Portal:Tasmania/Selected article/3

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Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1803 as a penal colony, it is one of Australia's oldest cities and the eleventh most populous, with a population of approximately 200,525 in 2006. The city is the financial and administrative heart of Tasmania, and also serves as the home port for both Australian and French Antarctic operations. Hobart is located on the estuary of the Derwent River in the state's south-east. The central business district is located on the western shore, with the inner suburbs spread out along the shores of the Derwent.

The first settlement began in 1803 as a penal colony at Risdon Cove on the eastern shores of the Derwent River, amid British concerns over the presence of French explorers. In 1804 it was moved to a better location at the present site of Hobart at Sullivan's Cove. The city, initially known as Hobart Town or Hobarton, was named after Lord Hobart the Colonial Secretary. The area's original inhabitants were members of the semi-nomadic Mouheneener tribe. Encounters with the Europeans and diseases brought by the settlers forced away the aboriginal population, which was replaced by free settlers and the convict population.