Bass Highway, Tasmania
Encyclopedia
The Bass Highway is a highway
in Tasmania
, Australia
. It is a part of the National Highway
, designated as National Highway 1 and connects the major cities across the north of the state - Burnie
, Devonport
and Launceston
.
The route of the highway originally passed through the localities which are now known as:
From here, the highway ceases to be part of the National Highway, but continues as the Bass Highway
through the following towns:
As part of the National Highway, there have been many on-going changes to the highway.
At the same time as the southern outlet in Launceston was built in the 1980s (connecting to the Midland Highway), the Bass Highway was extended to connect directly onto the new segment of highway. Since that time, almost the entire length of the highway has been re-aligned to allow for dual carriageway, overtaking lanes, and the bypass of small towns.
Along the Launceston-Deloraine corridor, this had included Carrick and Hadspen in the 1980s and Deloraine in the early 1990s. The longest stretch of highway, the Hagley-Westbury bypass, was completed in 2001. The response from residents of the small towns effected has not been popular, but the 'old' highway, now known as the Meander Valley Highway, is promoted as a tourist
route.
The Latrobe-Somerset corridor has had a similar re-alignment. The response has been different to the Launceston-Deloraine route, as the highway is more of a commuter highway than a tourist highway, and as such the local economy does not rely on passing tourists.
The Bass Highway is, like Bass Strait
, named for explorer George Bass
.
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is a part of the National Highway
National Highway (Australia)
thumb|right|150px|The National Highway Shield in NSW, QLD, WA, NT & TAS.The National Highway is a system of roads connecting all the States and Territories of Australia, and is the major network of highways connecting Australia's largest and most important cities.The National Highway was...
, designated as National Highway 1 and connects the major cities across the north of the state - Burnie
Burnie, Tasmania
- Sport :Australian rules football is popular in Burnie. The city's team is the Burnie Dockers Football Club in the Tasmanian State League.Rugby union is also played in Burnie. The local club is the Burnie Rugby Union Club. They are the current Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide Division Two Premiers...
, Devonport
Devonport, Tasmania
-Sport:The Devonport Football Club is an Australian Rules team competing in the Tasmanian Statewide League. The Devonport Rugby Club is a Rugby Union team competing in the Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide League...
and Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
.
The route of the highway originally passed through the localities which are now known as:
- LauncestonLaunceston, TasmaniaLaunceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
- ProspectProspect, TasmaniaProspect is a small suburb of Launceston.The Mount Pleasant Laboratories are Tasmanian government laboratories located in Prospect and include:* Diagnostic Services - Researching the Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease* Animal Health Laboratory...
and other Launceston suburbs - HadspenHadspen, TasmaniaHadspen is a small Australian town, located on the South Esk River in the north of Tasmania, just south west of Launceston.The centrepiece of the town is the historic property Entally House, the family home of Thomas Reibey who was the Premier of Tasmania from 1876 to 1877.-External links:*...
- CarrickCarrick, TasmaniaCarrick is a small town in northern Tasmania about west of Launceston on the Liffey River, and on the 'Old Bass Highway' or Meander Valley Highway. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 439....
- Hagley
- WestburyWestbury, TasmaniaWestbury is a town in the central north of Tasmania, Australia. It lies 30 km west of Launceston on the Bass Highway, and at the 2006 census had a population of 1,357. It is part of, and the headquarters of, the Meander Valley Council area....
- Exton
- DeloraineDeloraine, TasmaniaDeloraine is a town on the Meander River, in the central north of Tasmania, Australia. It lies 50 km west of Launceston and 52 km south of Devonport along the Bass Highway. It is part of the Meander Valley Council. At the 2006 census, Deloraine had a population of 2,243.The region was...
- Elizabeth TownElizabeth Town, TasmaniaElizabeth Town is a town in Meander Valley, Tasmania. At the 2006 census, Elizabeth Town and the surrounding area had a population of 502.-References:...
- Sassafras
- LatrobeLatrobe, TasmaniaLatrobe is a town in northern Tasmania, Australia, situated on the Mersey River. It lies 8 km south-east of Devonport on the Bass Highway. It is main centre of the Latrobe Council. At the 2006 census, Latrobe had a population of 2,843....
- DevonportDevonport, Tasmania-Sport:The Devonport Football Club is an Australian Rules team competing in the Tasmanian Statewide League. The Devonport Rugby Club is a Rugby Union team competing in the Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide League...
- ForthForth, TasmaniaForth is a small village located in northwest Tasmania on the Forth River, west of Devonport and northwest of Launceston via the Bass Highway. Forth has a population of about 368...
- UlverstoneUlverstone, TasmaniaUlverstone is a town on the northwest coast of Tasmania, Australia. It lies at the mouth of the Leven River, on Bass Strait. It is on the Bass Highway, west of Devonport and east of Penguin....
- PenguinPenguin, TasmaniaPenguin is a town in the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is located in the Central Coast Council Local Government Area on the Bass Highway, between Burnie and Ulverstone. At the 2006 census, Penguin had a population of 2,943....
- BurnieBurnie, Tasmania- Sport :Australian rules football is popular in Burnie. The city's team is the Burnie Dockers Football Club in the Tasmanian State League.Rugby union is also played in Burnie. The local club is the Burnie Rugby Union Club. They are the current Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide Division Two Premiers...
From here, the highway ceases to be part of the National Highway, but continues as the Bass Highway
- SomersetSomerset, TasmaniaSomerset is a small township to the west of Burnie, Tasmania, Australia. Today the city of Burnie encompasses the entire Burnie-Somerset urban area; however, the town is part of the Waratah/Wynyard municipal area.-Geography:...
- WynyardWynyard, TasmaniaWynyard is a rural town on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It lies west of Burnie on the Bass Highway at the mouth of the Inglis River....
- SmithtonSmithton, TasmaniaSmithton is a town in the far north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It lies on the Bass Highway, 85 km north-west of Burnie. At the 2006 census, Smithton had a population of 3,361. Smithton is the administrative centre of the Circular Head Council...
- MarrawahMarrawah, TasmaniaMarrawah is a small town on the northern part of the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia. marrawah is located in the former shire of Wellington. At the 2006 census, Marrawah had a population of 407....
As part of the National Highway, there have been many on-going changes to the highway.
At the same time as the southern outlet in Launceston was built in the 1980s (connecting to the Midland Highway), the Bass Highway was extended to connect directly onto the new segment of highway. Since that time, almost the entire length of the highway has been re-aligned to allow for dual carriageway, overtaking lanes, and the bypass of small towns.
Along the Launceston-Deloraine corridor, this had included Carrick and Hadspen in the 1980s and Deloraine in the early 1990s. The longest stretch of highway, the Hagley-Westbury bypass, was completed in 2001. The response from residents of the small towns effected has not been popular, but the 'old' highway, now known as the Meander Valley Highway, is promoted as a tourist
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
route.
The Latrobe-Somerset corridor has had a similar re-alignment. The response has been different to the Launceston-Deloraine route, as the highway is more of a commuter highway than a tourist highway, and as such the local economy does not rely on passing tourists.
The Bass Highway is, like Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
, named for explorer George Bass
George Bass
George Bass was a British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia.-Early years:He was born on 30 January 1771 at Aswarby, a hamlet near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of a tenant farmer, George Bass, and a local beauty named Sarah Nee Newman. His father died in 1777 when Bass was 6...
.