Tasmania

The island of Tasmania, an Australian state, is located 240 km (150 miles) south of the eastern portion of the continent, being separated from it by Bass Strait. Tasmania has a population of 456,652 (census 2001) and an area of 68,332 km² (26 383 square miles). As at 31 March 2003, Tasmania's estimated resident population was 476,199. Tasmania has the nickname Apple Isle due to the large number of apples grown there.

History

Main article: History of Tasmania

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Physical prehistory

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.

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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 mountains and cliffs 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 quartzites 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, granites can be seen at Freycinet. In the NW and W, mineral rich conglolmerate rocks can be seen at Mt. Murchison near Rosebery, or at Mt. Owen near Queenstown. Also present in the S and NW are limestones in which some magnificent caves can be found.

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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.

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Indigenous people

Main article: Tasmanian Aborigine

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Tasmania was once inhabited only by an indigenous population, the Tasmanian Aborigines, and evidence indicates their presence in the territory, 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 indigenous population at the time of British settlement in 1803 has been estimated at between 5 000-10 000 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.

Related Topics:
Indigenous population - Tasmanian Aborigine - Black War - Black Line - Disease - Flinders Island - George Augustus Robinson - Truganini - Fanny Cochrane Smith

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European arrival

The first reported sighting of Tasmania by a European was on November 24th 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.

Related Topics:
European - November 24 - 1642 - Dutch - Abel Tasman - Van Diemens Land - James Cook - 1777

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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. 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.

Related Topics:
British - Risdon Cove - 1803 - 1804 - Sullivan's Cove

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The early settlers were mostly convicts and their military guards, with the task of developing agriculture and other industries. Numerous other convict-based settlements were made in Van Diemens Land, including secondary prisons, such as the particularly harsh penal colonies at Port Arthur in the south-east and Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast.

Related Topics:
Convict-based settlements - Port Arthur

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Van Diemens Land was proclaimed a separate colony from New South Wales, with its own judicial establishment and Legislative Council, on December 3 1825.

Related Topics:
Van Diemens Land - New South Wales - Legislative Council - December 3 - 1825

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World attention

Although the state is seldom in the world news, global attention has turned to Tasmania quite a few times.

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The events outside of living memory earlier in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries nevertheless are as significant.

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Tasmania was badly affected by the Hobart fires of the 1960s there was major loss of life and property.

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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.

Related Topics:
1970s - Lake Pedder - 1980s

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Tasmanian legislation has attracted world attention several times - some residents have even taken their matter to the United Nations - resulting in some modern laws that compare well against those of the other states.

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Tasmania has received a position in the top ten of several popular international tourism publications.

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Tragically on April 28 1996 in the incident now known as the Port Arthur Massacre lone gunman Martin Bryant opened fire. He killed 35 people (including tourists and residents) and injured 37 others. The use of firearms was immediately reviewed, and Tasmania adopted new gun safety laws.

Related Topics:
April 28 - 1996 - Port Arthur Massacre - Martin Bryant

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The Sydney-Hobart Yacht race is an annual event that attracts foreign media attention.

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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.

Related Topics:
May 14 - 2004 - Mary Donaldson - Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark

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