Forth, Tasmania
Encyclopedia
Forth is a small village located in northwest Tasmania
on the Forth River, 11 kilometres (7 mi) west of Devonport
and 110 kilometres (68 mi) northwest of Launceston
via the Bass Highway
. Forth has a population of about 368. Previously known as Hamilton-on-Forth, the village predates the larger settlement of Devonport.
Nearby is the Forthside Dairy Research Facility run by the Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research
.
, wife and young family and a handful of other settlers seeking a new life.
Fenton expended large sums of money attempting to drain the esturine swamplands which he hoped would produce ideal cropping fields. This venture failed and he resorted to moving further inland to the rich, although heavily timbered soils of the sloping ground to the west. Fenton is attributed to introducing the practice of ring-barking
the large eucalyptus trees to allow light to penetrate the forest floor where the first domestic crops were grown. The district produced fine crops of potatoes in those early years.
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...
on the Forth River, 11 kilometres (7 mi) west of 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 110 kilometres (68 mi) northwest of 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...
via the Bass Highway
Bass Highway, Tasmania
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....
. Forth has a population of about 368. Previously known as Hamilton-on-Forth, the village predates the larger settlement of Devonport.
Nearby is the Forthside Dairy Research Facility run by the Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research
Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research
The Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research is a research institute in Tasmania dedicated to research and development of sustainable agricultural industries. Founded in 1996, it is a collaborative effort of the University of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks,...
.
History
James Fenton, a young man of Irish descent came to the Forth estuary in 1839 in search of arable land. Assisted by his hired male companion, he erected the first European edifice in the district, and in 1840 returned to take up permanent settlement. He was soon to be followed by Andrew RisbyAndrew Risby
Andrew Frederick Risby , born in Horsley, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, was a pioneer settler and farmer of the North West Coast of Tasmania, Australia....
, wife and young family and a handful of other settlers seeking a new life.
Fenton expended large sums of money attempting to drain the esturine swamplands which he hoped would produce ideal cropping fields. This venture failed and he resorted to moving further inland to the rich, although heavily timbered soils of the sloping ground to the west. Fenton is attributed to introducing the practice of ring-barking
Girdling
Girdling, also called ring barking or ring-barking, is the complete removal of a strip of bark from around the entire circumference of either a branch or trunk of a woody plant. Girdling results in the death of wood tissues beyond the damage...
the large eucalyptus trees to allow light to penetrate the forest floor where the first domestic crops were grown. The district produced fine crops of potatoes in those early years.