Launceston, Tasmania
Encyclopedia
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. With a population (greater urban and statistical sub division) of 106,153, Launceston is the ninth largest non-capital city in Australia.
Settled by Europeans in March 1806, Launceston is one of Australia's oldest cities and is home to many historic buildings. Like many Australian places, it was named after a town in the United Kingdom – in this case, Launceston, Cornwall.
Launceston has also been home to several firsts such as the first use of anaesthetic in the Southern Hemisphere
, the first Australian city to have underground sewers and the first Australian city to be lit by hydroelectricity
. The city has a temperate
climate with four distinct seasons.
believed to have been part of the North Midlands Tribe. Walter George Arthur who petitioned Queen Victoria in 1847 while interned with other Tasmanian Aborigines on Flinders Island. lived for several years around Launceston, Tasmania
as one of numerous homeless children, before being taken into custody by George Augustus Robinson
who sent him to the Boy's Orphan School in Hobart
in 1832. .
The first white visitors did not arrive until 1798, when George Bass
and Matthew Flinders
were sent to explore the possibility that there was a strait between Australia and Van Diemen's Land
(now Tasmania). They originally landed in Port Dalrymple (the mouth of the Tamar River), 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) to the north-west of Launceston.
The first significant colonial settlement in the region dates from 1804, when the commandant of the British garrison Lt. Col. William Paterson
, and his men set up a camp where George Town
now stands. A few weeks later, the settlement was moved across the river to York Town
, and a year later they eventually settled in Launceston.
Initially the settlement was called Patersonia; however, Paterson later changed the name to Launceston in honour of the New South Wales Governor Captain Philip Gidley King
, who was born in Launceston, Cornwall. The name still survives in the tiny hamlet of Patersonia 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) north-west of Launceston. Paterson himself also served as Lieutenant-Governor of northern Van Diemen's Land
from 1804 to 1808.
By 1827, Launceston's population had climbed to 2,000 and the town had become an export centre, mainly for the colony's northern pastoral industry. Tin
was discovered at Mount Bischoff in 1871 in north-western Tasmania, starting a minerals boom. Gold mining commenced approximately 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) away in Beaconsfield
in 1877. During the following two decades Launceston grew from a small town into an urban centre. In 1889, Launceston was the second town in Tasmania to be declared a city, after state capital Hobart
.
Small hotels and breweries began to emerge in the 1820s, before larger, more "substantial" hotels were built in the 1830s. Sporting groups, political groups, churches and schools were often established is these hotels; however, they also hosted plays, musical soirees and readings, until theatres were built.
Newer popular team sports such as cricket
and football
failed to be sustained in Launceston before the population grew substantially. The sports were initially middle class recreations, as the working class found it difficult to participate after a six day working week. Nevertheless, a "demand for facilities" lead to the upgrade of the Northern Tasmanian Cricket Association Ground
(NTCA Ground) amongst other sporting facilities in the 1860s. Not long beforehand, Tasmania played Victoria in Australia's first first-class cricket
match at the NTCA Ground in 1851.
Launceston is located at 41°26′31"S 147°8′42"E in the Tamar Valley, Northern Tasmania. The valley was formed by volcanic and glacial forces over 10 million years ago.
The city is located approximately 45 kilometres (28 mi) south of the Bass Strait
, with its closest neighbour-city being Devonport
, approximately 99 kilometres (61.5 mi) to the north west.
Launceston combines steep (originally heavily wooded) ridges and low-lying areas (originally wetlands – with parts of the suburbs of Inveresk and Invermay below high-tide level).
As a result, areas of Launceston are subject to landslip problems, while others are liable to poor drainage and periodic flooding. The topography of the area is not conducive to easy dispersion of airborne pollution, due to the phenomenon of thermal inversion.
During recent years the city's air quality has improved. Studies indicate that 73% percent of air pollution in Launceston and surrounding areas during the winter period is caused by wood smoke, while about 8% is from motor vehicle pollution. During the early 1990s about 60% per cent of households used wood heaters, but now only 25–30% of households use wood heating. The 2008 winter was the first time Launceston's air quality did not exceed PM10, since air quality monitoring began in 1997.
Launceston is situated at the confluence
of the Tamar River and its tributaries; the South Esk River
and the North Esk River
. The Tamar River is a navigable estuary, and is still used for tourist cruises. For many years, ocean going shipping used the river to obtain access to the Port of Launceston located in the city centre. The Port of Launceston is now located at Bell Bay
, some 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) by road from the city, on the east bank of the Tamar estuary, close to its mouth. The South Esk River is the longest river in Tasmania. It starts in the mountains of Fingal and flows through Avoca
, Evandale
, Longford
, Hadspen
and finally Launceston. The river is dammed at Lake Trevallyn although some water flows into the Cataract Gorge
and eventually merges with the Tamar River. The North Esk River starts in the mountains in Tasmania's north-east and winds its way to Launceston.
Since the 1960s, parts of Launceston have been protected by a series of flood levee
s that reach up to 4 metres (13.1 ft) in height. The reason for this is because large portions of Invermay and Newstead sit within a flood plain. The last major flood occurred in 1929
, when Invermay was completely devastated. More than 4,000 people were left homeless after just one night of flooding. Since then, there have been minor floods but nothing as severe. Work is underway on a $59 million flood levee upgrade that should protect the city from 1-in-200 year events, that is expected to take five to six years to construct. The council has acquired land used by eighteen businesses on the south side of Lindsay Street in Invermay, with businesses having until July 2009 to leave.
with four distinct seasons. The city is located in the Tamar Valley
and is surrounded by many large hills and mountains. With this type of topography, Launceston's weather patterns can change considerably in a short period of time.
The warmest months are in January and February with an average air temperature range of 12.2 to 24.4 °C (54 to 75.9 °F). Throughout the year there is an average of 4.3 days a year over 30 °C (86 °F). The maximum recorded temperature was 39 °C (102 °F) on 30 January 2009, with Launceston Airport reaching 40.4 °C (105 °F) on that same day, during the 2009 Southeastern Australia heat wave
.
Winters are cool with minimum temperatures dropping below 2 °C (36 °F) an average of 61 days a year. The coldest month is July, with an average temperature range of 2.2 to 12.5 °C (36 to 54.5 °F).
The lowest recorded minimum at Launceston's current weather station, Ti Tree Bend was -5.2 C. Launceston very rarely receives snowfall, the last cases of snow were in 1951 and 1986.
Winter, for Launceston, is also the season with the least amount of wind. Because of this and the topographical affect of the Tamar Valley, Launceston winters are renowned for foggy mornings, with Launceston Airport the most fog-bound commercial airport in Australia. The average annual rainfall, with moderate to low variability, is 665 mm (26 in), falling on an average of 88.4 days a year. The most rain Launceston received in a year was 829.6 millimetres (32.7 in) in 1992, with 2006 being the driest year when just 394.8 millimetres (15.5 in) fell.
The Bureau of Meteorology reported that 2007 was the warmest year ever recorded in Launceston since temperatures were first recorded in 1884. Temperatures ranged from a minimum of 8.1 °C (46.6 °F) to a maximum of 19.2 °C (66.6 °F).
During 2006 and 2007, Launceston had the warmest maximums throughout the state. In 2008, Launceston had the highest average maximum temperature out of all Tasmanian cities with 18.6 °C (65.5 °F).
Many of the buildings in the City's central business district (CBD) were constructed in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Launceston's many well preserved Victorian
and Georgian
buildings (including the Launceston synagogue
, a rare example of architecture in Egyptian Revival style) together with its diverse collection of art-deco architecture (such as Holyman House and Lucks Corner in the CBD, the former Star Theatre in Invermay and the former Launceston General Hospital) give the city an unusual period ambience. The "Brutalist" architecture of the mid-to-late 20th and early 21st centuries, that dominates most large modern cities and many smaller ones, is relatively rare. The more interesting exceptions to this include the Government offices of Henty House in Charles Street, the Police Station Building and the ANZ Building on the corner of Brisbane & George Street.
This is at least in part a matter of deliberate policy – concerns that high rise development might compromise the essential character of the city centre have led to strictly enforced building regulations that restrict the height of new structures in the city, so that most buildings in the CBD have fewer than five storeys.
A large portion of Launceston is contained within the City of Launceston
Local Government Area, however some outer suburbs are part of adjacent council districts: for instance Riverside
and Legana
are part of the West Tamar Council; Prospect Vale
and Blackstone Heights
are included in the Meander Valley Council.
Launceston City Council meetings are held in the Launceston Town Hall. In 2002, Janie Dickenson
became the youngest female elected mayor in Australia. The current mayor, Albert Van Zetten
, who was initially elected in 2007, before being re-elected in 2009, and again in 2011, became Launceston's 91st mayor.
State Upper House
seats that incorporate parts of Launceston are the Electoral Divisions of Paterson
, Windermere
and Rosevears
. For federal elections, Launceston falls within the Division of Bass
, with the sitting member being Geoff Lyons
for the Australian Labor Party
. The state Lower House seat is also called the Division of Bass
, and is one of the five electorates in the Tasmanian House of Assembly
. Both federal and state seats share common boundaries.
The Launceston flag design is based on the city's Coat of Arms granted by the College of Arms, London on 11 June 1957. The Brisbane Street Mall, the War memorial at Royal Park, atop the Council Chambers and on top of the Albert Hall are places in the city where the flag is regularly flown. The three intersecting lines in the flag represent the city's three rivers (North Esk, South Esk and Tamar) and the two rectangles in the lines represent tin ingots. The strip across the top with the jagged edge is green to represent the city's parks, gardens and surrounding countryside. Waratah flowers at the top symbolise all flowers and similar beauties of nature. The ingots are included because Launceston used to be a large tin smelting centre. The little circle at the river junction is Launceston.
including the Australian Maritime College
; and has a minor minerals and manufacturing base.
Launceston is a major hub for the regional agricultural and pastoral activities. Historically, this has been connected with the growing of apples – in recent years the stress has moved to viticulture
. Superfine wool
remains an important part of the rural economy of north-east Tasmania and wool sales in Launceston attract many international buyers. The various agricultural industries in the district are supported by the Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research
which operates the Mount Pleasant Research Laboratories in the Launceston suburb of Prospect.
is Launceston's largest tourist attraction and is in close proximity to the city. It is home to the longest single span chairlift in the world, stretching 308 metres (1,010.5 ft) across the gorge.
Launceston has many parks throughout the city including City Park
, located next to the city centre. City Park is home to Albert Hall. The park also has a large enclosure for Japanese Macaque
monkey
s, a gift from sister city Ikeda
, Japan. The Launceston General Post Office
dates back to the 1880s, with a clock tower added in the early twentieth century. The GPO clock chime chimes every quarter hour. Tasmania Zoo
, which is known for its wildlife conservation work, including a breeding program for Tasmanian Devil
s, is located near the city.
, which was established in 1891.
Now the largest museum located outside a capital city in Australia, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery is located at two sites across the city: the original purpose built building at Royal Park and another at the Inveresk Cultural Precinct
, on the grounds of the former railway station and rail yards in buildings largely converted from the former Railway Workshops. The precinct also includes the Launceston Tramway Museum, which houses the No. 29 tram, the 'Mary St' shelter shed and a host of other memorabilia. The state's largest preservation railway, the Don River Railway, also has a carriage rebuilding workshop on the site. Australia's oldest bookshop, A.W. Birchall & Sons (Birchalls) dating from November 1844, is still located at its original site in Brisbane Street (now the Brisbane Street Mall).
Located in the Southern Launceston suburb of Prospect
, the Country Club Casino is a hotel, casino and golf course complex. It was the second casino to be built in Tasmania and one of the first in Australia.
Launceston Aquatic, a $26.3 million regional aquatic centre was completed in July 2009. The site, just outside the central business district spans approximately 6450 square metres (7,714.1 sq yd).
From 1999 to 2003, Launceston was the home of three of the four Gone South
music festivals. Since 2006, it has hosted the MS Fest
, a music festival held at the Inveresk Show grounds each summer to raise funds for multiple sclerosis
research.
Sport is a popular recreational and spectator activity in Launceston and like most of the state cricket
and Australian rules football
are popular sports. The city has been the birthplace of two prominent Australian cricketers; the former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting
and the retired cricketer and Australian selector David Boon
. The first first-class cricket
match played in Australia was at the Northern Tasmania Cricket Association Ground
between the Melbourne Cricket Club
and the Launceston Cricket Club
in 1851.
Australian rules football
(commonly known locally as "football" or "footy") is very popular in Launceston, and is often played at York Park
(Aurora Stadium). Holding 20,000 people—more than any other stadium in Tasmania—York Park was swampland before becoming Launceston's showgrounds in 1873. Hawthorn has played between two and five AFL matches each season since 2001, and the St Kilda Football Club played two games a year between 2003 and 2006. In 2007, the Tasmanian Government signed a A$16.4 million, five-year sponsorship deal with Hawthorn, under which the club will play four regular season games and one National Australia Bank Cup pre-season match at the venue each year. Throughout its history, York Park has hosted major pop concerts and other entertainments. Since 2001 it has been a venue for international sports events, and in 2005 was redeveloped at a cost of $23.6 million. Association football (commonly known in Launceston as "soccer") is also played and watched in Launceston [York Park]—the only place in Tasmania to have hosted national league soccer matches. A National Soccer League
game was held at Aurora Stadium in 2002 between Perth Glory
and Melbourne Knights
. A-League
's Melbourne Victory
have held a pre-season cup game at the venue each year since 2006. The record crowd is 8,061.
Since 2004, the V8 Supercars (Tasmanian Challenge) has been annually held at the recently re-developed Symmons Plains Raceway
. A number of other sports have notable presence in Launceston, including basketball (men's, women's and indoor) and hockey
. In 2009 Launceston redeveloped the cities swimming facilities which now include a modern indoor multi-million dollar swimming centre at windmill hill, now named Launceston Aquatic.
was founded by James Aikenhead in 1842, and has been continually published ever since. The newspaper is currently owned by Fairfax media.
Along with the rest of the state, the city has four free-to-air analogue television stations, including two government funded channels from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC1), the Special Broadcasting Service
(SBS ONE) and two commercial stations; (Southern Cross Tasmania & WIN
) These services are also available in digital format as well as eleven digital only stations, one carrying Network Ten programming (Tasmanian Digital Television), and nationwide digital-only stations ABC2
, ABC3
, ABC News 24
, SBS Two, 7Two
, Go!, 7mate
(HD), GEM HD, One HD (in high definition only) and the new "Eleven
" channel from Network Ten.
Radio stations aired around Launceston are: LAFM
and Chilli FM – part of the Grant Broadcasters
radio network, TOTE Sport Radio
– Racing Radio, Triple J
– ABC
, ABC Northern Tasmania
– (ABC), ABC NewsRadio
– (ABC), ABC Classic FM
– (ABC), Radio National
– (ABC), City Park Radio
– Community Radio
, SBS Radio
– (SBS), Way FM – Christian Radio and 7RPH which is a relay of 864 AM from Hobart.
Launceston is also the hub for the state's medical retrieval service. The Royal Flying Doctor Service is serviced by the state's ambulance service and doctors from the Launceston General Hospital.
The car is by far the most dominant form of transport in Launceston, with the city having 721 km of urban and rural roads, even though much of the CBD has narrow one-way streets.
Since February 1998, Launceston has been serviced by the Tasmanian government-owned and operated public bus service Metro Tasmania
. In addition, Redline offers school services and travels to many destinations across Tasmania.
Because of its central location, Launceston is the hub of five of the state's major highways. The Midland Highway is the primary route to Hobart
. The Bass Highway is the primary route to Devonport
and Burnie
. The Tasman Highway
is an alternate scenic route to Hobart via Scottsdale
, the East Coast, the West Tamar Highway
and East Tamar Highway
.
The city is served by the small curfew-free Launceston Airport
, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south-east of the city. The airport serves over one million passengers annually. Jetstar Airways
, Virgin Australia, Sharp Airlines
, Australian air Express
and QantasLink
all operate scheduled services at the airport. There are currently direct flights to and from Melbourne
, Sydney
and Brisbane
.
There is a freight rail system in operation which links Launceston to Burnie and Hobart.
es, especially for the hilly routes. It was one of the most extensive trolleybus networks in Australia. The network was finally removed in 1952 to make way for cars and buses. A tramway museum in Inveresk is all that remains of Launceston's trams. Launceston's streets, most of which were planned in the early nineteenth century, were probably always too narrow for trams to be fully successful, in many cases little of the roadway remained for other forms of transport.
A regional passenger rail system operated in Tasmania, of which Launceston was a major hub; however, after many years of gradual retrenchment it was closed in July 1978.
Former passenger railway lines servicing Launceston
Launceston's electricity is primarily generated by renewable hydro electric power plants including the Trevallyn Dam
. The major retailer is Aurora Energy
.
Historically, Launceston was powered by gas from the Launceston Gas Company
(later Gas Corporation of Tasmania). The first gas plant was built in 1860 as a horizontal retort Gas Works house made from brick and sandstone on the site's SW corner. This was followed by keepers cottages, labs, the Headquarters Building and the iconic 1930s vertical retort recognised by the wording "COOK WITH GAS" written it its brickwork. The Duck Reach power station replaced gas for street lighting in when it was completed in 1895. Both Gas Works and Hydro facilities have been preserved as museums.
Launceston's water comes from the Launceston Water Catchment. The majority is sourced from St Patricks River, a tributary of the North Esk River
which flows through Launceston. The main retailer is Ben Lomond Water. The first reticulated water supply constructed in 1857 still serves the CBD. There were fears that the Tamar Valley Pulp Mill might adversely affect Launceston's water supply.
Like many Australian cities, several major companies provide mobile telecommunications services and wireless internet services to Launceston. Launceston's communication infrastructure was upgraded in 1997 through the federal "Networking the Nation" program. There are plans to upgrade further to a fibre optic network.
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 at the junction of the North Esk
North Esk River
The North Esk River is a river in Tasmania, Australia. It is one of the tributaries of the Tamar River together with the South Esk River. It starts in the Northallerton Valley below Mt Ben Nevis in the states North East joining with the St Patricks River, flowing through Launceston. Launceston's...
and South Esk
South Esk River
The South Esk River is the longest river in Tasmania. It starts in the mountains near Fingal flowing through Avoca, Evandale, Longford, Hadspen and finally Launceston. The river is dammed at Trevallyn Dam near Launceston and used for the city's Hydro Electricity scheme...
rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart. With a population (greater urban and statistical sub division) of 106,153, Launceston is the ninth largest non-capital city in Australia.
Settled by Europeans in March 1806, Launceston is one of Australia's oldest cities and is home to many historic buildings. Like many Australian places, it was named after a town in the United Kingdom – in this case, Launceston, Cornwall.
Launceston has also been home to several firsts such as the first use of anaesthetic in the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
, the first Australian city to have underground sewers and the first Australian city to be lit by hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
. The city has a temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
climate with four distinct seasons.
History
The first inhabitants of the area of Launceston were largely nomadic Tasmanian AboriginesTasmanian Aborigines
The Tasmanian Aborigines were the indigenous people of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Before British colonisation in 1803, there were an estimated 3,000–15,000 Parlevar. A number of historians point to introduced disease as the major cause of the destruction of the full-blooded...
believed to have been part of the North Midlands Tribe. Walter George Arthur who petitioned Queen Victoria in 1847 while interned with other Tasmanian Aborigines on Flinders Island. lived for several years around Launceston, Tasmania
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...
as one of numerous homeless children, before being taken into custody by George Augustus Robinson
George Augustus Robinson
George Augustus Robinson was a builder and untrained preacher. He was the Chief Protector of Aborigines in Port Phillip District from 1839 to 1849...
who sent him to the Boy's Orphan School in Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
in 1832. .
The first white visitors did not arrive until 1798, when 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...
and Matthew Flinders
Matthew Flinders
Captain Matthew Flinders RN was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent, which had previously been...
were sent to explore the possibility that there was a strait between Australia and Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
(now Tasmania). They originally landed in Port Dalrymple (the mouth of the Tamar River), 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) to the north-west of Launceston.
The first significant colonial settlement in the region dates from 1804, when the commandant of the British garrison Lt. Col. William Paterson
William Paterson (explorer)
Colonel William Paterson, FRS was a Scottish soldier, explorer, Lieutenant governor and botanist best known for leading early settlement in Tasmania. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Paterson when citing a botanical name.-Early years:A native of Montrose, Scotland, Paterson was...
, and his men set up a camp where George Town
George Town, Tasmania
George Town is one of the larger towns in north-east Tasmania, on the eastern bank of the mouth of the Tamar River. At the 2006 census, George Town had a population of 4,266. It is the regional centre of the George Town Council Local Government Area....
now stands. A few weeks later, the settlement was moved across the river to York Town
York Town, Tasmania
York Town is a locality in northern Tasmania. It was the first attempt to establish a British presence in northern Tasmania, in 1804. It was a "bustling village" until 1808....
, and a year later they eventually settled in Launceston.
Initially the settlement was called Patersonia; however, Paterson later changed the name to Launceston in honour of the New South Wales Governor Captain Philip Gidley King
Philip Gidley King
Captain Philip Gidley King RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He is best known as the official founder of the first European settlement on Norfolk Island and as the third Governor of New South Wales.-Early years and establishment of Norfolk Island settlement:King was born...
, who was born in Launceston, Cornwall. The name still survives in the tiny hamlet of Patersonia 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) north-west of Launceston. Paterson himself also served as Lieutenant-Governor of northern Van Diemen's Land
Governors of Tasmania
The Governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as the Governor-General of Australia does at the national level.In accordance with the...
from 1804 to 1808.
By 1827, Launceston's population had climbed to 2,000 and the town had become an export centre, mainly for the colony's northern pastoral industry. Tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
was discovered at Mount Bischoff in 1871 in north-western Tasmania, starting a minerals boom. Gold mining commenced approximately 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) away in Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield, Tasmania
Beaconsfield is a town near the Tamar River, in the north-east of Tasmania, Australia. It lies 40 kilometres north of Launceston on the West Tamar Highway. It is part of the Municipality of West Tamar...
in 1877. During the following two decades Launceston grew from a small town into an urban centre. In 1889, Launceston was the second town in Tasmania to be declared a city, after state capital Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
.
Small hotels and breweries began to emerge in the 1820s, before larger, more "substantial" hotels were built in the 1830s. Sporting groups, political groups, churches and schools were often established is these hotels; however, they also hosted plays, musical soirees and readings, until theatres were built.
Newer popular team sports such as cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
failed to be sustained in Launceston before the population grew substantially. The sports were initially middle class recreations, as the working class found it difficult to participate after a six day working week. Nevertheless, a "demand for facilities" lead to the upgrade of the Northern Tasmanian Cricket Association Ground
NTCA Ground
The Northern Tasmania Cricket Association Ground, better known as the NTCA Ground, is a multi-use sports venue in Launceston, Australia. It is currently used mostly for club cricket matches and has a capacity of under 10,000....
(NTCA Ground) amongst other sporting facilities in the 1860s. Not long beforehand, Tasmania played Victoria in Australia's first first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
match at the NTCA Ground in 1851.
Geography
The city is located approximately 45 kilometres (28 mi) south of the 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:...
, with its closest neighbour-city being 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...
, approximately 99 kilometres (61.5 mi) to the north west.
Launceston combines steep (originally heavily wooded) ridges and low-lying areas (originally wetlands – with parts of the suburbs of Inveresk and Invermay below high-tide level).
As a result, areas of Launceston are subject to landslip problems, while others are liable to poor drainage and periodic flooding. The topography of the area is not conducive to easy dispersion of airborne pollution, due to the phenomenon of thermal inversion.
During recent years the city's air quality has improved. Studies indicate that 73% percent of air pollution in Launceston and surrounding areas during the winter period is caused by wood smoke, while about 8% is from motor vehicle pollution. During the early 1990s about 60% per cent of households used wood heaters, but now only 25–30% of households use wood heating. The 2008 winter was the first time Launceston's air quality did not exceed PM10, since air quality monitoring began in 1997.
Launceston is situated at the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the Tamar River and its tributaries; the South Esk River
South Esk River
The South Esk River is the longest river in Tasmania. It starts in the mountains near Fingal flowing through Avoca, Evandale, Longford, Hadspen and finally Launceston. The river is dammed at Trevallyn Dam near Launceston and used for the city's Hydro Electricity scheme...
and the North Esk River
North Esk River
The North Esk River is a river in Tasmania, Australia. It is one of the tributaries of the Tamar River together with the South Esk River. It starts in the Northallerton Valley below Mt Ben Nevis in the states North East joining with the St Patricks River, flowing through Launceston. Launceston's...
. The Tamar River is a navigable estuary, and is still used for tourist cruises. For many years, ocean going shipping used the river to obtain access to the Port of Launceston located in the city centre. The Port of Launceston is now located at Bell Bay
Bell Bay, Tasmania
Bell Bay is an industrial centre and port located on the eastern shore of the Tamar River, in northern Tasmania, Australia. It lies just south of George Town.- Industry :It hosts an aluminium smelter and a power station.- Transport :...
, some 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) by road from the city, on the east bank of the Tamar estuary, close to its mouth. The South Esk River is the longest river in Tasmania. It starts in the mountains of Fingal and flows through Avoca
Avoca, Tasmania
Avoca is a small village located south-east of Launceston in the island of Tasmania. At the 2006 census, Avoca and the surrounding area had a population of 123....
, Evandale
Evandale, Tasmania
Evandale is a small town in northern Tasmania, Australia. It sits on the banks of the South Esk River 18 km south of Launceston. A classified historic town, many of its buildings remain largely in original condition...
, Longford
Longford, Tasmania
Longford is a town in the north-east of Tasmania, Australia. It lies 175 m above sea level at the convergence of the Macquarie River and the South Esk River, 21 km south of Launceston. It is just south of the Illawarra Road, a road connecting the Bass and Midland Highways. It has a...
, Hadspen
Hadspen, Tasmania
Hadspen 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:*...
and finally Launceston. The river is dammed at Lake Trevallyn although some water flows into the Cataract Gorge
Cataract Gorge
The Cataract Gorge is a river gorge in Launceston, northern Tasmania, Australia and is one of the region's premier tourist attractions. It is found at the lower section of the South Esk River...
and eventually merges with the Tamar River. The North Esk River starts in the mountains in Tasmania's north-east and winds its way to Launceston.
Flooding and levee system
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
s that reach up to 4 metres (13.1 ft) in height. The reason for this is because large portions of Invermay and Newstead sit within a flood plain. The last major flood occurred in 1929
1929 Tasmanian Floods
The most deadly floods in Tasmania's history occurred in April 1929 when 22 people were killed and 40 injured. The floods helped to prompt the construction of flood levees in the city of Launceston, Tasmania's second largest city and an important economic centre in the North of Tasmania.Flooding...
, when Invermay was completely devastated. More than 4,000 people were left homeless after just one night of flooding. Since then, there have been minor floods but nothing as severe. Work is underway on a $59 million flood levee upgrade that should protect the city from 1-in-200 year events, that is expected to take five to six years to construct. The council has acquired land used by eighteen businesses on the south side of Lindsay Street in Invermay, with businesses having until July 2009 to leave.
Climate
Launceston has a cool, temperate climate,with four distinct seasons. The city is located in the Tamar Valley
Tamar Valley, Tasmania
The Tamar Valley is a picturesque valley in Tasmania. It runs north-west from the northern city of Launceston to the coast either side of the Tamar River, a distance of approximately 50 km....
and is surrounded by many large hills and mountains. With this type of topography, Launceston's weather patterns can change considerably in a short period of time.
The warmest months are in January and February with an average air temperature range of 12.2 to 24.4 °C (54 to 75.9 °F). Throughout the year there is an average of 4.3 days a year over 30 °C (86 °F). The maximum recorded temperature was 39 °C (102 °F) on 30 January 2009, with Launceston Airport reaching 40.4 °C (105 °F) on that same day, during the 2009 Southeastern Australia heat wave
2009 southeastern Australia heat wave
The early 2009 southeastern Australia heat wave was a heat wave that commenced in late January and led to record-breaking prolonged high temperatures in the region. The heat wave is considered one of the, if not the, most extreme in the region's history. During the heat wave, fifty separate...
.
Winters are cool with minimum temperatures dropping below 2 °C (36 °F) an average of 61 days a year. The coldest month is July, with an average temperature range of 2.2 to 12.5 °C (36 to 54.5 °F).
The lowest recorded minimum at Launceston's current weather station, Ti Tree Bend was -5.2 C. Launceston very rarely receives snowfall, the last cases of snow were in 1951 and 1986.
Winter, for Launceston, is also the season with the least amount of wind. Because of this and the topographical affect of the Tamar Valley, Launceston winters are renowned for foggy mornings, with Launceston Airport the most fog-bound commercial airport in Australia. The average annual rainfall, with moderate to low variability, is 665 mm (26 in), falling on an average of 88.4 days a year. The most rain Launceston received in a year was 829.6 millimetres (32.7 in) in 1992, with 2006 being the driest year when just 394.8 millimetres (15.5 in) fell.
The Bureau of Meteorology reported that 2007 was the warmest year ever recorded in Launceston since temperatures were first recorded in 1884. Temperatures ranged from a minimum of 8.1 °C (46.6 °F) to a maximum of 19.2 °C (66.6 °F).
During 2006 and 2007, Launceston had the warmest maximums throughout the state. In 2008, Launceston had the highest average maximum temperature out of all Tasmanian cities with 18.6 °C (65.5 °F).
Architecture
Launceston's many well preserved Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
and Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
buildings (including the Launceston synagogue
Launceston Synagogue
The Launceston Synagogue, built in 1844, located in Launceston, Tasmania is a rare example of an Egyptian style synagogue. The style enjoyed a brief period of popularity in the 1840s.The building is in the care of the National Trust of Australia....
, a rare example of architecture in Egyptian Revival style) together with its diverse collection of art-deco architecture (such as Holyman House and Lucks Corner in the CBD, the former Star Theatre in Invermay and the former Launceston General Hospital) give the city an unusual period ambience. The "Brutalist" architecture of the mid-to-late 20th and early 21st centuries, that dominates most large modern cities and many smaller ones, is relatively rare. The more interesting exceptions to this include the Government offices of Henty House in Charles Street, the Police Station Building and the ANZ Building on the corner of Brisbane & George Street.
This is at least in part a matter of deliberate policy – concerns that high rise development might compromise the essential character of the city centre have led to strictly enforced building regulations that restrict the height of new structures in the city, so that most buildings in the CBD have fewer than five storeys.
Governance
City of Launceston
The City of Launceston is a Local Government Area of Tasmania, encompassing about half of the greater Launceston area in northern Tasmania. It also includes a region to the north east of Launceston, encompassing towns such as Lilydale...
Local Government Area, however some outer suburbs are part of adjacent council districts: for instance Riverside
Riverside, Tasmania
Riverside is a residential suburb 4 kilometres north-west of the central business district of Launceston, Tasmania's second largest city. The West Tamar Highway runs through the suburb, adjoining Riverside to the West Tamar, which includes small towns: Beaconsfield, George Town and Beauty Point...
and Legana
Legana, Tasmania
Legana is a small township on the Tamar River in northern Tasmania, Australia. It lies 12 kilometres north of Tasmania's second largest city, Launceston. It is adjacent to Riverside, Bridgenorth, Grindelwald and Rosevears...
are part of the West Tamar Council; Prospect Vale
Prospect Vale, Tasmania
Prospect Vale is a small suburb of Greater Launceston and is within the Meander Valley Council's area.It contains two schools, Prospect High School and a private Catholic school, St. Patricks College....
and Blackstone Heights
Blackstone Heights, Tasmania
Blackstone Heights is an outer suburb of Launceston, Tasmania and is within the Meander Valley Council district.-Physical description:Blackstone Heights consists of four major roads, in a loop about in total...
are included in the Meander Valley Council.
Launceston City Council meetings are held in the Launceston Town Hall. In 2002, Janie Dickenson
Janie Dickenson
Janie Finlay was the mayor of Launceston City Council from 2002 to 2005 before being replaced by Ivan Dean on 31 October 2005. She served as an Alderman 2000-2007. When Janie was elected as Mayor in February 2002 she was the youngest female mayor; at age 27, to serve in Australia...
became the youngest female elected mayor in Australia. The current mayor, Albert Van Zetten
Albert Van Zetten
Albert Van Zetten is an Australian politician and the current Mayor of Launceston, Tasmania. He is also the current CEO of City Mission Launceston. He lives in Launceston with his wife Lyndle....
, who was initially elected in 2007, before being re-elected in 2009, and again in 2011, became Launceston's 91st mayor.
State Upper House
Tasmanian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the House of Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Hobart...
seats that incorporate parts of Launceston are the Electoral Divisions of Paterson
Electoral division of Paterson
The electoral division of Paterson was one of the 15 electorates or 'seats' in the Tasmanian Legislative Council from 1999 to 2008 when a redistribution saw it reverted to its original name of Launceston....
, Windermere
Electoral division of Windermere
The electoral division of Windermere is one of the 15 electorates or 'seats' in the Tasmanian Legislative Council. The division is located on the East side of the Tamar River...
and Rosevears
Electoral division of Rosevears
The electoral division of Rosevears is one of the 15 electorates or 'seats' in the Tasmanian upper house. The division is located on the west side of the Tamar River...
. For federal elections, Launceston falls within the Division of Bass
Division of Bass
The Division of Bass is an Australian Electoral Division in Tasmania. The division was created in 1903 and is named for the explorer George Bass. It has always been based on the city of Launceston and surrounding rural areas, and its boundaries have changed very little in the century since its...
, with the sitting member being Geoff Lyons
Geoff Lyons
Geoffrey Raymond "Geoff" Lyons , an Australian politician, is a member of the Australian House of Representatives for the seat of Bass in Tasmania, representing the Australian Labor Party. He succeeded Labor MP Jodie Campbell, who retired from politics, at the 2010 federal...
for the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
. The state Lower House seat is also called the Division of Bass
Division of Bass (state)
The Electoral Division of Bass is one of the 5 electorates in the Tasmanian House of Assembly, or lower house; it takes its name from the British Naval Surgeon and Explorer of Australia: George Bass. The division shares its name and boundaries with the federal division of Bass...
, and is one of the five electorates in the Tasmanian House of Assembly
Tasmanian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or Lower House, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the Legislative Council or Upper House...
. Both federal and state seats share common boundaries.
Flag
Economy
Along with being a major retail centre with an average of 75% of market share in surrounding local councils, Launceston is a major service centre for the north of Tasmania. The city is home to a campus of the University of TasmaniaUniversity of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...
including the Australian Maritime College
Australian Maritime College
The Australian Maritime College is a tertiary education institution based in Launceston, Tasmania and is an institute of the University of Tasmania. AMC is Australia's national centre for maritime education, training and research...
; and has a minor minerals and manufacturing base.
Launceston is a major hub for the regional agricultural and pastoral activities. Historically, this has been connected with the growing of apples – in recent years the stress has moved to viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
. Superfine wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
remains an important part of the rural economy of north-east Tasmania and wool sales in Launceston attract many international buyers. The various agricultural industries in the district are supported 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,...
which operates the Mount Pleasant Research Laboratories in the Launceston suburb of Prospect.
Tourism
Launceston serves as the commercial hub for the north of Tasmania, and like many parts of the state, is becoming a major tourist centre. Visitors to the city have grown over the past few years, during 2004 Launceston attracted 412,800 visitors, up 51% from 2001. The United Kingdom is the origin of 25% of all international visitors to the city and 17% originate from the USA. The Cataract GorgeCataract Gorge
The Cataract Gorge is a river gorge in Launceston, northern Tasmania, Australia and is one of the region's premier tourist attractions. It is found at the lower section of the South Esk River...
is Launceston's largest tourist attraction and is in close proximity to the city. It is home to the longest single span chairlift in the world, stretching 308 metres (1,010.5 ft) across the gorge.
Launceston has many parks throughout the city including City Park
Launceston City Park
Launceston City Park is a park in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. Established in the 1820s by the Launceston Horticultural Society and handed over to the Launceston City Council in 1863...
, located next to the city centre. City Park is home to Albert Hall. The park also has a large enclosure for Japanese Macaque
Japanese Macaque
The Japanese macaque , historically known as saru , but now known as Nihonzaru to distinguish it from other primates, is a terrestrial Old World monkey species native to Japan....
monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
s, a gift from sister city Ikeda
Ikeda, Osaka
is a city located in Osaka, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 104,704 and a density of 4,740 persons per km². The total area is 22.09 km²....
, Japan. The Launceston General Post Office
General Post Office
General Post Office is the name of the British postal system from 1660 until 1969.General Post Office may also refer to:* General Post Office, Perth* General Post Office, Sydney* General Post Office, Melbourne* General Post Office, Brisbane...
dates back to the 1880s, with a clock tower added in the early twentieth century. The GPO clock chime chimes every quarter hour. Tasmania Zoo
Tasmania Zoo
Tasmania Zoo is a zoo located in Launceston, in the Australian state of Tasmania.Situated on of old growth native bushland, it is home to the state's largest collection of native and exotic animals. Exhibits include Tasmanian Devils, wombats, quolls, emus, koalas, kangaroos, deer, reptiles and...
, which is known for its wildlife conservation work, including a breeding program for Tasmanian Devil
Tasmanian Devil
The Tasmanian devil is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae, now found in the wild only on the Australian island state of Tasmania. The size of a small dog, it became the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world following the extinction of the thylacine in 1936...
s, is located near the city.
Arts and entertainment
Launceston is home to the Queen Victoria Museum and Art GalleryQueen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery is a museum located in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. Established in 1891, the Queen Victoria has a strong reputation for its excellent collection, which includes fine exhibitions of colonial art, contemporary craft and design, Tasmanian history and...
, which was established in 1891.
Now the largest museum located outside a capital city in Australia, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery is located at two sites across the city: the original purpose built building at Royal Park and another at the Inveresk Cultural Precinct
Inveresk and York Park Precinct, Launceston
The Inveresk and York Park Precinct in Launceston, Tasmania, once Tasmania's largest industrial site, is now the major cultural heart of the town. It is home to Aurora Stadium, the only current Australian Football League venue in Tasmania, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, TAFE Tasmania...
, on the grounds of the former railway station and rail yards in buildings largely converted from the former Railway Workshops. The precinct also includes the Launceston Tramway Museum, which houses the No. 29 tram, the 'Mary St' shelter shed and a host of other memorabilia. The state's largest preservation railway, the Don River Railway, also has a carriage rebuilding workshop on the site. Australia's oldest bookshop, A.W. Birchall & Sons (Birchalls) dating from November 1844, is still located at its original site in Brisbane Street (now the Brisbane Street Mall).
Located in the Southern Launceston suburb of Prospect
Prospect, Tasmania
Prospect 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...
, the Country Club Casino is a hotel, casino and golf course complex. It was the second casino to be built in Tasmania and one of the first in Australia.
Launceston Aquatic, a $26.3 million regional aquatic centre was completed in July 2009. The site, just outside the central business district spans approximately 6450 square metres (7,714.1 sq yd).
From 1999 to 2003, Launceston was the home of three of the four Gone South
Gone South
Gone South was a music festival in Tasmania, Australia. It has been held in both Launceston and Hobart at various times. It has been promoted by local Hobart businessman Charles Touber, and more recently in conjunction with Karen Henderson....
music festivals. Since 2006, it has hosted the MS Fest
MS Fest
MS Fest is a music festival, held annually in Launceston, Tasmania Australia since 2006.It is a single day event, held in February or March on a Saturday....
, a music festival held at the Inveresk Show grounds each summer to raise funds for multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
research.
Sport
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
are popular sports. The city has been the birthplace of two prominent Australian cricketers; the former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Thomas Ponting , nicknamed Punter, is an Australian cricketer, a former captain of the Australian cricket team between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 2011 in One Day International cricket. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very...
and the retired cricketer and Australian selector David Boon
David Boon
David Clarence Boon MBE , nicknamed Boony, is a former Australian cricketer whose international playing career spanned the years 1984–1995...
. The first first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
match played in Australia was at the Northern Tasmania Cricket Association Ground
NTCA Ground
The Northern Tasmania Cricket Association Ground, better known as the NTCA Ground, is a multi-use sports venue in Launceston, Australia. It is currently used mostly for club cricket matches and has a capacity of under 10,000....
between the Melbourne Cricket Club
Melbourne Cricket Club
The Melbourne Cricket Club is a sporting club based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1838 and is regarded as the oldest sporting club in Australia....
and the Launceston Cricket Club
Launceston Cricket Club
Launceston Cricket Club is a cricket team which represents the city of Launceston in the Northern Tasmanian Cricket Association grade cricket competition...
in 1851.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
(commonly known locally as "football" or "footy") is very popular in Launceston, and is often played at York Park
Aurora Stadium
York Park is a sports ground in the Inveresk and York Park Precinct, Launceston, Australia. Holding 20,000 people—more than any other stadium in Tasmania—York Park has been known as Aurora Stadium under a six-year naming rights agreement signed with Aurora Energy in 2004...
(Aurora Stadium). Holding 20,000 people—more than any other stadium in Tasmania—York Park was swampland before becoming Launceston's showgrounds in 1873. Hawthorn has played between two and five AFL matches each season since 2001, and the St Kilda Football Club played two games a year between 2003 and 2006. In 2007, the Tasmanian Government signed a A$16.4 million, five-year sponsorship deal with Hawthorn, under which the club will play four regular season games and one National Australia Bank Cup pre-season match at the venue each year. Throughout its history, York Park has hosted major pop concerts and other entertainments. Since 2001 it has been a venue for international sports events, and in 2005 was redeveloped at a cost of $23.6 million. Association football (commonly known in Launceston as "soccer") is also played and watched in Launceston [York Park]—the only place in Tasmania to have hosted national league soccer matches. A National Soccer League
National Soccer League
The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
game was held at Aurora Stadium in 2002 between Perth Glory
Perth Glory FC
Perth Glory Football Club is a professional football club in Perth, Western Australia, Australia, competing in Australia's top football competition the A-League. Perth Glory is one of only three clubs to survive from the now defunct National Soccer League...
and Melbourne Knights
Melbourne Knights
Melbourne Knights Football Club is a football club representing Melbourne, Australia in the Victorian Premier League . The club is one of the most successful football clubs in Australia, being a two-time championship and four-time premiership winner in the now defunct National Soccer League...
. A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
's Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, that plays in the A-League....
have held a pre-season cup game at the venue each year since 2006. The record crowd is 8,061.
Since 2004, the V8 Supercars (Tasmanian Challenge) has been annually held at the recently re-developed Symmons Plains Raceway
Symmons Plains Raceway
Symmons Plains Raceway is a motor racing circuit in Australia, located about 30 kilometres south of Launceston, Tasmania. Since the closure of the Longford circuit in the 1960s it has been Tasmania's premier motor racing facility...
. A number of other sports have notable presence in Launceston, including basketball (men's, women's and indoor) and hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
. In 2009 Launceston redeveloped the cities swimming facilities which now include a modern indoor multi-million dollar swimming centre at windmill hill, now named Launceston Aquatic.
Media
Launceston's local newspaper The ExaminerThe Examiner (Tasmania)
The Examiner is the daily newspaper of the city of Launceston and north-eastern Tasmania, Australia.- Overview :The Examiner was first published on 12 March 1842, founded by James Aikenhead. Its first editor was the Reverend John West. At first it was a weekly publication . The Examiner expanded to...
was founded by James Aikenhead in 1842, and has been continually published ever since. The newspaper is currently owned by Fairfax media.
Along with the rest of the state, the city has four free-to-air analogue television stations, including two government funded channels from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC1), the Special Broadcasting Service
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
(SBS ONE) and two commercial stations; (Southern Cross Tasmania & WIN
WIN Television
WIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single Wollongong-only station, and has since expanded to 24 owned-and-operated stations with transmissions covering a...
) These services are also available in digital format as well as eleven digital only stations, one carrying Network Ten programming (Tasmanian Digital Television), and nationwide digital-only stations ABC2
ABC2
ABC2 is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 7 March 2005, it is the responsibility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television division, and is available nationally to digital television viewers in Australia...
, ABC3
ABC3
-Future shows:Programming confirmed for future broadcast will include:* After School Care * Bindi's Boot Camp * Bushwacked! * Dance Academy * Dancing Down Under...
, ABC News 24
ABC News 24
ABC News 24 is an Australian 24-hour news channel launched and owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The channel replaced the former ABC High Definition simulcast of ABC1 and commenced broadcasting at 7:30pm 5:30 on Thursday, 22 July 2010.-Pre-launch:The ABC announced in January 2010...
, SBS Two, 7Two
7Two
7TWO is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel which was launched by the Seven Network on Sunday 1 November 2009 at 12pm....
, Go!, 7mate
7mate
7mate is an Australian free-to-air high definition digital television channel, which was launched by the Seven Network on 25 September 2010.The network stated that 7mate would contain sport and regular programs aimed primarily at a male audience, with programming drawn from a combination of new...
(HD), GEM HD, One HD (in high definition only) and the new "Eleven
Eleven (TV channel)
Eleven is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel, which was launched by ElevenCo, on 11 January 2011.-Joint venture:...
" channel from Network Ten.
Radio stations aired around Launceston are: LAFM
7LA
89.3 LAFM is a radio station based in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.It opened on 14 December 1930, broadcasting on 1100 kHz and from 1978 1098 kHz...
and Chilli FM – part of the Grant Broadcasters
Grant Broadcasters
Grant Broadcasters is an Australian regional radio network that also includes a small number of metropolitan radio stations. It is a privately owned company, held by Janet Cameron and her family. The company was started by Cameron's father, Walter Grant in the 1970s.-CHR/Rock:*Hot 100 100.1 FM and...
radio network, TOTE Sport Radio
TOTE Sport Radio
TOTE Sport Radio is a statewide radio network based in Tasmania. It is owned by TOTE Tasmania, the State Government’s betting and gaming agency....
– Racing Radio, Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
– ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
, ABC Northern Tasmania
ABC Northern Tasmania
ABC Northern Tasmania is the ABC Local Radio station for northern Tasmania, based in Launceston, owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It broadcasts on 91.7 MHz on the FM band.-History:...
– (ABC), ABC NewsRadio
ABC NewsRadio
ABC NewsRadio is an Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio service devoted to delivering live and 24-hour news updates and information. The service is available on a number of broadcasts right around Australia, including AM/FM radio, some pay-TV platforms and online via the Internet.Originally...
– (ABC), ABC Classic FM
ABC Classic FM
ABC Classic FM is a classical music radio station available in Australia, and internationally online. It is operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation . It was established in 1976 as "ABC-FM", and later for a short time was known as "ABC Fine Music" , before adopting its current name...
– (ABC), Radio National
Radio National
ABC Radio National is an Australia-wide non-commercial radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Radio National broadcasts national programming in areas that include news and current affairs, the arts, social issues, science, drama and comedy...
– (ABC), City Park Radio
City Park Radio
City Park Radio is a community radio station in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, broadcasting on the frequency 103.7 FM and is a member of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia....
– Community Radio
Community radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
, SBS Radio
SBS Radio
SBS Radio is a service provided by the Special Broadcasting Service '..to inform, educate and entertain Australians, especially those of non-English speaking backgrounds'. SBS Radio originally began as two stations based in Melbourne and Sydney, set up to provide pre-recorded information about the...
– (SBS), Way FM – Christian Radio and 7RPH which is a relay of 864 AM from Hobart.
Health
Launceston General Hospital is Launceston's 300-bed public hospital, located just south of the city centre. Every year, LGH treats over 24,000 inpatients and over 225,000 outpatients. St Lukes Private Hospital and St Vincent's Hospital are the major private facilities. Launceston was also the location of the first use of anaesthesia in the Southern Hemisphere.Launceston is also the hub for the state's medical retrieval service. The Royal Flying Doctor Service is serviced by the state's ambulance service and doctors from the Launceston General Hospital.
Transport
Since February 1998, Launceston has been serviced by the Tasmanian government-owned and operated public bus service Metro Tasmania
Metro Tasmania
Metro Tasmania is the primary provider of public transport in the Australian state of Tasmania. For bus timetable and route information see the...
. In addition, Redline offers school services and travels to many destinations across Tasmania.
Because of its central location, Launceston is the hub of five of the state's major highways. The Midland Highway is the primary route to Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
. The Bass Highway is the primary route to 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 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...
. The Tasman Highway
Tasman Highway
The Tasman Highway is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. Like the Midland Highway, it connects the major cities of Hobart and Launceston — however it takes a different route, via the north-eastern and eastern coasts of the state. The Highway also acts as a major commuter road to Hobart...
is an alternate scenic route to Hobart via Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Tasmania
Scottsdale is a town in the north-east of Tasmania, Australia. It lies on the Tasman Highway, around north-east of Launceston and south-east of the coastal town of Bridport. It is part of the Dorset Council....
, the East Coast, the West Tamar Highway
West Tamar Highway
The West Tamar Highway is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. It covers the western edge of the Tamar River, from Launceston to the beach town of Greens Beach.It is labelled as state route A7.-External links:*...
and East Tamar Highway
East Tamar Highway
The East Tamar Highway is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. It covers the eastern edge of the Tamar River, from Launceston to the lighthouse at Low Head.It is labelled as state route A8.-External links:*...
.
The city is served by the small curfew-free Launceston Airport
Launceston Airport
Launceston Airport is a regional airport on the outskirts of Launceston, Tasmania. The airport is located in the rural area of Western Junction from Launceston city centre...
, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south-east of the city. The airport serves over one million passengers annually. Jetstar Airways
Jetstar Airways
Jetstar Airways is an Australian low-cost airline headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. It is a subsidiary of Qantas, created in response to the threat posed by low-cost airline Virgin Blue...
, Virgin Australia, Sharp Airlines
Sharp Airlines
Sharp Airlines is a regional airline headquartered in Hamilton, Victoria, Australia. Its main bases are Portland Airport, Adelaide Airport and Launceston Airport. The airline also provides charter operations to regional Victoria and South Australia...
, Australian air Express
Australian Air Express
Australian air Express is a logistics company based in Melbourne, Australia. It operates freight-only services within Australia using leased Qantas, National Jet Systems, and Pel-Air aircraft and a fleet of land vehicles...
and QantasLink
QantasLink
QantasLink is a regional brand of Australian airline Qantas and is an affiliate member of the Oneworld airline alliance. It is a major competitor to Regional Express Airlines, Virgin Australia and Skywest Airlines. As of September 2010 QantasLink provides 1900 flights each week to 54 domestic and...
all operate scheduled services at the airport. There are currently direct flights to and from Melbourne
Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport , also known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne and the second busiest in Australia. It was opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is the sole international airport of the four airports serving the...
, Sydney
Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada...
and Brisbane
Brisbane Airport
Brisbane Airport is the sole passenger airport serving Brisbane and the third busiest in Australia, after Melbourne and Sydney Airports. Brisbane Airport has won many awards. Located in the suburb with the same name, the airport serves the city of Brisbane and the surrounding metropolitan area...
.
There is a freight rail system in operation which links Launceston to Burnie and Hobart.
Tram and rail network
Launceston operated a suburban tramway system between 1911 and 1952, which consisted of 29 trams. It was first conceived in 1909, after observations of efficiently working systems in Melbourne and Adelaide. A decade before the tram system was abandoned, Launceston had begun converting to trolleybusTrolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
es, especially for the hilly routes. It was one of the most extensive trolleybus networks in Australia. The network was finally removed in 1952 to make way for cars and buses. A tramway museum in Inveresk is all that remains of Launceston's trams. Launceston's streets, most of which were planned in the early nineteenth century, were probably always too narrow for trams to be fully successful, in many cases little of the roadway remained for other forms of transport.
A regional passenger rail system operated in Tasmania, of which Launceston was a major hub; however, after many years of gradual retrenchment it was closed in July 1978.
Former passenger railway lines servicing Launceston
- Launceston and Western RailwayLaunceston and Western RailwayThe Western Line, previously known as the Launceston and Western Line is a 78Km freight rail corridor that runs from Western Junction to Wiltshire in Tasmania, Australia...
(1871–1873) - Launceston–Deloraine (1875–1978)
- Launceston–Hobart (via Evandale) (1876–1978)
- Launceston–Devonport (1885–1978)
- Launceston–Burnie (1901–1978)
Utilities
Trevallyn Dam
The Trevallyn Dam is a dam on the South Esk River in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia and is used to provide water for hydroelectricity. The spillway height is 26.8 metres and the dam wall is 177 metres long. The lake has a surface area of 1.48 km² and storage capacity of 12.33 million m³...
. The major retailer is Aurora Energy
Aurora Energy
The electricity retail company Aurora Energy was formed by the dis-aggregation of the Hydro Electric Commission in Tasmania, Australia, on 1 July 1998...
.
Historically, Launceston was powered by gas from the Launceston Gas Company
Launceston Gas Works
The Launceston Gas Works was the principal supplier of gas to the city of Launceston in Tasmania before the creation of the Duck Reach Power Station. The gas works produced gas by heating coal and siphoning off the gas that it released. The first buildings on site were the horizontal retort...
(later Gas Corporation of Tasmania). The first gas plant was built in 1860 as a horizontal retort Gas Works house made from brick and sandstone on the site's SW corner. This was followed by keepers cottages, labs, the Headquarters Building and the iconic 1930s vertical retort recognised by the wording "COOK WITH GAS" written it its brickwork. The Duck Reach power station replaced gas for street lighting in when it was completed in 1895. Both Gas Works and Hydro facilities have been preserved as museums.
Launceston's water comes from the Launceston Water Catchment. The majority is sourced from St Patricks River, a tributary of the North Esk River
North Esk River
The North Esk River is a river in Tasmania, Australia. It is one of the tributaries of the Tamar River together with the South Esk River. It starts in the Northallerton Valley below Mt Ben Nevis in the states North East joining with the St Patricks River, flowing through Launceston. Launceston's...
which flows through Launceston. The main retailer is Ben Lomond Water. The first reticulated water supply constructed in 1857 still serves the CBD. There were fears that the Tamar Valley Pulp Mill might adversely affect Launceston's water supply.
Like many Australian cities, several major companies provide mobile telecommunications services and wireless internet services to Launceston. Launceston's communication infrastructure was upgraded in 1997 through the federal "Networking the Nation" program. There are plans to upgrade further to a fibre optic network.
Sister cities
Launceston has three sister cities.| City | State | Country | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ikeda Ikeda, Osaka is a city located in Osaka, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 104,704 and a density of 4,740 persons per km². The total area is 22.09 km².... |
 OsakaOsaka Prefecture is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :... |
 Japan |
1 November 1965 |
| Napa Napa, California -History:The name Napa was probably derived from the name given to a southern Nappan village whose people shared the area with elk, deer, grizzlies and cougars for many centuries, according to Napa historian Kami Santiago. At the time of the first recorded exploration into Napa Valley in 1823, the... |
 California |
 United States |
6 June 1988 |
| Taiyuan Taiyuan Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River... |
 ShanxiShanxi ' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period.... |
Mainland China |
28 November 1995 |