Scamander, Tasmania

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Scamander
Tasmania

Population: 506 (2006) [1]
Postcode: 7215
Location:
LGA: Break O'Day Council
State District: Lyons
Federal Division: Lyons

Scamander is a small town situated at the mouth of the Scamander River between St Helens and St Marys on the north-east coast of Tasmania in Australia. The town is a popular holiday destination because of its wide, sandy beaches and spectacular views of the ocean. Recreational activities include surfing, swimming and fishing for bream in the river.

Contents

[edit] History

The first European to travel through the area was surveyor John Helder Wedge in 1825. He named the river "Borthwick" and the locality itself he named "Yarmouth" after the English port Great Yarmouth but both the river and town were both later renamed "Scamander".

The wide river mouth has been a challenge to bridge builders for many years. Richard Terry constructed a timber bridge in 1865 but it later collapsed when a large mob of cattle was driven across it. A second and third bridge were successively washed away in floods in 1889 and 1911. Further bridges succumbed to flood and shipworms, the last timber bridge collapsing in 1929. A truss bridge was built in 1936 and still stands today. The concrete bridge that currently carries the Tasman Highway was built alongside this bridge .

On the evening of December 11, 2006, 18 houses and a restaurant were razed by a bushfire that swept around the small town.[2]

[edit] Services

Services in Scamander include:

  • Resort Hotel
  • Bottle Shop
  • Caravan Park
  • Numerous Bed and Breakfasts
  • Several small motels
  • Supermarket/minimarket
  • Petrol Station including mechanic
  • Fast food store
  • Surf Shop
  • Post office
  • Video store
  • Local Handyman

[edit] References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Community Profile Series : Scamander. 2006 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved on 2007-06-30.
  2. ^ "Conditions improve for Tasmanian fire crews", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2006-12-12. Retrieved on 2006-12-12. 

[edit] External links


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