Devonport, Tasmania
| Devonport Tasmania | |
|---|---|
|
Devonport and the Mersey River from the air | |
  Devonport | |
| Coordinates | 41°10′50″S 146°20′47″E / 41.18056°S 146.34639°ECoordinates: 41°10′50″S 146°20′47″E / 41.18056°S 146.34639°E |
| Population | 27,887 (2013)[1] |
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10) |
| • Summer (DST) | AEDT (UTC+11) |
| Location |
|
| LGA(s) | City of Devonport |
| State electorate(s) | Braddon |
| Federal Division(s) | Braddon |
Devonport is a city of over 27,000 inhabitants located in the northwestern part of Tasmania, Australia. It is situated at the mouth of the Mersey River. Along with the slightly smaller city of Burnie, Devonport is the major regional centre of the northwestern part of the state.
History
During the 1850s the twin settlements of Formby and Torquay were established on opposite banks at the mouth of the Mersey River. Torquay was the larger community with police, post, magistrate, at least three hotels, shipyards and stores. Between 1870 and 1880 the shipping industry grew and work was undertaken to deepen the mouth of the river. When the mouth of the river could support a shipping industry the first regular steamer services commenced, operating directly between the Mersey and Melbourne.
In 1889 the Bluff lighthouse was completed and the turn of the Century saw the railway make a significant difference to the Formby community. It combined a railhead and port facilities in the one place. A wharf was created on the west bank, close to the railway and warehouses. The railway brought a building boom to Formby. In 1890 a public vote united Torquay and Formby, and the settlements became the town of Devonport.
On 26 February 1929, father Andrew Thomas Edgar Archer murdered his five children and his wife, and then set fire to their house in Devonport. He killed himself after the attack.[2]
Facilities
The main CBD is on the west side of the Mersey River and includes a pedestrian mall, cinema, speciality stores, chain stores and a hotel. There are several local restaurants and cafes. The former Devonport Hospital is now being considered for transformation into over fifty apartments.
Government
Steve Martin was elected Mayor of the City of Devonport in 2011.[3] There are 12 aldermen that govern the Devonport City Council[4]
Transport
- Ferry Terminal
Devonport is the southern terminus for the Spirit of Tasmania ferries – Spirit I and II travel the 11 hours to Melbourne, Victoria.[5]
- Devonport Airport
Devonport Airport is located approximately 7 km to the east of the city of Devonport, about a 15 min drive by car. The airport is serviced by Bombardier Dash 8 turboprop aircraft, operated by QantasLink, with four daily services to Melbourne, Victoria.
There are several bus companies serving Devonport including Mersey Link, Redline and Phoenix coaches. Metropolitan Devonport bus services are limited on Saturdays and there are no services on Sundays or Public holidays.
Education
Primary Schools include Devonport Primary School, Miandetta Primary School, East Devonport Primary School, Nixon Street Primary School, Spreyton Primary School, Hillcrest Primary School, Devonport Christian School and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School. Secondary schools include Devonport High School, Reece High School and St Brendan-Shaw College. Senior Secondary Education (Years 11–12) is provided by The Don College and St Brendan-Shaw College. A TasTAFE campus, an adult training institution, is situated in Valley Road.
Climate
Devonport has an oceanic climate with mild to warm summers, cool and moist winters and high humidity (about 70%) all year round. Most days from January to March are pleasantly warm, averaging 20 to 25 °C (68 to 77 °F) with frequent sunshine. The warmest and driest days can occasionally reach up to 28 °C (82 °F). Unlike the south and east coasts of Tasmania, humid northerly winds prevent heatwaves and temperatures rarely if ever reach above 30 °C (86 °F). Winters are cool and cloudy with frequent light rain, July and August are the wettest months of the year. Due to almost constant cloud cover and coastal influence, winter temperatures rarely drop below 0 °C (32 °F). September to December usually features mild and windy weather with frequent showers, and occasional warm, sunny breaks. With the pattern of a drier summer and wetter winter, the weather has some characteristics of a Mediterranean climate.
| Climate data for Devonport Airport | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 33.2 (91.8) |
28.1 (82.6) |
29.0 (84.2) |
24.9 (76.8) |
20.7 (69.3) |
18.8 (65.8) |
16.7 (62.1) |
18.1 (64.6) |
20.0 (68) |
24.8 (76.6) |
25.7 (78.3) |
30.9 (87.6) |
33.2 (91.8) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 21.3 (70.3) |
21.6 (70.9) |
20.4 (68.7) |
17.7 (63.9) |
15.3 (59.5) |
13.4 (56.1) |
12.7 (54.9) |
13.1 (55.6) |
14.2 (57.6) |
15.8 (60.4) |
17.8 (64) |
19.6 (67.3) |
16.9 (62.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 12.2 (54) |
12.7 (54.9) |
10.8 (51.4) |
8.7 (47.7) |
6.7 (44.1) |
5.0 (41) |
4.6 (40.3) |
5.1 (41.2) |
6.1 (43) |
7.2 (45) |
9.1 (48.4) |
10.5 (50.9) |
8.2 (46.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 4.0 (39.2) |
4.3 (39.7) |
1.3 (34.3) |
0.5 (32.9) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
0.6 (33.1) |
1.6 (34.9) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 41.8 (1.646) |
36.7 (1.445) |
48.0 (1.89) |
60.8 (2.394) |
73.8 (2.906) |
77.4 (3.047) |
95.3 (3.752) |
93.0 (3.661) |
75.7 (2.98) |
63.6 (2.504) |
58.6 (2.307) |
53.5 (2.106) |
778.2 (30.638) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 7.1 | 6.1 | 7.7 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 12.4 | 14.9 | 15.4 | 13.6 | 11.4 | 10.0 | 8.6 | 128.5 |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology[6] | |||||||||||||
Sport
The Devonport Football Club is an Australian Rules team competing in the Tasmanian Statewide League. The Devonport Rugby Club[7] is a Rugby Union team competing in the Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide League. Devonport City Football Club is an association football (soccer) club which represents Devonport in the Tasmanian Northern Premier League.
The Devonport Athletic Club[8] hosts a leg of the Tasmanian Cycling Christmas Carnival Series[9] each year in December attended by local and international cyclists, other sports at the carnivals include athletics and woodchopping. Woodchopping events are also held at the Devonport Agricultural & Pastoral Society Spring Show[10] in November. Local theatre and Conventions are held at the Devonport Entertainment and Convention Centre in the city's CBD
The East Devonport Australian Rules Football Club, the Swans play in the NTFL alongside teams like Ulverstone and Penguin, to name but two.
Sister cities
The city of Devonport has a formal sister city agreement with Minamata City in Japan. This was ratified in 1996. Both cities share a similar setting and area.
-
Minamata, Japan (1996) -
City of Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia (destination for "Spirit of Tasmania" ferries from Devonport)
See also
References
- ↑ "Estimated Resident Population".
- ↑ "SHOCKING TRAGEDY.". The Canberra Times (National Library of Australia). 27 February 1929. p. 1.
"FATHER'S CRIME.". The Brisbane Courier (National Library of Australia). 20 March 1929. p. 13. - ↑ "Tasmanian Legislative Council 2009 Elections". abc.net.au. Retrieved June 2009.
- ↑ "Mayor and Aldermen". devonport.tas.gov.au. Retrieved June 2009.
- ↑ "Devonport to Melbourne Ferry Journey Length". Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ↑ "Climate Data". BoM. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
- ↑ "Devonport Rugby Club". devonportbulls.rugbynet.com.au. Retrieved June 2009.
- ↑ "Devonport Athletic Club". tas.cycling.org.au. Retrieved June 2009.
- ↑ "Sports Carnival Association of Tasmania". tascarnivals.com. Retrieved June 2009.
- ↑ "Agricultural Show Council of Tasmania". ascti.com.au. Retrieved June 2009.
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