Westerway is a rural locality in the local government areas (LGA) of Central Highlands and Derwent Valley in the

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and South-east LGA regions of Tasmania. The locality is about north-west of the town of New Norfolk. The

2016 census Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number), the natural number following 15 and preceding 17 *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * ''Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film dir ...

has a population of 225 for the state suburb of Westerway.

History

Westerway was originally known as Russell or Russelldale and was named after surgeon J J Russell, one of the party who discovered a set of waterfalls 3 km from Fenton Forest. (These are not the present day Russell Falls.) The Derwent Valley Railway line reached the town in 1909. Russell Post Office opened on 1 October 1910 and was renamed ''Westerway'' in 1919. Due to confusion between the town of Russell and Russell Falls further up the road, the town's name was changed in 1919 to Westerway. It was named by, and after, W H Westerway (1851–1930), the main resident of the town who was responsible for many developments in the area. He built an accommodation house and store where Coniston siding is now, owned the Coffee Palace at Glenora and started a livery business driving tourists to Russell Falls. Westerway School opened in 1920 with thirty-six students. From 1920 to 1960 there was a bakery and, from 1947 to 1970, a police station. At the time of the 1934 bushfires, the original Westerway Hall became a temporary hospital and in 1939 a recruitment office for enlistees. That hall was pulled down and rebuilt in 1940. The present hall replaced the 1940 hall after it burnt down.

Westerway railway station Westerway Railway Station is a railway station in the settlement of Westerway on the Darwent Valley Railway in Tasmania, Australia. The station was built in 1909 after the track was extended from Glenore. The station was the starting point for ...

was important as it was the starting point for the

pack horse Pack or packs may refer to: Places * Pack, Austria, a municipality in Styria, Austria * Pack, Missouri * Chefornak Airport, Alaska, by ICAO airport code Groups of animals or people * Pack (canine), family structure of wild animals of the b ...

journey to the long abandoned Adamsfield

osmiridium Osmiridium and iridosmine are natural alloys of the elements osmium and iridium, with traces of other platinum-group metals. Osmiridium has been defined as containing a higher proportion of iridium, with iridosmine containing more osmium. However ...

mine. As the timber industry became more important to the area, a sawmill was built and the number of timber mills in the area increased and the train line was used to transport logs to Boyer and Hobart. The Derwent Valley Railway was, until recently, used by tourists to visit the area. Westerway was gazetted as a locality in 1959.

Geography

The Tyenna River flows through from west to east.

Road infrastructure

Route B91 (

Gordon River Road The Gordon River Road, sometimes called the Strathgordon Road, (B61), is a road in the south western region of Tasmania, Australia. The road was built by the Hydro-Electric Commission of Tasmania with funding from the Australian Government ...

) passes through from east to west. Route C608 (Ellendale Road) starts at an intersection with B91 and runs north-west until it exits.

References

External links

Westerway Primary School

Map

Central portal

Derwent Valley Railway Inc
{{authority control Towns in Tasmania Southern Tasmania Localities of Central Highlands Council Localities of Derwent Valley Council