Bicheno is a locality and town on the east coast of
Tasmania
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, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, 185 km north-east 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 ...
on the
Tasman Highway
The Tasman Highway (or A3) is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. Like the Midland Highway, it connects the major cities of Hobart and Launceston – however it takes a different route, via the north-eastern and eastern coasts of the state. The ...
, with a population of around 950. It is part of the municipality of Glamorgan-Spring Bay. The town is primarily a
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
port and a beach
resort
A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort ...
.
History
The town was named in honour of
James Ebenezer Bicheno
James Ebenezer Bicheno (25 January 1785 – 25 February 1851) was a British author and colonial official.
Bicheno was born in Newbury, Berkshire, the son of the Rev. James Bicheno, who was minister of the Baptist Church there. He was call ...
, the British Colonial Secretary for
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sepa ...
from 1843 to 1851, with the name in use in 1851.
The first historical reference to the place that was to become Bicheno was made by James Kelly during his circumnavigation of Van Diemen's Land. He landed here (when it was known as Waubs Harbour) to dry his provisions.
Waub's Harbour was the location for a number of shore-based bay whaling stations in the late 1830s and early 1840s.
Bicheno was proclaimed a township in 1866. Bicheno Post Office opened as a receiving house on 1 January 1855.
Features
In Lions Park near the tennis courts is the grave of
Wauba Debar
Wauba Debar (1792–1832) was a female Aboriginal Tasmanian. Her grave is a historic site located in the east coast Tasmanian town of Bicheno, which memorialises her rescue of two sealers, one of them her husband, when their ship was wrecked abou ...
(after whom Waub's Harbour was named), an
Aboriginal
Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to:
*Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology
* Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area
*One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...
woman who was stolen from her tribe as a teenager to become a "sealer's woman". Her bravery in rescuing two sealers in a storm is commemorated by a headstone.
The hinterland was established for farming in the mid-1840s, which continues today. Coal was discovered in 1848. In 1854, the harbour was expanded to provide port facilities for the coal mines at Denison River. The coal was transported to the port via a 5‑km horse-drawn tramway. Coal can still be seen in this area today.
The use of Bicheno as a coal port was short-lived. The discovery of gold in Victoria saw most of the residents depart in 1855 and for nearly a century, Bicheno became a sleepy little fishing village. Fishing has continued to be the lifeblood of the town with substantial quantities of
crayfish
Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the clade Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. In some locations, they are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, rock lobsters, mu ...
,
abalone
Abalone ( or ; via Spanish , from Rumsen ''aulón'') is a common name for any of a group of small to very large marine gastropod molluscs in the family (biology), family Haliotidae. Other common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon o ...
,
scallop
Scallop () is a common name that encompasses various species of marine bivalve mollusks in the taxonomic family Pectinidae, the scallops. However, the common name "scallop" is also sometimes applied to species in other closely related families ...
s and
trevally
The Carangidae are a family of ray-finned fish which includes the jacks, pompanos, jack mackerels, runners, and scads. It is the largest of the six families included within the order Carangiformes. Some authorities classify it as the only famil ...
. Many tourists enjoy fish and chips at the waterfront near the boat ramp. In recent times it has become a popular tourist destination, with a range of accommodation, a few craft shops, and cafes. Visitors are also attracted to the
little penguin
The little penguin (''Eudyptula minor'') is a species of penguin from New Zealand. They are commonly known as little blue penguins or blue penguins owing to their slate-blue plumage and are also known by their Māori name .
The Australian lit ...
colony on adjacent Diamond Island. Visitors to the penguins are reminded to respect these wild animals. There is the option to do a guided penguin tour to a protected rookery. The area is a popular picnic spot and the home of Pop Up Picnic Bicheno. There are many vineyards surrounding Bicheno. Wines from all local vineyards can be tasted at The Farm Shed, a new staple in the town. A nearby point of interest is the
Bicheno Blowhole
Bicheno is a locality and town on the east coast of Tasmania, Australia, 185 km north-east of Hobart on the Tasman Highway, with a population of around 950. It is part of the municipality of Glamorgan-Spring Bay. The town is primarily a f ...
. A famous resident is the world champion swimmer
Shane Gould
Shane Elizabeth Gould (born 23 November 1956) is an Australian former competition swimmer. She won three gold medals, a silver medal and a bronze, at the 1972 Summer Olympics. In 2018, she won the fifth season of ''Australian Survivor,'' becom ...
. Famous artists include painter Vanessa Richardson, surf photographer Mathew Tildesley and contemporary jeweller Carl Noonan. A cold water swim group meet each morning at Waubs Bay, regardless of weather or season.
In September 2003, a memorial to the merchant navy was unveiled in Bicheno. Five months later, in February 2004, the town presented a freedom of entry charter to the Australian Merchant Navy, the first time any locality in the world has granted "freedom of the city" to the merchant navy.Australian Maritime College, Media Release '', April 2004, Accessed 18 October 2008 Local primary school children have been appointed custodians of the memorial, built near Wauba Debar's grave.
At the
2019 Australian federal election
The 2019 Australian federal election was held on Saturday 18 May 2019 to elect members of the 46th Parliament of Australia. The election had been called following the dissolution of the 45th Parliament as elected at the 2016 double dissolut ...
the Bicheno booth recorded the following number of votes for each party:
Labor 194 (33.98%), Nationals 118 (20.67%), Greens 108 (18.91%), Liberal 96 (16.81%), United Australia Party 30 (5.25%) and Pauline Hanson's One Nation 25 (4.38%). After the distribution of preferences the two-party preferred vote was Labor 333 (58.32%) to Liberal 238 (41.68%).
Bicheno is part of the Glamorgan Spring Bay council municipality.
Population
In the 2016 Census, there were 943 people in Bicheno. 76.6% of people were born in Australia and 86.0% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 37.7% and Anglican 23.7%.
Climate
Bicheno has a temperate
oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
: Cfb) with mild summers and winters.
The record high of 38.9 °C (102.0 °F) was recorded on the 31st of January, 1968, and the record low of −0.6 °C (30.9 °F) was recorded on 15th of July, 1966.
