Bagdad, Tasmania

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bagdad Tasmania
Bagdad Community Club
Population:	677 ^[1]
Postcode:	7030
Location:	37 km (23 mi) N of Hobart 12 km (7 mi) N of Brighton 5 km (3 mi) S of Dysart
LGA:	Southern Midlands Council
State District:	Lyons
Federal Division:	Lyons

Bagdad is a small rural community 73 kilometres (45 mi) north of Hobart, on the Midland Highway, in the south-east of Tasmania, Australia. At the 2001 census, the town had a population of 677.^[1] In the days of the horse and buggy, it was an important rest area and horse-changing place for those continuing their journey up Constitution Hill. It is now an area of orchards and small mixed farms and a commuter settlement.

The town was named by the explorer Hugh Germain, a private and a well-educated member of the Royal Marines, who is said to have carried two books in his saddlebags while travelling, the Bible and the Arabian Nights, and he was renowned for naming places from these books.

During the early part of the Iraq war in April 2003 the town's website was bombarded by confused internet users from around the world trying to contact Iraqis.

[edit] Bagdad Primary School

Bagdad Primary School is located in Bagdad, in the Southern Midlands of Tasmania.

Bagdad Primary School was founded in 1867 and provides education for 140 students, from Kindergarten through Grade 6.

The original headmaster's house survives as a classroom for Kindergarten students.

From 2005 until 2007 the school underwent extensive construction and refurbishment. On 20 April 2007 the Tasmanian Minister for Education, David Bartlett, dedicated the new and rebuilt portions. Senator John Watson was scheduled to dedicate the school's new library, which was planned to open on 26 July 2007.