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The island of Tasmania is the smallest state of Australia. It is located on the southeast side of the Australian mainland and is surrounded by the Bass Strait (north), the Southern Ocean (south and west) and the Tasman Sea (east). In these waters there are many islands that are part of Tasmania including King Island, Flinders Island and Bruny Island. There are approximately 500,000 people in Tasmania, almost half in and around the capital Hobart. Hobart was founded in 1804 and is the second oldest city in Australia. It is located in the south of the state, at the mouth of River Derwent. The other major towns Launceton, Devonport and Burnie are located in the north.
Tasmania was discovered in 1642 by Abel Tasman. He named it Van Diemen’s Land in honour of the Dutch East Indies governor who had funded his expedition. Tasman first saw the west coast and sailed (southwards) to the east. At Dunalley, near Cape Paul Lamanon, he anchored and sent someone on land to look around and plant a flag. Then he left the land and discovered New Zealand.
During a very long period Tasmania was considered the tip of the mainland. In 1798 Matthew Flinders confirmed that it was an island; he circumnavigated the island in the Norfolk in 2 months. The passage between the mainland and Tasmania meant that the journey to or from England was shortened with a number of days. This Bass Strait is named after George Bass, ship's doctor and good friend of Flinders.
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| Tasmanian Devil | Port Arthur Historic Site | Wineglass Bay (Freycinet NP) |
Russell Falls (Mt Field NP) |
Cradle Moutain (Cradle MT Lake St Clair NP) |
There are indications that more than 30,000 years ago the first people settled in Tasmania; this area was still a part of the mainland. After the last ice age some 15,000 years ago, the temperature and sea level increased and the island Tasmania was formed. At the end of the 18th century, when the first explorers arrived here, probably a few thousand people lived on the island.
In 1803 the first British settlers (colonists and convicts) founded a settlement on the banks of River Derwent (Risdon Cove). In 1804 a larger group arrived; Risdon Cove was abandoned and a few miles away Hobart was founded. Not much later George Town (3rd city in Australia) and Launceton were founded. The indigenous population saw its land and wildlife increasingly taken by the settlers; many of the indigenous population were slain, horribly treated or died due to a European disease. In the 1930s almost all indigenous people were lured to Flinders Island under false pretenses.
Today there are still many people in Tasmania who descend from the indigenous population. Their community is known as the Palawa and much of their language and culture is lost. Lately there is al lot effort to recover that culture as much as possible.
Mid-19th century a large proportion (40%) of the inhabitants of Tasmania were prisoners. At a given moment Tasmania was the only place where the British sent their prisoners); there are more than 70,000 people exiled to the island (slightly less than half the total number of prisoners transported to Australia. In 1853, the last ship with prisoners arrived and the transportations came to an end. In 1855 Van Diemen's Land was renamed Tasmania and was granted independent government. At the end of the 19th century people were increasing in favour for joining the Australian federation. In 1901 Tasmania became an Australian state.