| Geeveston Tasmania |
|
Geeveston bakery with wood carvings |
|
|
Geeveston
|
|
| Population: | 1,585 (2006)[1] |
| Established: | 1842 |
| Postcode: | 7116 |
| Elevation: | 115 m (377 ft) |
| Location: | |
| LGA: | Huon Valley Council |
| State District: | Franklin |
| Federal Division: | Franklin |
Geeveston is a small Australian town located in the south of Tasmania on the Huon River, 62 km south west of Hobart, making it Australia's most southerly administrative centre. The town takes its name from William Geeves, an English settler who was given a land grant by Lady Jane Franklin in the area then known as Lightwood Bottom (after a type of timber prevalent in the area). The settlement Geeves set up was renamed Geeves Town in 1861, and the name eventually became Geeveston.[2] Geeveston is for local government purposes included in the area of the Huon Valley Council and is part of the division of Franklin for both Australian House of Representatives and Tasmanian House of Assembly electoral purposes.
Geeveston is located on the Huon Highway, and is the gateway to the Hartz Mountains National Park. It is the centre of Tasmania's apple and fruit-growing industry, and has also been highly reliant on the timber industry since the late 19th century. A pulp mill was opened in the town in 1962, and was Geeveston's largest employer until the plant closed in 1982, devastating the area economically.[3] The Forest & Heritage Centre, a tourist centre which details the history of the timber industry in the area, is located in Geeveston.