Bagdad, Tasmania

Bagdad
Tasmania

Bagdad Community Club
Bagdad
Population: 996 (2006 Census)[1]
Postcode: 7030
Location:
LGA: Southern Midlands Council
State District: Lyons
Federal Division: Lyons
Website: Bagdad Online Access Centre
Localities around Bagdad:
Bothwell Tunnack Tunnack
Dysart, Kempton Bagdad Colebrook
Dysart Mangalore Colebrook

Bagdad is a small town 37 kilometres (23 mi) north of Hobart, Tasmania. It is located in the Southern Midlands Council.

In the days of the horse and buggy, Bagdad 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.

Contents

History

The town was named by the explorer Hugh Germain, a private in the Royal Marines. He was said to carry two books in his saddlebags while travelling: the Bible and the Arabian Nights, which he used as inspiration when he named places.

A railway line connected the town with Hobart from 1891 until 1947[2].

In April 2003, during the early part of the Iraq war, the town's website was bombarded by confused internet users from around the world trying to contact Iraqis.[3]

Demographics

The 2006 Census by the Australian Bureau of Statistics counted 996 persons in Bagdad on census night. Of these, 51.7% were male and 48.3% were female[1].

The majority of residents (86.9%) are of Australian birth, with another 2.6% from England[1].

The age distribution of Bagdad residents is comparable to that of the greater Australian population. 62.8% of residents were over 25 years in 2006, compared to the Australian average of 66.5%; and 37.2% were younger than 25 years, compared to the Australian average of 33.5%[1].

Community

Schools

Bagdad Primary School was established on 14 January, 1867 with a total of 22 students.

Fire destroyed the school's three classrooms on 26 January, 1954, forcing the pupils to attend temporary schooling at the Bagdad Community Hall. The original headmaster's house survives as a classroom for kindergarten students.

Transport

Bagdad is located on the Midland Highway, which connects Hobart and Launceston.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Bagdad (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=SSC65041&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 2011-03-09. 
  2. ^ A Short History of the Apsley Branch Line, Stokes, H.J.W. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, July, 1971 pp 152-160
  3. ^ "Bagdad, Tasmania under heavy cyber fire". Sydney Morning Herald. 6 April, 2003. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/05/1049459862442.html. Retrieved 9 March 2011. 

External links