Bagdad is a small town north of

Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...

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. It is in the

Southern Midlands Council Southern Midlands is a local government body in Tasmania, covering the southern region of the Tasmanian central midlands. Southern Midlands is classified as a rural local government area and has a population of 6,118, the major localities of ...

. 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.

History

The town was named by the explorer Hugh Germain, a

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in the

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

. He was said by James Backhouse in his book "A Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies", published in 1901, to carry two books in his saddlebags while traveling: the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

and the ''Arabian Nights'', which he used as inspiration when he named places. Bagdad Post Office opened on 1 December 1878. A railway line connected the town with Hobart from 1891 until 1947. In April 2003, during the early part of the

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, the town's website was bombarded by confused internet users from around the world trying to contact

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is.

Demographics

The 2006 Census by the

Australian Bureau of Statistics The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is the independent statutory agency of the Australian Government responsible for statistical collection and analysis and for giving evidence-based advice to federal, state and territory governments ...

counted 996 persons in Bagdad on census night. Of these, 51.7% were male and 48.3% were female. The majority of residents (86.9%) are of Australian birth, with another 2.6% from

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. 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%.

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

and Launceston.

References

External links

Southern Midlands Council2006 ABS Census Data by Location
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bagdad Towns in Tasmania Midlands (Tasmania) Localities of Southern Midlands Council