Longford, Tasmania
Encyclopedia
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 population of 4,266 (2006 census) and is part of the Northern Midlands Council area. The region is predominantly agricultural, noted for wool, dairy produce and stock breeding.
. Then in 1806 the first Europeans, Jacob Mountgarrett and Ensign Hugh Piper, passed through the area, and in the following year Lieutenant Thomas Laycock
camped near the current site of the town during his overland journey from Launceston to Hobart
.
Settlers started to arrive in 1807 as farmers were moved from Norfolk Island
to Van Diemen's Land
(the original name used by Europeans for Tasmania). Governor Macquarie
granted land rights to the settlers, who originally called the area Norfolk Plains. The town, originally called Latour, grew up around the Longford Hotel which was built in 1827 by Newman Williatt, and in 1833 the town was renamed Longford. Convict labour was free and settlers used this to build some fine houses and estates.
Prominent among the early settlers, the Archer family built a number of grand houses and estates in the area. Thomas Archer emigrated from England to Australia in 1811, and retired from government service in 1821 to develop his 2000 acres (8.1 km²) estate. By 1825 he held 6000 acres (24.3 km²) in the area and his success persuaded first his brother Joseph, then his brothers Willam and Edward and their father, to join him. Together they farmed and developed the land, and built a number of homesteads which are among the finest in northern Tasmania: Woolmers Estate, Brickendon Estate (both on the Australian National Heritage List
), Panshanger, Northbury, Fairfield, Cheshunt, Woodside, Palmerston and Saundridge. Six generations of Archers have lived in Woolmers, from 1817 to 1994; it is now owned by the Woolmers Foundation Inc and is open to the public.
Longford district has many buildings included on the Tasmanian Heritage Register. Many significant historic buildings were constructed between 1830 and 1850, including:
or to one of the schools in Launceston. The town has a sports centre and a bowls
club. Two local bus companies provide transport to school and to Launceston. Longford public library is part of the State Library of Tasmania
's statewide public library network and is open every weekday.
Healthcare is provided by local doctors and dentists. Toosey Memorial Hospital provided private healthcare from the 1920s and became a public hospital in 1950. However, in 1990 it became a residential care centre for elderly people, and the nearest hospital is now in Launceston.
, and is one of the state’s largest regional employers. The plant processes 450 beef and 1500 smallstock per day and employs 460. Tasmania is the only Australian state that has banned the use of Hormonal Growth Promotants (HGPs) in cattle, so the plant guarantees its products are free of HGP.
Selborne Biological Services runs a biotechnology manufacturing facility in Longford, producing bovine serum
and other blood products such as polyclonal antisera
and protein fractions, destined for the biotech, pharmaceutical, veterinary, and diagnostics industries. They take advantage of the fact that Tasmania is free of BSE
and scrapie
.
Koppers
Inc has a wood treatment plant in Longford. The company produces treated wood poles, piling timbers and other timber for outdoor use.
Other local employers include Longford Brickworks, an Agricultural Machinery business called Agline, Longford Sawmill, and service industry jobs. Many people commute to work in Launceston.
and the Elders Webster Longford Cup.
, several Tasman Cup races
and touring car and motorcycle championship were organized on the 4.5 miles (7.2 km) Longford Circuit
.
area which is a nesting and breeding sanctuary for waterfowl. Its total area is around 160 ha. Jointly owned by Dr Tatiana Petrovsky and brothers Bill and Jamie Cox, the area is now permanently protected under Conservation Covenant under the Protected Areas on Private Land program. Not only are waterfowl and swans provided with a habitat, but numerous other species, including endangered species like the green and gold frog, are thriving there.
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 lies 175 m above sea level at the convergence of the Macquarie River
Macquarie River (Tasmania)
The Macquarie River in Tasmania rises near Lake Leake, flowing south and then north-west and through the town of Ross before flowing into the South Esk River near Longford. The Elizabeth, Isis and Lake rivers are tributaries....
and 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...
, 21 km south 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...
. It is just south of the Illawarra Road, a road connecting the Bass and Midland Highways. It has a population of 4,266 (2006 census) and is part of the Northern Midlands Council area. The region is predominantly agricultural, noted for wool, dairy produce and stock breeding.
Settlement
Before European settlement, the area was used by the Panninher band of 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...
. Then in 1806 the first Europeans, Jacob Mountgarrett and Ensign Hugh Piper, passed through the area, and in the following year Lieutenant Thomas Laycock
Thomas Laycock
Thomas Laycock was an English soldier, explorer, and later businessman, who served in North America during the War of 1812, but is most famous for being the first European to travel overland through the interior of Tasmania .-Early life:Thomas Laycock was the son of Thomas and Hannah Laycock...
camped near the current site of the town during his overland journey from Launceston 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...
.
Settlers started to arrive in 1807 as farmers were moved from Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
to 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...
(the original name used by Europeans for Tasmania). Governor Macquarie
Lachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
granted land rights to the settlers, who originally called the area Norfolk Plains. The town, originally called Latour, grew up around the Longford Hotel which was built in 1827 by Newman Williatt, and in 1833 the town was renamed Longford. Convict labour was free and settlers used this to build some fine houses and estates.
Prominent among the early settlers, the Archer family built a number of grand houses and estates in the area. Thomas Archer emigrated from England to Australia in 1811, and retired from government service in 1821 to develop his 2000 acres (8.1 km²) estate. By 1825 he held 6000 acres (24.3 km²) in the area and his success persuaded first his brother Joseph, then his brothers Willam and Edward and their father, to join him. Together they farmed and developed the land, and built a number of homesteads which are among the finest in northern Tasmania: Woolmers Estate, Brickendon Estate (both on the Australian National Heritage List
Australian National Heritage List
The Australian National Heritage List is a list of places deemed to be of outstanding heritage significance to Australia. The list includes natural, historic and indigenous places...
), Panshanger, Northbury, Fairfield, Cheshunt, Woodside, Palmerston and Saundridge. Six generations of Archers have lived in Woolmers, from 1817 to 1994; it is now owned by the Woolmers Foundation Inc and is open to the public.
Historic buildings
- Christ Church (1839), sandstoneSandstoneSandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, with square tower, lancet windowLancet windowA lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s and buttressButtressA buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es, in the Old Colonial Gothick Picturesque style. The church clock and bell were both gifts from King George IVGeorge IV of the United KingdomGeorge IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
. The cemetery includes many prominent local families including the Archer, Brumby and Reiby families. - Queen’s Arms Hotel (1835), a double storey brick and stuccoStuccoStucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
ed building in the Old Colonial Georgian style - Blenheim Hotel (1846), a two storey Georgian brick and stuccoed building and a major townscape element in Longford
- Tattersalls Hotel (now Longford Library) (ca 1846), a two storey red brick corner building with neo-classic moulded surrounds to doorways
- Racecourse Hotel (former), a two storey brick Georgian inn, originally built to become the railway station; has also been a private hospital
Facilities
Longford has a has a Service Tasmania shop, supermarkets, a bakery, a butcher’s shop, two banks, a Post Office, antique shops, hotels, cafés, take-aways, hairdressers and service stations. A kindergarten and large primary school provide education for younger children; secondary students travel to the District High School in CressyCressy, Tasmania
Cressy is a small town located south-west of Launceston, Tasmania. It came into existence in the 1850s to service the surrounding wheat farms. At the 2006 census, Cressy had a population of 670...
or to one of the schools in Launceston. The town has a sports centre and a bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
club. Two local bus companies provide transport to school and to Launceston. Longford public library is part of the State Library of Tasmania
State Library of Tasmania
The State Library of Tasmania is the organisation which runs the library system in the state of Tasmania, Australia. The State Library operates as part of the Tasmanian Department of Education, and maintains close ties with Tasmanian schools and senior secondary colleges.The headquarters of the...
's statewide public library network and is open every weekday.
Healthcare is provided by local doctors and dentists. Toosey Memorial Hospital provided private healthcare from the 1920s and became a public hospital in 1950. However, in 1990 it became a residential care centre for elderly people, and the nearest hospital is now in Launceston.
Employment
In the 2006 Census, the most common industries of employment for Longford residents were:- 7.2% – Sheep, Beef Cattle and Grain Farming
- 4.5% – School Education
- 3.5% – Meat and Meat Product Manufacturing
- 2.9% – Residential Care Services
- 2.5% – Road Freight Transport
Local businesses
Swift Australia (Southern) Pty Limited runs Longford abattoirSlaughterhouse
A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products...
, and is one of the state’s largest regional employers. The plant processes 450 beef and 1500 smallstock per day and employs 460. Tasmania is the only Australian state that has banned the use of Hormonal Growth Promotants (HGPs) in cattle, so the plant guarantees its products are free of HGP.
Selborne Biological Services runs a biotechnology manufacturing facility in Longford, producing bovine serum
Serum
Serum may refer to:*Blood serum, a component of blood which is collected after coagulation.**Antiserum, blood serum with specific antibodies for passive immunity*Serous fluid, any clear bodily fluid*any drug derived from an animal's blood or serous fluid...
and other blood products such as polyclonal antisera
Antiserum
Antiserum is blood serum containing polyclonal antibodies. Antiserum is used to pass on passive immunity to many diseases. Passive antibody transfusion from a previous human survivor is the only known effective treatment for Ebola infection .The most common use of antiserum in humans is as...
and protein fractions, destined for the biotech, pharmaceutical, veterinary, and diagnostics industries. They take advantage of the fact that Tasmania is free of BSE
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy , commonly known as mad-cow disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord. BSE has a long incubation period, about 30 months to 8 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of...
and scrapie
Scrapie
Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative disease that affects the nervous systems of sheep and goats. It is one of several transmissible spongiform encephalopathies , which are related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy and chronic wasting disease of deer. Like other spongiform encephalopathies, scrapie...
.
Koppers
Koppers
Koppers is a global chemical and materials company based in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States in an art-deco 1920s skyscraper, the Koppers Tower.-Structure:...
Inc has a wood treatment plant in Longford. The company produces treated wood poles, piling timbers and other timber for outdoor use.
Other local employers include Longford Brickworks, an Agricultural Machinery business called Agline, Longford Sawmill, and service industry jobs. Many people commute to work in Launceston.
Racecourse
The Longford Racecourse is the oldest continuously operating racecourse in Australia. Longford is home to many horse studs and training facilities, and the Longford races are held annually on New Year’s Day, with thoroughbred horse racingThoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
and the Elders Webster Longford Cup.
Longford Show
The annual Longford Show was first held in 1858 and is one of the longest running rural shows in Australia. Held in October, it attracts between 7000 and 8000 people. It includes equestrian events, poultry and dog shows, chopping and tree felling, sheep and fleeces, rides and games, as well as displays of artwork from local schools.Australian Grand Prix
From 1953 to 1968, two Australian Grand PrixAustralian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually and is held to be the pinnacle of motor racing in Australia. The Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition held in Australia having been held 76 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1985 the race has...
, several Tasman Cup races
Tasman Series
The Tasman Series was a motor racing series held from 1964 to 1975, in Australia and New Zealand, and named after the Tasman Sea between the two countries...
and touring car and motorcycle championship were organized on the 4.5 miles (7.2 km) Longford Circuit
Longford Circuit
The Longford Circuit was a temporary motor racing course laid out on public roads at Longford, south-west of Launceston in Tasmania, Australia...
.
Longford Golf Club
Longford has a popular golf course south of the town, with eleven holes, seven of which have alternate tees.Woodstock Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary
Woodstock Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary is a natural wetlandWetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
area which is a nesting and breeding sanctuary for waterfowl. Its total area is around 160 ha. Jointly owned by Dr Tatiana Petrovsky and brothers Bill and Jamie Cox, the area is now permanently protected under Conservation Covenant under the Protected Areas on Private Land program. Not only are waterfowl and swans provided with a habitat, but numerous other species, including endangered species like the green and gold frog, are thriving there.
Born in Longford
- Albert SolomonAlbert SolomonAlbert Edgar Solomon was an Australian politician. He was Premier of Tasmania from 14 June 1912 to 6 April 1914....
, one of the Premiers of TasmaniaPremiers of TasmaniaThe Premier of Tasmania is the head of the executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the party or political grouping which has majority support in the House of Assembly will nominate its leader to be Premier. The nominated politician is then invited by the Governor of...
, who was in office from 1912 to 1914 - Walter LeeWalter Lee (Australian politician)Sir Walter Henry Lee KCMG was an Australian politician and member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. He was Premier of Tasmania on three occasions: from 15 April 1916 to 12 August 1922; from 14 August 1923 to 25 October 1923; and from 15 March 1934 to 22 June 1934.Lee was born in Longford in...
, three-time Premier of Tasmania - William HartnollWilliam HartnollWilliam Hartnoll was an Australian politician. Born in Longford, Tasmania, he was educated at Launceston Grammar School before becoming a shopkeeper, auctioneer and landowner. In 1884 he was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly as the member for South Launceston, transferring to Launceston...
(1841–1932), Australian politician - David John O'KeefeDavid O'Keefe (Australian politician)David John O'Keefe was an Australian politician. Born in Longford, Tasmania, he was educated at state schools before becoming a farm worker and miner. He was involved in the labour movement as a journalist and an organiser of the Australian Workers' Union...
(1864–1943), Australian politician - Sir Norman Henry Denham HentyDenham HentySir Denham Henty, KBE was an Australian politician.Henty was born in Longford, Tasmania and educated at Launceston Church Grammar School. He left school at 14 to work in his fathers wholesale business. In March 1930 he married Faith Gordon Spotswood and they subsequently had three sons and a...
, KBE (1903–1978), Australian politician - Dame Florence "Flora" ReidFlora ReidDame Florence "Flora" Reid GBE was the wife of the Prime Minister of Australia Sir George Reid.-Biodata:...
GBE (1867–1950), the wife of the Prime Minister of Australia Sir George ReidGeorge Reid (Australian politician)Sir George Houstoun Reid, GCB, GCMG, KC was an Australian politician, Premier of New South Wales and the fourth Prime Minister of Australia.... - Richard FlanaganRichard FlanaganRichard Flanagan is a novelist from Tasmania, Australia.-Early life:Flanagan was born in Longford, Tasmania, in 1961, the fifth of six children. He is descended from Irish convicts transported to Van Diemen's Land in the 1840s. His father is a survivor of the Burma Death Railway. One of his three...
(born 1961), an author, historian and film director - Katharine ParkerKatharine ParkerKatharine Parker was an Australian composer.Parker, was born Catherine Parker at Lake River near Longford, Tasmania. From 1904 to 1906 she studied for a diploma in Music in Melbourne. At the inaugural Australian Exhibition of Women's Work she won the Piano Solo Gold Medal...
(1886–1971), an Australian composer, born at Lake River near Longford - John Lake Allen Arthur, Tasmanian cricketer, was born in Longford in 1847 and died there in 1877
- Raymond Gordon StokesRay StokesRaymond Gordon Stokes is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Richmond in the Victorian Football League ....
(born 1924), a former Australian rules footballer who played with Richmond in the VFL
Died in Longford
- Tom RobertsTom RobertsThomas William Roberts , usually known simply as Tom, was a prominent Australian artist and a key member of the Heidelberg School.-Life:...
, the Australian impressionist artist, is buried at the bluestone Anglican Church on the Illawarra Road