Cressy is a small town south-west of
Launceston, Tasmania. It came into existence in the 1850s to service the surrounding
wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
farms. At the
2006 census, Cressy had a population of 670.
It is known as Tasmania's "
Trout
Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', '' Salmo'' and '' Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salm ...
capital" for the good fishing in the area.
It is also home to an extensive agriculture research facility for the
Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research
The Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) is a research institute in Tasmania dedicated to research and development of sustainable agricultural industries. Founded in 1996, it is a collaborative effort of the University of Tasmania (UTAS) and ...
.
Cressy Post Office opened on 17 September 1856.
Nearby towns include:
Bishopsbourne,
Bracknell,
Liffey,
Blackwood Creek,
Poatina and
Longford.
History
Cressy was established as the main centre for the Cressy Company. The Cressy Company's first director Captain Bartholemew Boyle Thomas chose to name company after the
Battle of Crecy
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
in the 14th Century, at which one of his ancestors fought. The Cressy Company also known as the "Cressy Establishment", was a large agricultural company which owned a significant portion of the Norfolk Plains. The first building in Cressy was The Cressy Hotel built in 1845 by William Brumby. Cressy became an official township in 1848. Much of the land in the area was owned by the O'Connor family, founded by Irish migrant
Roderic O'Connor.
An Anglican theological college,
St Wilfrid's, was located in Cressy from 1904 to 1929.
Brumby's Creek, the Weirs, the Macquarie Lake and the Liffey rivers serve as a popular trout fishing spot. The annual Tasmanian Trout Expo is hosted in Cressy.
References
Towns in Tasmania
Localities of Northern Midlands Council
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