Pontville, Tasmania

Pontville
Tasmania
Pontville
Population: 2,166 (2006 Census)[1]
Postcode: 7030
Location:
LGA: Brighton Council
State District: Lyons
Federal Division: Lyons

Pontville is a small rural community 28 kilometres (17 mi) north of Hobart, in the south east of Tasmania, Australia. At the 2006 census, Pontville had a population of 2,166.[1]

Pontville was sited by Governor Lachlan Macquarie, in 1821, and was an early garrison town, where convicts built the bridge over the Jordan River. During World Wars I and II the area had a major army camp.

There is an old sandstone bridge in Pontville that lies on the Jordan River. The bridge is part of the Midland Highway.

A railway line connected the town with Hobart from 1891 until 1947. Additional excursion trains operated from Hobart, bringing riflemen to the nearby range.[2].

The Federal Government has announced that will spend $15 million on converting the army rifle range to an asylum-seeker detention centre housing 250 people, mainly single adult men.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Pontville (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=UCL612600&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 22 November 2011. 
  2. ^ A Short History of the Apsley Branch Line Stokes, H.J.W. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, July, 1971 pp152-160
  3. ^ Cooper, Mex (5 April 2011). "Tasmanian solution for asylum seekers". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/national/tasmanian-solution-for-asylum-seekers-20110405-1d0or.html. Retrieved 5 April 2011.