Perth is a town in the Australian state of Tasmania. It lies 20 km (12 mi) south of Launceston, on the Midland Highway. The town had a population of 3,233 at the 2021 census,[2] and is part of the Northern Midlands Council.
| Perth Tasmania | |||||||||||||||
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 Post Office in Perth, Tasmania | |||||||||||||||
  Perth | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 41°34′23″S 147°10′17″E / 41.57306°S 147.17139°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 3,233 (UCL 2021)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1821 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 7300 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 164 m (538 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Northern Midlands Council | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Lyons | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Lyons | ||||||||||||||
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Like nearby Longford, Perth is a historic town with many buildings dating back to the early 19th century. It is the first major town out of Launceston on the route to Hobart, and also serves as a major junction for people bypassing Launceston on the route from Hobart to the northwest of the state.
History edit
Perth was settled in 1821 by Governor Lachlan Macquarie. He was staying nearby with the pastoralist David Gibson and named it after Gibson's hometown of Perth, Scotland.[3][4] It was proclaimed as a township in 1836.[3] John Skinner Prout painted a view of the town in 1845, with various parts of the inland mountains showing in the painting.[5] Edward Paxham Brandard engraved the picture in 1874.[6]
Landmarks edit
Baptist church edit
The Perth Baptist church, opened in 1862, is notable, due to its history, size and architecture.[7][8][9]
Gibbet Hill edit
In 1837, five years after the practice ceased in England, the body of John McKay was gibbetted near the spot where he murdered Joseph Wilson near Perth.[10] There was great outcry, but the body was not removed until an acquaintance of Wilson passed the spot and, horrified by the spectacle of McKay's rotting corpse, pleaded with the authorities to remove it.
The location is still marked by a sign reading, "Gibbet Hill" on the right when heading to Launceston.
This was the last case of gibbeting in a British colony.
Demographics edit
The population of Perth was 2,965 in the 2016 Census.[11] It had grown to 3,233 people in the 2021 Census.[2]
References edit
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Perth (urban centre and locality)". Australian Census 2021.
- ^ a b "2021 Perth (Tas.), Census All persons QuickStats". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Perth". Northern Midlands Council. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
- ^ Gibson, M. (1966). "Gibson, David (1778–1858)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 1, MUP. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
- ^ Prout, John Skinner (1845), Perth, Tasmania, retrieved 7 September 2020
- ^ Brandard, Edward Paxman; Prout, John Skinner, 1805-1876, (artist.) (1874), Perth, Tasmania, Virtue & Co, retrieved 7 September 2020
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Rowston, Laurie; Baptist Union of Tasmania (2009), Church news Perth 1862-2006, retrieved 2 April 2017
- ^ Jones, S. J, (photographer.) (1900), Perth Baptist Church, Tasmania, retrieved 2 April 2017
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Baptist Church. Perth NG2762 [Records], LINC Tasmania, 1865, retrieved 21 August 2019
- ^ Pedder C.J., Rex v. McKay and Lamb (Supreme Court of Van Diemen's Land), originally published Hobart Town Courier, 5 May 1837, republished by the Division of Law, Macquarie University and the School of History and Classics, University of Tasmania in Decisions of the Nineteenth Century Tasmanian Superior Courts. Accessed 19 December 2007.
- ^ "2016 Perth (Tas.), Census All persons QuickStats". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
External links edit
Perth (Tasmania) travel guide from Wikivoyage- Map showing Perth's location and that of Gibbet Hill (maps.google.com.au)
