Port Sorell is a town on the north-west coast of
Tasmania
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, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
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, subdi ...
,
Australia. It is on the waterway of the same name, just off
Bass Strait, 20 km east of
Devonport and close to
Shearwater
Shearwaters are medium-sized long-winged seabirds in the petrel family Procellariidae. They have a global marine distribution, but are most common in temperate and cold waters, and are pelagic outside the breeding season.
Description
These tub ...
and
Hawley Beach. It borders the
Rubicon Estuary, which has been identified by
BirdLife International as an
Important Bird Area because of its importance for
wader
245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots
Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflat ...
s, especially
pied oystercatcher
The pied oystercatcher (''Haematopus longirostris'') is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird native to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. The similar South Island pied oystercatcher (''H. finschi'') occurs in New Zealand. ...
s.
History
The area was named Panatana by local Aborigines. The town was originally 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 ...
and
sealing port named ''Burgess'', however the name was officially changed to Port Sorell (after
Governor Sorell) in 1822. The town could have been a lot larger than it is now, had it not been for
bushfires
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identif ...
, after which nearby Devonport grew to become a major port. At the , Port Sorell had a population of 2,221.
Today Port Sorell is one of many popular holiday spots along the north coast of Tasmania.
The first Port Sorell Post Office opened on 1 February 1845 and closed in 1863. The current office opened on 3 July 1944.
References
Further reading
*Gardam, Faye. ''A History of Port Sorell 1844 - 1994''. Port Sorell Sesquicentenary Committee:
Latrobe, Tasmania
Latrobe is a town in northern Tasmania, Australia on the Mersey River. It is 8 km south-east of Devonport on the Bass Highway. It is the main centre of the Latrobe Council. At the 2006 census, Latrobe had a population of 2,843. By t ...
. 1994.
External links
{{authority control
Localities of Latrobe Council
Towns in Tasmania