Population 481 (2011 census) Mean max temp Mean min temp Postal code 7331 | Postcode(s) 7331 Elevation 10 m Local time Sunday 11:33 AM | |
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Location 379 km (235 mi) NW of Hobart224 km (139 mi) W of Launceston127 km (79 mi) W of Devonport21 km (13 mi) NE of Smithton Weather 20°C, Wind N at 8 km/h, 73% Humidity Points of interest The Nut State Reserve, The Nut Chair Lift, Historic Convict ruins - Sta | ||
Stanley is a town on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. Travelling west, Stanley is the second-last major township on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Smithton being the larger township in the Circular Head municipality. According to the 2011 census, Stanley had a population of 481.
Contents
- Map of Stanley TAS 7331 Australia
- History
- The town today
- Notable people born or raised in Stanley
- Climate
- References
Map of Stanley TAS 7331, Australia
History
In 1825 the Van Diemen's Land Company was granted land in north-western Van Diemen's Land, including the Stanley area. Employees of the company from England settled in the area in October 1826.
It was named after Lord Stanley, the British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies in the 1830s and 1840s, who later had three terms of office as British Prime Minister.
A port opened in 1827 and the first school opened in 1841. The Post Office opened on 1 July 1845; it was known as Circular Head until 1882. In 1880 the first coach service between Stanley and Burnie was established.
In 1936 a submarine telephone cable from Apollo Bay to Stanley provided the first telephone to Tasmania from the mainland.
The town today
Today Stanley is a tourist destination and the main fishing port on the north-west coast of Tasmania.
The most distinctive landmark in Stanley is The Nut, an old volcanic plug discovered by the explorers Bass and Flinders in 1798, who named it Circular Head. It has steep sides and rises to 143 metres with a flat top. It is possible to walk to the top of The Nut via a steep track or via a chairlift.
Tourists regularly travel to Highfield (a farming region on the north west of the township) to view the picturesque northern beaches with The Nut in the background.
The port on the southern side of The Nut is also a regularly used fishing spot.
Notable people born or raised in Stanley
Climate
Stanley has a warm-summer mediterranean climate that is transitional with the oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification csb/cfb). Its summers are moderated by its shoreline position, whereas the rainy winters have moderate lows.