Population 6,906 (2011 census) Postcode(s) 7253 State electorate(s) Bass Postal code 7253 Lga George Town Council | Established 1804 Time zone AEST (UTC+10) Founded 1804 Local time Sunday 10:44 PM Federal division Division of Bass | |
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Location 6 km (4 mi) from Low Head
6 km (4 mi) from Bell Bay
23 km (14 mi) from Hillwood
50 km (31 mi) from Launceston Weather 17°C, Wind S at 11 km/h, 85% Humidity | ||
George Town is a large town in north-east Tasmania, on the eastern bank of the mouth of the Tamar River. The Australian Bureau of Statistics records the George Town Municipal Area had a population of 6,906 as at the 30 June 2011.
Contents
- Map of George Town TAS 7253 Australia
- History
- Geography and landmarks
- Infrastructure
- Bell Bay pulp mill
- Attractions
- Media
- Events
- References
Map of George Town TAS 7253, Australia
It is the regional centre of the George Town Council local government area and is well served with a Regional Hospital, supermarkets, and infrastructure.
History
George Town, named for King George III is one of the older European settlements in Australia, first settled in 1804 by Colonel William Paterson two years before the nearby city of Launceston 50 kilometres to the South.
George Town Post Office opened on 11 December 1822.
Geography and landmarks
Infrastructure
The Basslink 400 Kilovolt high-voltage direct current submarine cable connecting Tasmania to the National Electricity Market, terminates in George Town.
In 2007 Alinta built the Tamar Valley Power Station a 200 MW gas-fired power station in the vicinity of George Town creating 200 direct and 100 indirect jobs during construction, and generating electricity from 2009.
Nearby Bell Bay has an aluminium and manganese smelter, as well as the port.
George Town has a K-10 school, Star of the Sea College
Bell Bay pulp mill
Gunns Limited had proposed a very large pulp mill to be built in the area in 2006, but the Tasmanian people were, and still are, divided on its merits due to environmental concerns.
Gunns Ltd entered receivership in 2013, with huge debts and the mill is considered unlikely to ever proceed, with the receivers selling the company assets.
Attractions
"The Grove" Georgian home built in 1829 attracts many visitors, as does the 1805 convict built pilot station at Low Head.
George Town is also a popular seaside destination for swimming, surfing, and fishing and boating enthusiasts.
George Town is home to a Little Penguin colony at the nearby beach at Low Head.
The George Town Football Club, George Town Bowls Club and the George Town Cricket Club are notable among its clubs and associations.
The Bass and Flinders Centre has a collection of historical boats including a replica of the 1798 sloop Norfolk.
The Watch House in Macquarie St. built in 1843 was the town gaol (jail). The building was refurbished and reopened in 2004 as a gallery and local history museum. It features a scale model of the town as it was in the early nineteenth century.
George Town is home to a vibrant arts community. The Lighthouse Regional Arts group hold a yearly art show, have local and interstate travelling displays at the Watch House and have permanent displays of art at the Bass and Flinders centre, the Low Head pilot station and the Jim Mooney Gallery.
Media
George Town has two of its own radio stations – Tamar FM 95.3 which is a community radio station generally playing music and advertising local businesses, and River FM George Town which is a youth community/narrowcast radio station playing the best music from the 80's to now. River FM is run by the JNET Radio Network.
Events
Some main events that happen annually in George Town include: