more stable between the months of February and April, from mid summer to late autumn. Autumn provides the classical transition to winter with very cool to frosty nights and clear cool days with deciduous trees displaying autumn colours and losing leaves. Winter is characterised by sudden storms, shorter day light hours and a lot of
Snow on the higher peaks (Mt Ossa 1,617m / 5300 ft the highest ). Spring is the season shaking off winter with spring showers and new growth warming to summer.
All these factors contribute to the make-up of Tasmania and producing vegetation which is extremely diverse, from tall open
Eucalypt Forest , alpine heathlands and large areas of cool temperate
Rainforests and moorlands. Many flora species are unique to Tasmania, and some are related to species in
South America and
New Zealand through ancestors which grew on the super continent Gondwanaland, 50 million years ago.
See Also: Government of Tasmania
The form of the government of Tasmania is prescribed in its
Constitution , which dates from
1856 , although it has been amended many times since then.
Since
1901 Tasmania has been a state of the
Commonwealth Of Australia , and the
Australian Constitution regulates its relationship with the Commonwealth, and prescribes which powers each level of government has.
Tasmania's has a number of relatively unspoilt,
Ecologically valuable regions. Proposals for local economic development have therefore been faced with strong requirements for environmental sensitivity, or outright opposition. In particular, proposals for hydroelectric power generation proved controversial in the late
20th Century . In the
1970s , opposition to the construction of the
Lake Pedder impoundment led to the formation of the world's first
Green Party , the
United Tasmania Group . In the early
1980s the state was again plunged into often bitter debate over the proposed
Franklin River Dam . The anti-dam sentiment was shared by many Australians outside Tasmania, and proved a factor in the election of the
Hawke Labor government in
1983 , which halted construction of the dam. Since the 1980s the environmental focus has shifted to
Old Growth Logging , which has proved a highly divisive issue. The
Tasmania Together process recommended an end to clear felling in high conservation old growth forests by January
2003 .
In the Commonwealth Parliament, Tasmania is well represented in the
Senate , where seats are not proportional to population. Between
1975 and
2005 , Tasmanian independent senator
Brian Harradine often held the
Balance Of Power . As a result he was able to gain the passage of legislation that, although often matching his conservative religious views, was also very financially rewarding for the state. Harradine successfully defended his seat in six consecutive senate elections and did not stand for re-election at the
2004 Federal Election . His term ended in June 2005.
Tasmania's
House Of Assembly and local government elections use a system of multi-seat
Proportional Representation known as
Hare-Clark .
In the
2002 State Election , the
Labor Party held 14 of the 25 available seats. The
Liberal Party saw their percentage of the vote decrease dramatically, claiming only 7 seats. The
Greens won four seats, with over 18% of the vote, the highest proportion of any Green party in any parliament in the world.
On
23 February 2004 , the Premier
Jim Bacon announced his retirement, due to being diagnosed with
Lung Cancer . He died four months later.
Bacon was succeeded by
Paul Lennon , who, after leading the state for two years, went on to win the
2006 State Election in his own right.
map]]
Tasmania's erratic economy was first experienced by colonists in the early 1800s.
The reasons have been many and varied over the years. More recently the reasons have been attributed to: lack of federal infrastructure
Highway , lack of a
Gold Rush , lack of open
Immigration initiatives, lack of population, decline in the
Wool and mineral economies, lack of early colonial initiatives, or lack of foreign investment. For the length of the history of Tasmania there has been a continuing exodus of youth to mainland Australia in order to seek employment opportunities.
Traditionally Tasmania's main industries have been:
Mining , including
Copper ,
Zinc ,
Tin , and
Iron ;
Agriculture ;
Forestry ; and
Tourism . Significantly in the
1940s and
1950s there had been a notion of 'Hydro-Industrialisation' but even that has ebbed. These all have had varying fortunes over the last century and more, involved in ebbs and flows of population moving in and away dependent upon the specific requirements of the dominant industries of the time.
There had been a decline in
Manufacturing during the
1990s , leading to a drain of some of the island's trained and experienced working population to mainland Australia. The major urban centres such as
Melbourne and
Sydney are popular destinations.
The state has a large number of food exporting sectors, including
Seafood (for example,
Atlantic Salmon ,
Abalone and
Crayfish ).
Since
2001 , Tasmania has experienced a positive turnaround. Favourable economic conditions throughout Australia, cheaper air fares and three new ''
Spirit Of Tasmania '' ferries have all contributed to what is now a booming tourism industry. Record numbers of tourists are discovering the island, the property market is booming and the growth of businesses is now being limited by labour constraints.
Today, a significant number of employed Tasmanians work for the government. Other major employers include the
Federal Group , owner of several
Hotel s and Tasmania's two
Casino s, and
Gunns Limited , the state's biggest
Forestry company. In the late 1990s, many national companies based their
Call Centre s in the state after cheap access to broad-band fibre-optic became a reality.
Apparently the state's housing market was undervalued in the early part of
2000 , and a large boom in the national housing market finally made Tasmanian housing prices rise dramatically. This has in part been attributed to increased levels of interstateABC Television News (Tasmania), 7 p.m. Friday, 27/1/06 and
Overseas Migration . A shortage of rental accommodation has caused problems for many of Tasmania's low income earners.
Small Business is a large part of the community life and it is believed by many that the business environment in Tasmania is not an easy one to survive in. However there have been many success stories, such as
International Catamarans ,
Moorilla Estate and
Tassal .
The fastest and cheapest method of travel across Bass Strait is by
Air . The main carriers are
Qantas and its subsidiary
JetStar , and
Virgin Blue , which fly direct routes to
Melbourne ,
Sydney ,
Brisbane , and
Adelaide . Major airports include the
Hobart International Airport and
Launceston Airport ; the smaller airports, Burnie and Devonport, are serviced by
Regional Express and Qantaslink who generally fly only to Melbourne and the Bass Strait islands.
The domestic
Sea route is being serviced by the
Bass Strait passenger/vehicle ferries operated by the Tasmanian Government-owned
TT-Line . From
1986 the ''
Abel Tasman '' made six weekly overnight crossings between
Devonport and
Melbourne . It was replaced by the ''
Spirit Of Tasmania '' in
1993 , which performed the same route and schedule. The most recent change was the
2002 replacement of the Spirit by two Superfast ferries - ''Spirit of Tasmania I'' and ''Spirit of Tasmania II'' — which brought the number of overnight crossings up to fourteen, plus additional daylight crossings in peak times. In January
2004 a third ship, the slightly smaller ''Spirit of Tasmania III'', started the Devonport to
Sydney route. Two container ships owned by
Toll Shipping also make daily crossings between
Burnie and
Melbourne . The port of Hobart also serves as a host to visiting cruise ships and before the
September 11, 2001 Attacks was a regular port of call for
United States Navy ships returning home from the
Indian Ocean and
Persian Gulf .
The state is also home to International Catamarans, a manufacturer of very high-speed aluminium vessels (commonly known as ''SeaCat'') that broke records regularly when they were first launched. The state Government tried using them on the Bass Strait run, but eventually the decision was made to discontinue the run due to concerns over viability and the suitability of the vessels to the sometimes extreme weather conditions experienced in Bass Strait.
Tasmania,
Hobart in particular, serves as Australia's chief sea link to the
Antarctic and
South Pacific , with the
Australian Antarctic Division located in
Kingston . Hobart is also the home port of the French ship ''l'Astrolabe'' which makes regular supply runs to the
French Southern Territories near and in Antarctica.
Hobart also has the second deepest natural port in the world, second to only
Rio De Janeiro in
Brazil .
Within the state, the primary form of transport is by road. Since the 1980s, many of the state's
Highways have undergone regular upgrades. These include the Hobart Southern Outlet, Launceston Southern Outlet,
Bass Highway re-construction, and the
Huon Highway .
Tasmania's
Rail Network consists of
Narrow Gauge lines to all four major population centres and to
Mining or
Forestry operations on the west coast and in the northwest. Services are operated by
TasRail , a
Pacific National subsidiary. Regular passenger
Train services in the state ceased in
1977 ; the only trains are for freight, and there are tourist trains in specific areas. In 2005 there were concerns that the rail service was in so much trouble that it might stop for everything but cement haulage.
The
West Coast Wilderness Railway is a good example of a recently rebuilt tourism-specific railway (2002).
The dominant sports in Tasmania are
Cricket and
Australian Rules Football . The
Tasmanian Tigers Cricket team, which plays home games at
Bellerive Oval on the eastern shore of the Derwent River, Hobart, represents the state in limited overs and first-class cricket competitions. Tasmania has produced two international cricket stars,
David Boon and current Australian captain
Ricky Ponting . However in the last few years Tasmanian cricketing quality has increased with them winning the
ING One Day Cup in 2004/05 for the first time in 10 years.
Despite
Australian Rules Football 's huge popularity in the state, Tasmania does not have a team in the
Australian Football League . They do have a team (the
Tasmanian Devils ) in the
VFL (Victorian league), and a team in the national league is a popular topic among supporters as well as the state government (one of the potential sponsors of such a team). Some AFL teams play scheduled games at
Aurora Stadium (at
York Park in
Launceston ). These teams include Hawthorn and St Kilda who substitute their home games in Melbourne for games at Aurora Stadium to create extra revenue for the clubs. They generally play 2-3 games a year per team. The AFL continues to consider expanding into Tasmania.
In
Basketball , the state is not represented in the National Basketball League, although strong representation from the state can be found in the South East Australian Basketball League. Two men's teams: The Oasis Hobart Chargers, and the Northwest Tasmania Thunder are joined in the women's SEABL by the Launceston Tornadoes and the Women's NW Tasmania Thunder also.
Tasmania's small population and low sponsorship potential results in the state not being represented in national
Soccer and
Netball leagues.
In order to foster tourism, the state government encourages or supports several different annual events in and around the island. The best known of these would be the in Sydney and usually arriving at Constitution Dock in Hobart around three to four days later, during the
Hobart Summer Festival {Link without Title} .
The
Targa Tasmania Road Rally {Link without Title} , usually held in late April or early May, attracts world-class rally drivers and is staged all over the state, over five days.
(just west of Launceston) in early May, and despite its agricultural focus it attracts city and country residents – 75000 people in 2004. Other major shows include the
Royal Hobart Show and
Royal Launceston Show , held in October of each year.
A recent addition to the state has been the
10 Days On The Island arts
Festival ; however, it has drawn criticism from environmental groups for its acceptance of sponsorship from forestry company
Gunns .
The event now held in both Victoria and Tasmania on
New Year's Eve .
The in June each year.
Taste Of Tasmania is an annual food and wine festival centred around the Hobart foreshore on and around New Year.
See Also: List of Prominent Tasmanians
Tasmania has produced a number of significant people. These include: the actor
Errol Flynn ,
Crown Princess Mary Of Denmark (Mary Donaldson), Australian
Cricket personalities
Ricky Ponting and
David Boon .
The island of Tasmania was home to the
Thylacine , a
Marsupial which resembles a wild dog. Known colloquially as the ''Tasmanian Tiger'' for the distinctive striping across its back, it became extinct in mainland Australia much earlier because of the introduction of the
Dingo . Owing to persecution by farmers, government-funded bounty hunters, and, in the final years, collectors for overseas museums, it also appears to have been exterminated in Tasmania. The last known animal died in
Captivity in
1936 . Many alleged sightings have been recorded, none of them confirmed.
The
Tasmanian Devil is a carnivorous
Marsupial found exclusively on the island of Tasmania. The size of a small dog but stocky and muscular, the Tasmanian Devil is characterised by its black fur with white patches. It has an offensive odour when stressed, performs a loud and disturbing screeching, and possesses a vicious temperament. The Devil survived European settlement and was considered widespread and fairly common throughout Tasmania until recently.
Like a lot of the wildlife, fast vehicles on the roads cause problems for the Tasmanian Devil.
As Of 2005 the Tasmanian Devil population has been reduced by about 90% in some areas of Tasmania by
Devil Facial Tumour Disease . It is believed the majority have starved when the tumours have spread to their mouths and that the tumours spread by fighting between devils – typically, fighting devils will bite one another's faces.
There is no cure for the disease, and intensive research is under way to determine its cause. There are also breeding programs undertaken in wildlife parks to secure a disease-free population of Tasmanian Devils.
Many
Bird s of the Australian mainland and
Southern Ocean also occur in Tasmania. Tasmania has 12 endemic
Bird Species :
4
Honeyeater s (family Melaphagidae) - the yellow wattlebird (world's largest honeyeater) and the yellow-throated, black-headed and strong-billed honeyeaters;
3 Australo-Papuan warblers (family Acanthizidae) - the Tasmanian thornbill, the scrubtit and the Tasmanian scrubwren;
1 pardalote (family
Pardalotidae ) - the rare and endangered
Forty-spotted Pardalote ;
1 old-world flycatcher (family Muscicapidae) - the dusky robin;
1 corvid (family Corvidae) - the black currawong;
1 parrot (family Psittacidae) - the
Green Rosella ; and
1 rail (family Rallidae) - the
Tasmanian Native Hen , Australia's only flightless bird other than the giant
Ratite s (
Emu and
Southern Cassowary ).
The endemic Tasmanian Emu was exterminated in the mid-1800s.
Tasmania is home to 11 species of frogs. Three of these are only found in Tasmania, the
Tasmanian Tree Frog (''Litoria burrowsae''), the
Tasmanian Froglet (''Crinia tasmaniensis'') and the only recently discovered Moss Froglet (''Bryobatrachus nimbus''). Of the 11 species that inhabit Tasmania all are native to Australia. Tasmania is home to the largest breeding population of
Growling Grass Frog s (''Litoria raniformis''), a vulnerable species, which has declined over much of it range.
''See also:'' List of Australian
Islands ,
Lakes ,
Bridges ,
Highways ,
Rivers ,
Mountains and
Regions .
