The history of Tasmania begins at the end of the most recent

ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...

(approximately 10,000 years ago) when it is believed that the island was joined to the Australian mainland. Little is known of the human history of the island until the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

colonisation Colonization, or colonisation, constitutes large-scale population movements wherein migrants maintain strong links with their, or their ancestors', former country – by such links, gain advantage over other inhabitants of the territory. When ...

in the 19th century.

Indigenous people

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

was inhabited by an

Indigenous population Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

, the

Aboriginal Tasmanians The Aboriginal Tasmanians ( Palawa kani: ''Palawa'' or ''Pakana'') are the Aboriginal people of the Australian island of Tasmania, located south of the mainland. For much of the 20th century, the Tasmanian Aboriginal people were widely, an ...

, and evidence indicates their presence in the territory, later to become an island, at least 35,000 years ago. At the time of the British occupation and colonisation in 1803 the Indigenous population was estimated at between 3000 and 10,000. Historian

Lyndall Ryan Lyndall Ryan, (born 1943) is an Australian academic and historian. She has held positions in Australian Studies and Women's Studies at Griffith University and Flinders University and was Foundation Professor of Australian Studies and Head of Sc ...

's analysis of population studies led her to conclude that there were about 7000 spread throughout the island's nine nations; Nicholas Clements, citing research by N.J.B. Plomley and Rhys Jones, settled on a figure of 3000 to 4000. The combination of the so-called

Black War } The Black War was a period of violent conflict between British colonists and Aboriginal Tasmanians in Tasmania from the mid-1820s to 1832. The conflict, fought largely as a guerrilla war by both sides, claimed the lives of 600 to 900 Aborig ...

, internecine conflict and, from the late 1820s, the spread of

infectious disease An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable di ...

s to which they had no immunity, reduced the population to about 300 by 1833. Almost all of the Indigenous population was relocated to

Flinders Island Flinders Island, the largest island in the Furneaux Group, is a island in the Bass Strait, northeast of the island of Tasmania. Flinders Island was the place where the last remnants of aboriginal Tasmanian population were exiled by the colo ...

George Augustus Robinson George Augustus Robinson (22 March 1791 – 18 October 1866) was a British-born colonial official and self-trained preacher in colonial Australia. In 1824, Robinson travelled to Hobart, Van Diemen’s Land, where he attempted to negotiate ...

. Until the 1970s, most people thought that the last surviving Tasmanian Aboriginal person was

Truganini Truganini (also known as Lallah Rookh; c. 1812 – 8 May 1876) was an Aboriginal Tasmanian woman. She was one of the last native speakers of the Tasmanian languages and one of the last individuals solely of Aboriginal Tasmanian descent. Trug ...

, who died in 1876. However, this "extinction" was a myth, as documented by Lyndall Ryan in 1991.

European arrival

The first reported sighting of Tasmania by a European was on 24 November 1642 by the Dutch explorer

Abel Tasman Abel Janszoon Tasman (; 160310 October 1659) was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He was the first known European explorer to reach New ...

, who named the island Anthoonij van Diemenslandt, after his sponsor, the Governor of the Dutch East Indies. The name was later shortened to

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 sep ...

by the British. In 1772, a French expedition led by

Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne (22 May 1724 – 12 June 1772) was a French privateer, East India captain and explorer. The expedition he led to find the hypothetical ''Terra Australis'' in 1771 made important geographic discoveries in the south ...

landed on the island. Captain James Cook also sighted the island in 1777, and numerous other European seafarers made landfalls, adding a colourful array to the names of topographical features. The first settlement was by the

Risdon Cove Risdon Cove is a cove located on the east bank of the Derwent River, approximately north of Hobart, Tasmania. It was the site of the first British settlement in Van Diemen's Land, now Tasmania, the island state of Australia. The cove was name ...

on the eastern bank of the Derwent estuary in 1803, by a small party sent from Sydney, under Lt. John Bowen. An alternative settlement was established by Capt. David Collins 5 km to the south in 1804 in Sullivans Cove on the western side of the Derwent, where fresh water was more plentiful. The latter settlement became known as Hobart Town, later shortened to Hobart, after the British Colonial Secretary of the time,

Lord Hobart Robert Hobart, 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire, (6 May 17604 February 1816), styled Lord Hobart from 1793 to 1804, was a British Tory politician. Life Buckinghamshire was born at Hampden House, the son of George Hobart, 3rd Earl of Buckinghamshire ...

. The settlement at Risdon was later abandoned. The early settlers were mostly convicts and their military guards, with the task of developing agriculture and other industries. Numerous other

convict settlement A penal colony or exile colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general population by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory. Although the term can be used to refer t ...

s were made in Van Diemens Land, including secondary prisons, such as the particularly harsh penal colonies at Port Arthur in the south-east and

Macquarie Harbour Macquarie Harbour is a shallow fjord in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia. It is approximately , and has an average depth of , with deeper places up to . It is navigable by shallow-draft vessels. The main channel is kept clear by th ...

on the West Coast. The Aboriginal resistance to this invasion was so strong, that troops were deployed across much of Tasmania to drive the Aboriginal people into captivity on nearby islands.

Timeline

Pre-1800

* Date unknown (BC):

Mouheneener The Aboriginal Tasmanians (Palawa kani: ''Palawa'' or ''Pakana'') are the Aboriginal people of the Australian island of Tasmania, located south of the mainland. For much of the 20th century, the Tasmanian Aboriginal people were widely, and ...

band of South-East Tasmanian Aboriginal peoples settle in what is now the Hobart area * 1642:

, of the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...

, becomes first European to sight Tasmanian

mainland Mainland is defined as "relating to or forming the main part of a country or continent, not including the islands around it egardless of status under territorial jurisdiction by an entity" The term is often politically, economically and/or dem ...

; he names it Van Diemen's Land after fellow Dutch East Indies (now

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

) Governor-General

Anthony van Diemen Anthony van Diemen (also ''Antonie'', ''Antonio'', ''Anton'', ''Antonius'') (1593 – 19 April 1645) was a Dutch colonial governor. Early life He was born in Culemborg in the Netherlands, the son of Meeus Anthonisz van Diemen and Christina Hoe ...

* 1792: Captain

William Bligh Vice-Admiral William Bligh (9 September 1754 – 7 December 1817) was an officer of the Royal Navy and a colonial administrator. The mutiny on the HMS ''Bounty'' occurred in 1789 when the ship was under his command; after being set adrift i ...

anchors in Adventure Bay for a second time and names Table Mountain (now Mount Wellington) * 1793: French explorer

Bruni d'Entrecasteaux Antoine Raymond Joseph de Bruni, chevalier d'Entrecasteaux () (8 November 1737 – 21 July 1793) was a French naval officer, explorer and colonial governor. He is perhaps best known for his exploration of the Australian coast in 1792, while ...

surveys Derwent, naming it Riviere du Nord * 1793: John Hayes, of

British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...

, unaware of the French visit, sails up the river, which he names Derwent * 1798: Explorers

George Bass George Bass (; 30 January 1771 – after 5 February 1803) was a British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia. Early years Bass was born on 30 January 1771 at Aswarby, a hamlet near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of a tenant farmer, George ...

and Matthew Flinders visit Derwent as part of circumnavigation of Van Diemen's Land; Bass climbs at least part of Mount Wellington (then known as Table Mountain) on Christmas Day * 1798: Adventure Bay became the site of a whaling station, then later on a Timber station.

1800–1809

Robert Dowling - Group of natives of Tasmania - Google Art Project

* 1802: French explorer

Nicolas Baudin Nicolas Thomas Baudin (; 17 February 1754 – 16 September 1803) was a French explorer, cartographer, naturalist and hydrographer, most notable for his explorations in Australia and the southern Pacific. Biography Early career Born a comm ...

surveys Derwent during month-long visit to South-East Tasmania, on which his party makes extensive notes on Aboriginal people, plants and animals. * 1803: Lieutenant John Bowen's 49-member party, with the ships and '' Albion'', starts first British settlement of Tasmania at

, naming it Hobart. * 1804: Lieutenant-Colonel David Collins' 262-member party lands at Sullivans Cove in February; the settlement, which becomes known as Hobart Town, grows to 433 with arrival in June of rest of his

Port Phillip Port Phillip ( Kulin: ''Narm-Narm'') or Port Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shaped enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria, Australia. The bay opens into the Bass Strait via a short, narrow channel known as The Rip, and is com ...

party. * 1804: Soldiers temporarily refuse guard duties at Risdon amid fears of

convict A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as " prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a common label for former conv ...

rebellion. * 1804: Aboriginal people killed in Risdon affray and settlement there abandoned. * 1804:

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

clergyman

Robert Knopwood Robert Knopwood (2 June 1763 – 18 September 1838) was an early clergyman and diarist in Australia. Knopwood was the third child and only surviving son of Robert Knopwood (from a wealthy Norfolk family) and his wife Elizabeth, ''née'' Bart ...

conducts first divine service at Sullivans Cove. * 1804: Hobart's first cemetery opens, later St David's Park. * 1804: Colonel William Paterson establishes

Port Dalrymple George Town (Palawa_kani: ''kinimathatakinta'') is a large town in north-east Tasmania, on the eastern bank of the mouth of the Tamar River. The Australian Bureau of Statistics records the George Town Municipal Area had a population of 6,764 as ...

(

Tamar River The Tamar River, officially kanamaluka / River Tamar, is a estuary located in northern Tasmania, Australia. Despite being called a river, the waterway is a brackish and tidal estuary over its entire length. Location and features Formed by the ...

) settlement, first at George Town, then at York Town on river's western side. * 1805: After supply ships fail to arrive on time, famine forces David Collins to cut rations by one-third * 1805: Collins leaves tent home to take up residence in first

Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and the remaining colonies of the British Empire. The name is also used in some other countries. Gover ...

, a wooden cottage. * 1805: Harbourmaster William Collins establishes Australia's first

whaling Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industr ...

station at Ralphs Bay. * 1805: First land grants include 10 acres (40,000 m²) to

* 1806: Colonel William Paterson begins transfer of York Town settlement to site of modern Launceston * 1807: First Norfolk Island settlers arrive in Hobart in the and settle at

New Norfolk New Norfolk is a town on the River Derwent, in the south-east of Tasmania, Australia. At the 2011 census, New Norfolk had a population of 5,543. Situated north-west of Hobart on the Lyell Highway, New Norfolk is a modern Australian region ...

* 1807: Lieutenant

Thomas Laycock Thomas Laycock (1786 – 7 November 1823) was an English soldier, explorer, and later businessman, who served in North America during the War of 1812, but is most famous for being the first European to travel overland through the interior of Ta ...

leads five-man party on first overland journey from Launceston to Hobart, taking nine days, mainly to seek supplies for the northern settlement. * 1809: Deposed

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Governor

arrives in Hobart and temporarily disrupts David Collins' authority as lieutenant-governor. * 1809: Floods in Derwent

1810–1819

* 1810: David Collins dies suddenly, Lieutenant Edward Lord takes over and first of three administrators pending appointment of second lieutenant-governor. * 1810: First church, St David's, built * 1810: Colony's first

flour mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separated ...

built beside

Rivulet A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams ar ...

between Murray St and Elizabeth St, operated by Edward Lord and William Collins * 1810: Administration launches colony's first newspaper, the Derwent Star and Van Diemen's Land Intelligencer * 1810: Sealing expedition discovers

Macquarie Island Macquarie Island is an island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. Regionally part of Oceania and politically a part of Tasmania, Australia, since 1900, it became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 197 ...

* 1811: After arriving from Sydney, Governor Lachlan Macquarie draws up plan for Hobart streets and orders construction of public buildings and Mount Nelson

signal station A signal station is a form of Aids to Navigation that is defined by the IHO simply as "A signal station is a place on shore from which signals are made to ships at sea". While this broad definition would include coastal radio stations and fog sig ...

. * 1812: Michael Howe (later

bushranging Bushrangers were originally escaped convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who used the bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities. By the 1820s, the term had evolved to refer to those who took up "robbery under ...

gang leader) among first convicts to arrive directly from England in HMS ''Indefatigable'' * 1812: Northern Tasmania's lieutenant-governorship ceases, Government House in Hobart takes control of whole island * 1813: '' Schooner Unity'' not heard of again after convicts seize it in Derwent * 1813: First Post Office opens in postmaster's house on corner of Argyle St and Macquarie St * 1814: Work starts on

Anglesea Barracks Anglesea Barracks is an Australian Defence Force barracks in central Hobart, Tasmania. The site was chosen in December 1811 by Lachlan Macquarie and construction began on the first buildings to occupy the site in 1814. It is the oldest Austral ...

, Australia's longest continuously occupied military building * 1814: Colony's first horse races believed to have taken place at New Town * 1814: Lieutenant-governor's

court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in acco ...

created to deal with small personal financial disputes. * 1814: Governor Lachlan Macquarie offers amnesty to bushrangers * 1814: Ship '' Argo'' disappears after seizure by convicts in Derwent * 1815: Michael Howe's bushranging gang kills two settlers in New Norfolk raid * 1815: Lieutenant-Governor Thomas Davey declares martial law against all bushrangers, mainly escaped convicts, with some military deserters; Governor Lachlan Macquarie later revokes order. * 1815: Captain James Kelly circumnavigates island in whaleboat * 1815: First Van Diemen's Land wheat shipment to Sydney. * 1816: First

emigrant Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...

ship arrives with free settlers from England * 1817: Weekly mail service begins between Hobart and Launceston * 1817: Work starts on new St David's Church, replacing earlier structure blown down in storm * 1817: First

convict ship A convict ship was any ship engaged on a voyage to carry convicted felons under sentence of penal transportation from their place of conviction to their place of exile. Description A convict ship, as used to convey convicts to the British coloni ...

s arrive directly from England * 1817: New Government House occupied in Macquarie St, on site of present Town Hall, lower Elizabeth St and Franklin Square. * 1818: Government opens flour mill in Hobart * 1818: Soldiers and convict kill bushranger Michael Howe on banks of Shannon River * 1818: Government establishes nucleus of Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens * 1819: First proper hospital opens * 1819: Hobart-New Norfolk road built * 1819: St David's Church opens

1820–1829

In 1820, Tasmanian roads were first macadamised and

carthorse A draft horse (US), draught horse (UK) or dray horse (from the Old English ''dragan'' meaning "to draw or haul"; compare Dutch ''dragen'' and German ''tragen'' meaning "to carry" and Danish ''drage'' meaning "to draw" or "to fare"), less ofte ...

s began to replace bullocks. In the same year, the first substantial jail was completed on the corner of Macquarie Street and Murray Street and

merino The Merino is a breed or group of breeds of domestic sheep, characterised by very fine soft wool. It was established in Spain near the end of the Middle Ages, and was for several centuries kept as a strict Spanish monopoly; exports of the bree ...

sheep arrived from John Macarthur's stud in New South Wales. 1820 also saw the first Wesleyan (

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

) meeting in the colony. The following year marked the arrival of first Catholic clergyman, Father Phillip Conolly and on his second visit, Governor Lachlan Macquarie chooses sites for

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...

Campbell Town Campbell Town is a town in Tasmania, Australia, on the Midland Highway. At the 2021 census, the town had a population of 823. History Traditional owners of the Campbell Town area The traditional custodians of the Campbell Town area were t ...

, Ross, Oatlands, Sorell and Brighton. In 1821, officials and convicts left Port Dalrymple to establish

Macquarie Harbour penal settlement The Macquarie Harbour Penal Station, a former British colonial penal settlement, established on Sarah Island, Macquarie Harbour, in the former colony of Van Diemen's Land, now Tasmania, operated between 1822 and 1833. The settlement housed ma ...

at Sarah Island. 1822 was the first year Van Diemen's Land Agricultural Society held a meeting in Hobart. In 1823 the

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

Church's first official ministry in Australia occurred in Hobart and the first Tasmanian bank, Bank of Van Diemen's Land, was established. The inauguration of the Supreme Court occurred in 1824, as did the opening of

Cascade Brewery Cascade Brewery is a brewery established in 1824 in South Hobart, Tasmania and is the oldest continually operating brewery in Australia. As well as beer, the site also produces a range of non-alcoholic products. It is home to a function cen ...

, Australia's longest continuously operating Brewery. Cannibal convict Alexander Pearce was hanged after escaping twice from Macquarie Harbour who survived by eating his companions and convict

Matthew Brady Matthew Brady (1799 – 4 May 1826) was an English-born convict who became a bushranger in Van Diemen's Land (modern-day Tasmania). He was sometimes known as "Gentleman Brady" due to his good treatment and fine manners when robbing his victims ...

begins his bushranging career after escaping from

. On 3 December 1825, Van Diemen's Land became an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

colony from New South Wales with an appointed Executive Council, its own judicial establishment, and Legislative Council. Also in that year, the Richmond Bridge, Australia's oldest existing bridge, was opened and a party of soldiers and convicts establishes

Maria Island Maria Island or 'wukaluwikiwayna' in alawa kani) is a mountainous island located in the Tasman Sea">island.html" ;"title="alawa kani) is a mountainous island">alawa kani) is a mountainous island located in the Tasman Sea, off the east coast of ...

penal settlement In 1826, Van Diemen's Land Company launches North-West pastoral and agricultural development at

Circular Head Circular Head Council is a Local government in Australia, local government body in Tasmania covering the far north-west mainland. It is classified as a rural local government area with a population of 8,066, and its major towns and localities ...

and the Tasmanian Turf Club was established. Settler John Batman, later one of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

's founders, helped capture bushranger

near Launceston. Hobart experienced a disease epidemic which was blamed on rivulet pollution. A courthouse was built on the corner of Macquarie Street and Murray Street and

street lighting A street light, light pole, lamp pole, lamppost, street lamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or path. Similar lights may be found on a railway platform. When urban electric power distribution ...

with oil lamps was introduced. 1826 was also the year that the Legislative Council met formally for the first time. 1827 saw the first regatta-style events on Derwent River and Van Diemen's Land Company began settlement at Emu Bay (now

Burnie Burnie is a port city on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. When founded in 1827, it was named Emu Bay, being renamed after William Burnie, a director of the Van Diemen's Land Company, in the early 1840s. , Burnie had an urban popu ...

). A proclamation made in 1828 by Lieutenant-Governor

George Arthur Sir George Arthur, 1st Baronet (21 June 1784 – 19 September 1854) was Lieutenant Governor of British Honduras from 1814 to 1822 and of Van Diemen's Land (present-day Tasmania) from 1823 to 1836. The campaign against Aboriginal Tasmani ...

excluded Aboriginal people from settled areas and was the year of the Cape Grim massacre. In 1828, martial law was also declared against Aboriginal people in settled areas after Van Diemen's Land Company shepherds killed 30 Aboriginal people at

Cape Grim Cape Grim, officially Kennaook / Cape Grim, is the northwestern point of Tasmania, Australia. The Peerapper name for the cape is recorded as ''Kennaook''. It is the location of the Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station and of the Cape Gri ...

and regular mail services with Sydney began. That year also saw widespread floods. The following year a jail for women convicts ("female factory") opened at Cascades, "Protector" George Augustus Robinson starts an Aboriginal mission at

Bruny Island Bruny Island ( Nuenonne: Lunawanna-alonnah) is a island located off the south-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia. The island is separated from the Tasmanian mainland by the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, and its east coast lies within the Tasman ...

, convicts seized the brig ''Cyprus'' at Recherche Bay and sail to China, Van Diemen's Land Scientific Society formed under patronage of Lieutenant-Governor George Arthur and a Hobart-New Norfolk coach service began.

1830–1839

* 1830: George Augustus Robinson starts

reconciliation Reconciliation or reconcile may refer to: Accounting * Reconciliation (accounting) Arts, entertainment, and media Sculpture * ''Reconciliation'' (Josefina de Vasconcellos sculpture), a sculpture by Josefina de Vasconcellos in Coventry Cathedra ...

efforts with Aboriginal people by visiting west coast * 1830: Samuel Anderson, Pioneer Settler, arrives in Hobart aboard the Lang, employed as book keeper with Van Diemens Land Co. Will go on to establish the third permanent settlement in Victoria at Westernport. * 1830: Administration launches "Black Line" military campaign across most of colony to round up Aboriginal people; in seven weeks two are shot and two are captured * 1830: Port Arthur penal settlement established * 1830: Convict chain gang starts work on causeway across Derwent at Bridgewater * John Glover English landscape painter, arrives in Van Diemen's Land on his 64th birthday * 1831: Australia's first novel, ''

Quintus Servinton Henry Savery (4 August 1791 – 6 February 1842) was a convict transported to Port Arthur, Tasmania, and Australia's first novelist. It is generally agreed that his writing is more important for its historical value than its literary merit.''Qu ...

'', by

Henry Savery Henry Savery (4 August 1791 – 6 February 1842) was a convict transported to Port Arthur, Tasmania, and Australia's first novelist. It is generally agreed that his writing is more important for its historical value than its literary merit.''Qui ...

, published in Hobart * 1831: New land regulations discontinue free

land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

s, replacing them with sales * 1832:

arrives in Hobart with Aboriginal people from Oyster Bay and Big River tribes, the last Aboriginal people removed from European-settled areas; Wybalenna,

, chosen for Aboriginal resettlement site. * 1832: Ends of martial law against Aboriginal people * 1832: Work starts on

* 1832: Regular Hobart-Launceston coach service begins * 1832: Maria Island penal settlement closes * 1832: Derwent Light ("Iron Pot") lit for first time * 1833: Robert Massie arrives in Tasmania takes up position as Engineer with Van Diemens Land Co. * 1833: First professional

theatrical Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

performance in Hobart * 1833:

penal settlement closes, convicts transferred to Port Arthur * 1834: Convicts evacuating Macquarie Harbour capture brig ''Frederick'' and sail to

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

* 1834: Stagecoaches begin daily Hobart-New Norfolk, weekly Hobart-Launceston services * 1834: Daily Hobart-New Norfolk steamship trips begin * 1834: Launceston "female factory" completed * 1834: Point Puer boys' convict establishment opens at Port Arthur * 1834: First coal shipment leaves convict mines on Tasman Peninsula * 1834: Jury trial system for all civil cases begins * 1834: Horse-drawn coaches begin taxi-style service * 1834: Henty brothers leave Launceston for Portland Bay to make first European settlement in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

* 1835: Nearly all remaining Tasmanian Aboriginal people surrender to George Augustus Robinson and are moved to Flinders Island * 1835: Transport ''George III'' sinks in

D'Entrecasteaux Channel The D'Entrecasteaux Channel is a body of water located between Bruny Island and the south-east of the mainland of Tasmania, Australia. The channel is the mouth for the estuaries of the Derwent and the Huon Rivers and empties into the Tasman S ...

with loss of 139 male convicts of 220 aboard * 1835: In separate expeditions, John Batman and

John Pascoe Fawkner John Pascoe Fawkner (20 October 1792 – 4 September 1869) was an early Australian pioneer, businessman and politician of Melbourne, Australia. In 1835 he financed a party of free settlers from Van Diemen's Land (now called Tasmania), to sail ...

leave Launceston to launch first European settlements at

, which developed into

. * 1835: Samuel Anderson leaves Launceston to establish third permanent Victorian settlement at Bass in Western Port. * 1835: Colonial artist John Glover sends 35 paintings of Van Diemen's Land to London exhibition. * 1835: First meeting to establish Launceston Bank for Savings. * 1836: First Catholic Church was built—St John the Evangelist's Church in Richmond. It is the oldest running Catholic Church in Australia. * 1836:

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...

visits Hobart during round-the-world voyage in * 1836: Hobart Post office moves to premises on corner of Elizabeth Street and Collins Street * 1836: Eleven counties, and some parishes therein, proclaimed; establishing the cadastral divisions of the colony * 1837: Theatre Royal opens * 1837: Lieutenant Governor Sir John Franklin founds Tasmanian Society for the Study of Natural Science * 1837: Police office built on corner of Macquarie Street and Murray Street * 1838: The first secular register of births, deaths and marriages in the British colonies established * 1838: First annual Hobart Regatta on Derwent * 1838: Work begins on old Customs House, which becomes Parliament House at start of responsible self-government in 1856 * 1838: Sir John Franklin establishes board of education to introduce non-denominational schools * 1838:

lighthouse completed

1840–1849

* 1840: Economic depression starts, continues until 1845 * 1840: Captain James Ross arrives with Antarctic expedition in ''HMS Erebus'' and ''HMS Terror'' * 1840: Sir John Franklin establishes Ross Bank meteorological observatory site, named after explorer, near present Government House site * 1840: Dr William Bedford founds first Hobart private hospital (in house near Theatre Royal) after dispute at government hospital * 1840: Transportation from Britain to NSW ends, causing heavier influx of convicts to Tasmania * 1842: Colony's first official census, population 57,471 * 1842: The Weekly Examiner begins publication in Launceston * 1842: Hobart proclaimed a city * 1842: Tasmanian Journal of Natural Science, first Australian scientific journal, begins publication * 1842: Peak year for convict arrivals (5329) * 1842: Maria Island's Darlington penitentiary reopened * 1843: Arrival of Tasmania's first Anglican bishop, Francis Russell Nixon * 1843: Bushranger Martin Cash captured in Hobart, his death sentence was commuted and he was later pardoned * 1844: First Catholic bishop, Robert Willson, arrives * 1844: Formation of

Royal Society of Tasmania The Royal Society of Tasmania (RST) was formed in 1843. It was the first Royal Society outside the United Kingdom, and its mission is the advancement of knowledge. The work of the Royal Society of Tasmania includes: * Promoting Tasmanian historic ...

, first branch outside Britain, as development of society founded in 1837 by Sir John Franklin; society branch takes over botanical gardens * 1844: Norfolk Island, formerly administered by NSW, comes under Tasmanian control * 1845: Emigrant ship ''Cataraqui'' wrecked near King Island, 406 lives lost * 1845: Hobart Savings Bank opens * 1845: Jewish community consecrates Hobart Synagogue, Australia's oldest * 1845: Artist John Skinner Prout organises first known Australian exhibition of pictures in Hobart * 1846: Absconding Act introduced to detain escaping convicts. * 1846: Foundation of the Hutchins School and Launceston

Grammar In linguistics, the grammar of a natural language is its set of structural constraints on speakers' or writers' composition of clauses, phrases, and words. The term can also refer to the study of such constraints, a field that includes domain ...

School * 1846: Lieutenant-governor Sir John Eardley-Wilmot dismissed, allegedly for failure to suppress convict homosexuality * 1846: Convict transportation to Tasmania suspended until 1848 * 1846: Tasmania becomes first Australian colony to enact legislation to protect native animals * 1847: Britain orders closure of NSW convict establishment and transfer of remaining prisoners to Tasmania * 1847: Big Hobart meeting petitions

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

for end to transportation * 1847: Wybalenna Aboriginal settlement at

closes and surviving 47 Aboriginal people move to Oyster Cove * 1847: News of

Sir John Franklin Sir John Franklin (16 April 1786 – 11 June 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. After serving in wars against Napoleonic France and the United States, he led two expeditions into the Canadian Arctic and through t ...

's death during

Arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, N ...

exploration reaches Hobart * 1847: Charles Davis founds hardware business * 1847: Launceston doctor W. R. Pugh uses ether as general

anaesthetic An anesthetic (American English) or anaesthetic (British English; see spelling differences) is a drug used to induce anesthesia ⁠— ⁠in other words, to result in a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. They may be divided into two ...

for first time in Tasmania * 1848: Hobart peaks as

port, with 1046 men aboard 37 ships * 1848: Colony now only place of transportation in

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

* 1849: "Young Irelanders" (Irish political prisoners), including

William Smith O'Brien William Smith O'Brien ( ga, Liam Mac Gabhann Ó Briain; 17 October 1803 – 18 June 1864) was an Irish nationalist Member of Parliament (MP) and a leader of the Young Ireland movement. He also encouraged the use of the Irish language. He ...

, arrive at Port Arthur * 1849: Anti-transportation league formed after Launceston public meeting * 1849: Tasmania gets first public library * 1849: Tasmanian apple growers export to the United States of America and New Zealand

1850–1859

* 1850: Prisoner Patrick O'Donoghue starts publishing 'The Irish Exile', first

Irish Nationalist Irish nationalism is a nationalist political movement which, in its broadest sense, asserts that the people of Ireland should govern Ireland as a sovereign state. Since the mid-19th century, Irish nationalism has largely taken the form of c ...

paper in Australia. * 1850: First secular high school built at Domain * 1850: Constitution Dock officially opened * 1851: O'Donoghue sent to a chain-gang, released, restarts his paper and sent again to a chain-gang. * 1851: ''Black Thursday''

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 ...

in February * 1851: Influenza epidemic * 1851: First election for 16 non-appointed members of Legislative Council * 1851: Hobart Chamber of Commerce established * 1851: Launceston host for first intercolonial cricket match (Van Diemen's Land v

district) * 1851:

's Darlington penitentiary abandoned * 1852: Elections for first Hobart and Launceston municipal councils * 1852: Payable gold discovered near Fingal * 1853: Jubilee festival in Hobart celebrates end of convict transportation after arrival of last ship, the ''St Vincent'' * 1853: First Tasmanian adhesive postage stamp issued * 1854: Severe floods, fires hit city * 1854: The Mercury founded as bi-weekly publication * 1855: Horse-drawn "buses" (large carts) begin services, mainly on city–New Town route; they later become enclosed vehicles * 1855:

Henry Young Sir Henry Edward Fox Young, KCMG (23 April 1803 – 18 September 1870) was the fifth Governor of South Australia, serving in that role from 2 August 1848 until 20 December 1854. He was then the first Governor of Tasmania, from 1855 until 1861. ...

becomes first vice-regal representative to have title of Governor * 1856: Name of

officially changed to

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

after grant of responsible self-government * 1856: New two-house Parliament opens after elections, William Champ becomes colony's first Premier * 1856: Norfolk Island transferred from Tasmanian to NSW control * 1857: Hobart's municipal Incorporation * 1857: Hobart-Launceston

telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...

line opens * 1857: Hobart customers start using coal gas, streets get gas lighting * 1858: First meeting of Hobarts Marine Board, Australia's oldest port authority * 1858: Hobart and Launceston councils form municipal police forces * 1858: Council of Education established * 1858: Hobart Savings Bank founded * 1858: Parliament passes Rural Municipalities Act * 1859: Worries about public health prompt Hobart Town Council to appoint health officer * 1859: New

at Domain occupied for first time, by Governor

and Lady Young

1860–1869

* 1860: British troops sail from Hobart for

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

war in New Zealand * 1860: Volunteer corps of

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

, cavalry and

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

formed * 1860: Economic depression * 1860: The Mercury begins daily publication * 1862: Tasmania adopts

Torrens title Torrens title is a land registration and land transfer system, in which a state creates and maintains a register of land holdings, which serves as the conclusive evidence (termed " indefeasibility") of title of the person recorded on the regist ...

land-conveyancing and registration system * 1862: Serious Derwent flooding * 1862: Hobart's post office moves to rebuilt courthouse on corner of Macquarie St and Murray St * 1863: Opening of Tasmanian Museum on present site * 1864: First shipment of trout and salmon ova arrives from England * 1866: Hobart Town Hall opened * 1866: Hobart

Philharmonic Society The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a membe ...

formed * 1867: George Peacock launches one of Australia's first jam factories in Hobart (later operated by Henry Jones and Co under the name IXL) * 1868: First royal visit, during which Prince Alfred ( Duke of Edinburgh) lays foundation stone for St David's Cathedral and turns first sod for Tasmania's first railway, Launceston- Deloraine line, built by a private company. * 1868: With Education Act, Tasmania becomes first Australian colony to have compulsory state education system, administered by local school boards * 1869: Death of

William Lanne William Lanne (1835 – 3 March 1869), also spelt William Lanné and also known as King Billy or William Laney, was an Aboriginal Tasmanian man, known for being the last " full-blooded" Aboriginal man in the colony of Tasmania. Early lif ...

("King Billy"), reputedly the last full blood Tasmanian Aboriginal man; whose remains were disrespected horribly after disagreement over who should have his remains. * 1869: Submarine communications cable successfully establishes link between Tasmania and Melbourne.

1870–1879

* 1870: British troops leave * 1870: Tasmanian Public Library formally constituted * 1871: Opening of Launceston–Deloraine railway, Tasmania's first—() * 1871: James "Philosopher" Smith discovers tin at

Mount Bischoff Mount Bischoff is a mountain and former tin mine in the north-western region of Tasmania, Australia. The mountain is situated adjacent to Savage River National Park near the town of Waratah. Location and features Tin was discovered at Mount B ...

* 1872: Direct

ic communication begins between Tasmania and England * 1873: Work begins on private operated Hobart–Launceston

rail Rail or rails may refer to: Rail transport *Rail transport and related matters *Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway Arts and media Film * ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini * ''Rail'' ( ...

link—() * 1873: Government takes over Launceston- Deloraine line * 1874: St David's Cathedral consecrated * 1874: Tasmanian Racing Club established * 1874: Launceston rioters protest against rates levy for Deloraine railway * 1874: First book publication of

Marcus Clarke Marcus Andrew Hislop Clarke (24 April 1846 – 2 August 1881) was an English-born Australian novelist, journalist, poet, editor, librarian, and playwright. He is best known for his 1874 novel '' For the Term of His Natural Life'', about the c ...

's ''

For the Term of His Natural Life ''For the Term of His Natural Life'' is a story written by Marcus Clarke and published in ''The Australian Journal'' between 1870 and 1872 (as ''His Natural Life''). It was published as a novel in 1874 and is the best known novelisation of life ...

'', set mainly in Tasmania * 1875: Hobart Hospital begins professional training of nurses * 1875: Widespread flooding * 1876:

, described as last Tasmanian full blooded Aboriginal person, dies in Hobart * 1876: Hobart-Launceston railway opens * 1877: Port Arthur penal settlement closed * 1877: Gold discovered at Beaconsfield * 1878: Mount Heemskirk tin mining begins

1880–1889

* 1880: Earthquake hits Hobart * 1880: Tasmania gets first telephone with line from city centre to Mount Nelson signal station * 1880: Start of Derwent Sailing Boat Club (later

Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, is the largest yacht club in the Australian state of Tasmania, and is best known for its role as the finishing destination for the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. The club sports a range of facilities, from ...

) * 1880: Gold discovered at Pieman River on

West Coast, Tasmania The West Coast of Tasmania is mainly isolated rough country, associated with wilderness, mining and tourism. It served as the location of an early convict settlement in the early history of Van Diemen's Land, and contrasts sharply with the ...

* 1881: William Shoobridge organises first trial shipment of apples from Hobart to Britain * 1881: Hobart officially replaces 'Hobart Town' as capital's name * 1882: Married Women's Property Act allows wives to own property in their own right * 1882: Silver-lead discovered at

Zeehan Zeehan is a town on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia south-west of Burnie. It is part of the West Coast Council, along with the seaport Strahan, and neighbouring mining towns of Dundas, Rosebery and Queenstown. History The greater ...

* 1882: Hobart Stock Exchange opens * 1883:

Typhoid Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several d ...

and

diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...

epidemic prompt public health legislation * 1883: Government opens first Hobart and Launceston telephone exchanges * 1883: Trades and Labor Council formed * 1883: Discovery of gold at "Iron Blow" at Mount Lyell amidst increased

mineral prospecting * 1885: Education Department created, centralising control of schools * 1885: Mersey and Deloraine Railway opened—4′6″ gauge * 1885: Oatlands to Parattah Railway opened * 1885: Formation of the Mt Lyell Prospecting Association * 1886: Copper found at Mount Lyell * 1886: Government takes over Tasmanian Museum and Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens * 1886: Federal Council of Australasia discusses Federation at its first assembly held in Hobart * 1886: Public Health Act creates local boards of health * 1887: Derwent Valley railway line to New Norfolk opens, extended to Glenora within a year * 1887: Establishment of The Friends School in Hobart by the Society of Friends (

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

). * 1887: Italian entrepreneur Diego Bernacchi floats company to develop

* 1888: Hobart gets first technical school * 1888: Reservoir water supply opened * 1888: Launceston proclaimed a city *1889: Launceston Post Office built

1890–1899

* 1890:

University of Tasmania The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public research university, primarily located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1890, it is Australia's fourth oldest university. Christ College, one of the university's residential colleges, first prop ...

opens at the Domain * 1890: Government takes over Hobart-Launceston railway * 1890: Legislation provides for payment of Tasmanian parliamentarians * 1891: Bank of Van Diemen's Land collapses, economic depression follows * 1891:

Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG) is a museum located in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. The QVMAG is the largest museum in Australia not located in a capital city. History The foundation stone for the original building to ...

opens in Launceston * 1891: Apsley Railway opened * 1892: George FitzGerald founds FitzGeralds department store chain, now owned by

Harris Scarfe Harris Scarfe is an Australian retailer that sells bed linen, kitchenware, homewares, electrical appliances and apparel. It has a e-commerce retail presence in Australia and is considered a multi-channel lifestyle and homewares store. Founded in ...

* 1893: Private company begins electric tramway in Hobart, first in an Australian capital city * 1893:

Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company was a Tasmanian mining company formed on 29 March 1893, most commonly referred to as ''Mount Lyell''. Mount Lyell was the dominant copper mining company of the West Coast from 1893 to 1994, and was based in ...

formed * 1893: Government establishes Tasmanian Tourist Association * 1894: Hobart international exhibition opens * 1894: Government introduces flat-rate income tax system * 1895: The premiers conference in Hobart discusses proposals for federal constitution and plebiscite. * 1895: Launceston becomes first southern hemisphere city to get electric light after first Tasmanian hydro-electric station opens at Duck Reach on

South Esk River The South Esk River, the longest river in Tasmania, is a major perennial river located in the northern region of Tasmania, Australia. Location and features The South Esk springs from the eastern foothills of the Ben Lomond plateau near Mathinn ...

* 1895: All Tasmanian districts move to Australian Eastern Standard Time, ending different time zones in colony * 1896: Entrepreneur George Adams launches

Tattersalls Tattersalls (formerly Tattersall's) is the main auctioneer of race horses in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Founding It was founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall (1724–1795), who had been stud groom to the second Duke of Kingston. T ...

lottery venture in Hobart; first lottery held to dispose of assets of failed Bank of Van Diemen's Land * 1896: Ore

smelting Smelting is a process of applying heat to ore, to extract a base metal. It is a form of extractive metallurgy. It is used to extract many metals from their ores, including silver, iron, copper, and other base metals. Smelting uses heat and a ...

begins at Mount Lyell * 1897: Hare-Clark voting system used on trial basis for state polls in Hobart and Launceston * 1897: Formation of Southern Tasmania Football Association * 1897: Serious

start on New Year's Eve, end with six lives lost * 1898: Tasmanians vote four to one in favor of

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

on federation with mainland colonies * 1898: Municipal police forces become part of new statewide government force * 1898: Electric street lighting begins in Hobart * 1898: Norwegian-born

Carsten Borchgrevink Carsten Egeberg Borchgrevink (1 December 186421 April 1934) was an Anglo-Norwegian polar explorer and a pioneer of Antarctic travel. He inspired Sir Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Roald Amundsen, and others associated with the Hero ...

's Antarctic expedition arrives in Hobart on way south; Tasmanian Louis Bernacchi joins as physicist * 1899: First Tasmanian troops leave for

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

in South Africa * 1899: Federation of Australia wins overwhelming Tasmanian approval in the second referendum

1900–1909

* 1900: More Tasmanian troops leave for Second Boer War * 1900: Adult male suffrage for

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible gove ...

adopted, with property qualifications abolished * 1900: End of whaling operations from Hobart * 1900: Bubonic plague scare grips Tasmania * 1900:

becomes a Tasmanian dependency * 1901: Administrator Sir John Dodds reads proclamation of

Commonwealth of Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

from Tasmanian Supreme Court steps * 1901: Visit by Duke and Duchess of

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

and York (future

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

and Queen Mary) * 1901: First elections for Federal Parliament * 1901: Zeehan conference leads to formation of Tasmanian Workers Political League (forerunner to Labor Party) * 1902: Last Tasmanian troops return from the Boer War * 1902: Robert Carl Sticht completes world's first successful pyritic smelting at Mount Lyell * 1903: Women get House of Assembly voting right (the already had it for federal polls) * 1903: Hobart-Launceston telephone line opens * 1903: Two ships leave Hobart on relief expedition to free British explorer Robert Scott's ''Discovery'' from Antarctic ice * 1903: Launceston

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

epidemic forces cancellation of Tasmanian centenary celebrations, some festivities a year later * 1904: Legislation allows Tasmanian women to become lawyers * 1904: Formation of Tasmanian National Association (forerunner to

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

) * 1904: Native flora and fauna reserve declared at

Schouten Island Schouten Island (formerly Schouten's Isle), part of the Schouten Island Group, is an island with an area of approximately lying close to the eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia, located south of the Freycinet Peninsula and is a part of Fre ...

and

Freycinet Peninsula The Freycinet Peninsula is a large peninsula located on the eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia. The peninsula is located north of Schouten Island and is contained within the Freycinet National Park. The locality of Freycinet is in the local go ...

* 1905:

Wireless Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided medium for the transfer. The most ...

telegraphy Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...

experiments between Hobart and Tasman Island and between state and mainland * 1905: Hobart General Post Office building opens * 1906: Marconi Co. demonstrated a wireless telegraphy service between Devonport and Queenscliff, Victoria * 1906: Tasman Lighthouse first lit * 1907: New public library, built with money from American philanthropist

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...

, opens in Hobart * 1907: Hare-Clark voting system extended to all of Tasmania * 1908: State school fees abolished * 1908: Queen Alexandra Maternity Hospital opens in Hobart * 1908: First Scout troops formed * 1909:

Guy Fawkes Day Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Fireworks Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in Great Britain, involving bonfires and fireworks displays. Its history begins with the e ...

(5 November) fire destroy Hobart market, City Hall later built on site * 1909: First statewide use of Hare-Clark voting system elects first Labor government, led by John Earle; government lasts only one week, with return of conservatives * 1909: Irish blight wipes out potato crop

1910–1919

* 1910: Carters' wage strike paralyses Hobart for a week, ends with win for workers * 1910: Legislation sets maximum 48-hour working week and minimum wages in several trades * 1910: Great Lake

hydro-electric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

project starts * 1911: The Christian Brothers founded and opened the St. Virgil's College School in what is now, Barrack Street in Hobart. * 1911:

Douglas Mawson Sir Douglas Mawson OBE FRS FAA (5 May 1882 – 14 October 1958) was an Australian geologist, Antarctic explorer, and academic. Along with Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Sir Ernest Shackleton, he was a key expedition leader duri ...

's ship ''

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

'' docks in Hobart on way to Antarctic * 1911: Philip Smith teachers' college opens at Domain, Electric trams begin running in Launceston * 1912: Mount Lyell fire traps miners underground, 42 die * 1912: Norwegian

Roald Amundsen Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (, ; ; 16 July 1872 – ) was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He was a key figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Born in Borge, Østfold, Norway, Amundsen beg ...

, first man to reach

South Pole The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole, Terrestrial South Pole or 90th Parallel South, is one of the two points where Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on Earth and lies antipod ...

, arrives in Hobart on return from Antarctic expedition * 1912: Hobart City Council takes over tramway service * 1912: First Tasmanian Girl Guide company formed * 1913: First government high schools open in Hobart and Launceston * 1913: Hobart City Council buys tram service * 1913: Term " free by servitude" referring to ex-convicts, appears for last time in official documents, after use for more than 100 years * 1914: A. Delfosse Badgery makes Tasmania's first flight from Elwick in a plane he built himself * 1914: First Tasmanian troops leave to fight in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

* 1914: The town of Bismarck is renamed Collinsvale due to anti-German sentiment inflamed by the war * 1914: State government buys hydro-electric company * 1915: Tasmanian legislation establishes Australia's first special authority to create and manage parks and reserves * 1915: Serious bushfires * 1916: In Tasmania's worst rail disaster, driver and six passengers die, 31 survive injuries, after Launceston-Hobart express crashes near

Campania (man), it, Campana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demog ...

* 1916: First all-Tasmanian

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

(the 40th) leaves for World War I * 1916: Opening of Great Lakes hydro scheme's first stage, Waddamana power station * 1916: State's first national parks declared at Mount Field and Freycinet * 1916:

Daylight saving time Daylight saving time (DST), also referred to as daylight savings time or simply daylight time (United States, Canada, and Australia), and summer time (United Kingdom, European Union, and others), is the practice of advancing clocks (typicall ...

first introduced as temporary wartime measure * 1917:

Electrolytic Zinc Company An electrolyte is a medium containing ions that is electrically conducting through the movement of those ions, but not conducting electrons. This includes most soluble salts, acids, and bases dissolved in a polar solvent, such as water. Upon dis ...

works at Risdon and

Australian Commonwealth Carbide Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

's plant at Electrona established * 1917: Ridgeway reservoir completed * 1919: Worldwide

Spanish influenza The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

epidemic reaches Tasmania, affecting one-third of the population and claiming 171 lives * 1919: Ex-World War I airman A. L. Long makes first

flight Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be a ...

over Bass Strait * 1919: Frozen Tasmanian meat exported for the first time

1920–1929

* 1920: Visit by Prince of Wales, future

King Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...

* 1920: Miena dam completed * 1920: Launceston-born Hudson Fysh helps found

Qantas Qantas Airways Limited ( ) is the flag carrier of Australia and the country's largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations. It is the world's third-oldest airline still in operation, having been founde ...

* 1922: Legislation enables women to stand in state elections * 1922: Legacy movement starts with founding of Remembrance Club in Hobart by Major-General Sir

John Gellibrand Major General Sir John Gellibrand, (5 December 1872 – 3 June 1945) was a senior Australian Army officer in the First World War, Chief Commissioner of the Victoria Police from 1920 to 1922, and a member of the Australian House of Representat ...

* 1922:

Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is located in the Central Highlands area of Tasmania ( Australia), northwest of Hobart. The park contains many walking trails, and is where hikes along the well-known Overland Track usually begin. Ma ...

proclaimed * 1923: First concert by Hobart Symphony Orchestra * 1923: Severe flooding in Hobart * 1923: Labor's

Joseph Lyons Joseph Aloysius Lyons (15 September 1879 – 7 April 1939) was an Australian politician who served as the 10th Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1932 until his death in 1939. He began his career in the Australian Labor Party (ALP), ...

, a future prime minister, becomes state premier * 1924: Private company starts first Tasmanian radio station, 7ZL (now part of ABC), with regular broadcasts from The Mercury building * 1924:

Electrolytic Zinc Co An electrolyte is a medium containing ions that is conductivity (electrolytic), electrically conducting through the movement of those ions, but not conducting electrons. This includes most soluble Salt (chemistry), salts, acids, and Base (chemistr ...

makes first superphosphate at Risdon * 1925: Workmen open David Collins' grave during conversion of old St David's Cemetery into St David's Park * 1925: Osmiridium fields discovered at Adamsfield in south-west * 1927: Inquiry into proposed bridge linking Hobart city with eastern shore * 1927: Visit by Duke and Duchess of York (future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) * 1928:

Cadbury's Cadbury, formerly Cadbury's and Cadbury Schweppes, is a British multinational confectionery company fully owned by Mondelez International (originally Kraft Foods) since 2010. It is the second largest confectionery brand in the world after M ...

Claremont factory makes first chocolate * 1928: Voting in Tasmanian state elections becomes compulsory (federal voting became compulsory in 1924) * 1929: Disastrous floods, mainly in Northern Tasmania, take 22 lives; dam burst damages Derby township and tin mines * 1929: Hobart gets automatic telephone system * 1929: Great Depression begins * 1929: Legislation creates

Hydro-Electric Commission Hydro Tasmania, known for most of its history as the Hydro-Electric Commission (HEC) or The Hydro, is the trading name of the Hydro-Electric Corporation, a Tasmanian Government business enterprise which is the predominant electricity generator i ...

, replacing government department

1930–1939

* 1931: Tasmanian

Harold Gatty Harold Charles Gatty (5 January 1903 – 30 August 1957) was an Australian navigator and aviation pioneer. Charles Lindbergh called Gatty the "Prince of Navigators."Gywnn-Jones, Terry, ''Harold Gatty, Aviation Navigation Expert'', Aviation Histo ...

and American

Wiley Post Wiley Hardeman Post (November 22, 1898 – August 15, 1935) was a famed American aviator during the interwar period and the first pilot to fly solo around the world. Also known for his work in high-altitude flying, Post helped develop on ...

make record round-the-world

(eight days, 15 hours) * 1932: Ivan and Victor Holyman start air service between Launceston and

* 1932:

Lyell Highway The Lyell Highway (Route A10) is a highway in Tasmania, running from Hobart to Queenstown. It is the one of two transport routes that passes through the West Coast Range, the other being the Anthony Road. Name The name is derived from ...

opens, linking Hobart with West Coast * 1932: Former premier Joseph Lyons becomes

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

, only Tasmanian to hold that office * 1933: Commonwealth Grants Commission appointed to inquire into affairs of claimant states, including Tasmania * 1934: Holyman Airways (a forerunner of Ansett) launches Launceston–Melbourne service, within months, company plane ''Miss Hobart'' disappears over Bass Strait with loss of 12 people, including proprietor Victor Holyman * 1934: Election of government led by

Albert Ogilvie Albert George Ogilvie (10 March 1890 – 10 June 1939) was an Australian politician and Premier of Tasmania from 22 June 1934 until his death on 10 June 1939. Ogilvie was the elder son of James Ogilvie. He was educated at St Patrick's Co ...

starts 35 years of continuous Labor governments * 1935: Five die when Holyman Airways plane ''Loina'' crashes off Flinders Island. * 1935: Hobart gets first electric trolley buses * 1935: Legislation for three-year state parliament terms * 1936: ''SS Paringa'' sinks in Bass Strait while towing tanker, 31 die * 1936:

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

forms orchestra * 1936 (7 September): Last known Tasmanian tiger (

thylacine The thylacine ( , or , also ) (''Thylacinus cynocephalus'') is an extinct carnivorous marsupial that was native to the Australian mainland and the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. The last known live animal was captured in 1930 in Tasma ...

) dies at Hobart's Beaumaris Zoo * 1936: First commercial flights use federal aerodrome at Cambridge * 1936: Submarine telephone cable service begins between Tasmania and Victoria via King Island * 1936: First two area schools (renamed district schools in 1973) open at Sheffield and Hagley * 1937: Open of Mount Wellington summit road, built as Depression relief work project * 1937: Poliomyelitis epidemic * 1937: Five-year state parliamentary terms return * 1938: Production starts at APPM's

mill * 1938: Work begins on a floating arch bridge across Derwent in Hobart * 1939:

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

begins * 1939: Death in office of prime minister Joseph Lyons * 1939:

Royal Hobart Hospital The Royal Hobart Hospital is a public hospital in the Hobart CBD, Tasmania, Australia. The hospital also functions as a teaching hospital in co-operation with the University of Tasmania. The hospital's research facilities are known as the Roya ...

opens on present site

1940–1949

* 1940: Tasmanian soldiers leave for North African campaign with

Australian 6th Division The 6th Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army. It was raised briefly in 1917 during World War I, but was broken up to provide reinforcements before seeing action. It was not re-raised until the outbreak of World War II, when ...

* 1940: German naval raiders ''Pinguin'' and ''Atlantis'' lay mines off Hobart and other Australian areas. Hobart closed to shipping because of mine threat; Bass Strait closed after mine sinks British steamer ''Cambridge''. * 1941: Tasmanian soldiers leave for Malaya with Australian 8th Division * 1941: Australian Newsprint Mills' Boyer plant becomes first in world to produce newsprint from hardwood * 1942 (January–March):

daylight saving time Daylight saving time (DST), also referred to as daylight savings time or simply daylight time (United States, Canada, and Australia), and summer time (United Kingdom, European Union, and others), is the practice of advancing clocks (typicall ...

introduced as wartime measure * 1942: Women 18 to 30 called up for war work * 1943: Floating-arch pontoon bridge

Hobart Bridge The Hobart Bridge was a floating arch bridge that crossed the River Derwent, connecting the eastern and western shores of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. History Plans for a bridge to link the Derwent River’s two shores near Hoba ...

opens * 1943:

Enid Lyons Dame Enid Muriel Lyons (née Burnell; 9 July 1897 – 2 September 1981) was an Australian politician who was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives and the first woman to serve in federal cabinet. Prior to her own political ca ...

(later Dame Enid), widow of Joseph Lyons, elected first woman member of

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

, winning seat of Darwin (now Braddon). * 1944:

begins transfer to Sandy Bay site * 1944: State Library established * 1945: ''Rani'' wins first Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race * 1946: Australian National Airways plane crashes at Seven Mile Beach, killing 25 * 1946: Last horse-drawn Hobart cab ceases operation * 1946: Poliomyelitis epidemic * 1947: War-affected migrants begin arriving from Europe to work for Hydro-Electric Commission * 1947: Edward Brooker takes over as Labor premier after Robert Cosgrove's resignation to face corruption and bribery charges * 1947: Major

flooding A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrolog ...

in south of state * 1948: Margaret McIntyre wins Legislative Council seat in May, becoming the first woman member of Tasmanian Parliament; airliner crash in NSW in September kills her and 12 others. * 1948: Robert Cosgrove resumes premiership after acquittal on corruption and bribery charges * 1948: ABC forms Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra on permanent basis * 1948: Fire destroys Ocean Pier * 1948: Antarctic research station established on

* 1949: Poliomyelitis epidemic * 1949: Government introduces compulsory X-rays in fight against tuberculosis * 1949: Tasmanian politician Dame Enid Lyons, widow of former prime minister Joseph Lyons, becomes first woman to reach federal ministry rank, as Executive Council vice-president * 1949: Government buys Theatre Royal

1950–1959

* 1951: Brighton army camp gets first intake of

national service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...

trainees * 1951: Hartz Mountains National Park proclaimed * 1951:

Tasmanian Historical Research Association The Tasmanian Historical Research Association is a Hobart based Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in ...

commences * 1951: Serious bushfires * 1951: Italian and German migrants arrive to work under contract for

* 1952: First woman elected to

Hobart City Council Hobart City Council (or City of Hobart) is a local government body in Tasmania, covering the central metropolitan area of the state capital, Hobart. The Hobart local government area has a population of 53,684 and includes the suburbs of West ...

* 1952: Severe floods * 1952: Government ends free hospital scheme * 1952: Single state licensing body formed for hotels and clubs * 1953: Tasman Limited diesel train service begins between Hobart and northern towns * 1953: Housing Department created to manage public housing * 1953: Beaconsfield becomes first Australian centre to get fluoridated water * 1954: Queen Elizabeth II becomes first reigning monarch to visit state, accompanied by

Prince Philip Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...

. As part of 150th anniversary celebrations, she unveils monument to pioneer British settlers * 1954: Hobart Rivulet area damaged as severe floods affect southern and eastern Tasmania * 1954: Metropolitan Transport Trust formed * 1954:

Lotteries moves headquarters from Hobart to Melbourne * 1954: Spouses of property owners get right to vote in Legislative Council elections * 1955: Royal commission appointed to inquire into

after request by Professor Sydney Orr * 1955: House of Assembly gets first two women members, Liberals Mabel Miller and Amelia Best * 1955: Hobart becomes first Australian city to get parking meters * 1955: Proclamation of

Lake Pedder Lake Pedder, once a glacial outwash lake, is a man-made impoundment and diversion lake located in the southwest of Tasmania, Australia. In addition to its natural catchment from the Frankland Range, the lake is formed by the 1972 damming of the ...

National Park (later extended to form

Southwest National Park Southwest National Park is an Australian national park located in the south-west of Tasmania, bounded by the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park to the north and the Hartz Mountains National Park to the east. It is a part of a chain of ...

). * 1955: First ingot poured at Bell Bay aluminium refinery * 1955: Labor Party's federal conference in Hobart brings

Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms t ...

split over industrial groups to head, leading to formation of Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist), later Democratic Labor Party * 1955: Lactos cheese factory opens at

* 1956: University of Tasmania Council dismisses Professor Sydney Orr, alleging improper conduct by him with female student; Orr launches unsuccessful court action against university for wrongful dismissal * 1956: Tasmania gets first woman mayor, Dorothy Edwards of Launceston * 1957: Water Act establishes Rivers and Water Supply Commission * 1958: Hobart waterside works block two Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist) members, father Frank Hursey and son Denis, from working in dispute over their objection to paying union levy that would partly go to ALP; police guard Hurseys after court order; Supreme Court awards them damages * 1959: MG Car Club of Tasmania formed * 1959: '' Princess of Tasmania'' becomes first roll-on/roll-off passenger ferry on Bass Strait run * 1959: High Court verdict in Hursey case upholds unions' right to levy members for political purposes, expel those who refuse to pay * 1959: Federal Government reduces

claimant A plaintiff ( Π in legal shorthand) is the party who initiates a lawsuit (also known as an ''action'') before a court. By doing so, the plaintiff seeks a legal remedy. If this search is successful, the court will issue judgment in favor of the ...

states to two, Tasmania and Western Australia

1960–1969

* 1960: Severe floods in Derwent Valley and Hobart, with business basements under water and houses washed away * 1960: Television stations ABT-2 (

) and

TVT-6 TVT is Tasmania's first television station, delivering its first official broadcast on 23 May 1960. The callsign stands for "TeleVision Tasmania". Unlike the commercial stations in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, and later Perth, TVT hel ...

(now WIN) start programs from Mount Wellington transmitters * 1960: New jail opens at

Risdon Risdon is a surname and also a first name, and may refer to: ; Given name * Risdon Beazley (1904–1979), British businessman ; Surname * Dustin Risdon (born 1981), Canadian professional golfer * Elisabeth Risdon (1887–1958) English film act ...

* 1960: Hobart trams cease, succeeded by electric

trolley bus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...

es * 1960: First meeting of Inland Fisheries Commission * 1960: Opening of new State Library headquarters * 1960: First city parking station opens in Argyle Street * 1961: Construction of Hobart-Sydney ferry terminal begins * 1962: Australian Paper Makers Ltd's Port Huon mill opens * 1962: TEMCO's Bell Bay ferro-manganese plant begins production * 1962: Government subsidises municipal

fluoridation Water fluoridation is the controlled adjustment of fluoride to a public water supply solely to reduce tooth decay. Fluoridated water contains fluoride at a level that is effective for preventing cavities; this can occur naturally or by addin ...

schemes * 1963: University of Tasmania completes move to Sandy Bay site; Universities Commission recommends medical school * 1964:

Tasman Bridge The Tasman Bridge is a bridge that carries the Tasman Highway over the Derwent River in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Including approaches, the bridge has a total length of and it provides the main traffic route from the Hobart city centre ( ...

opens for traffic, old pontoon bridge towed away * 1964: Hobart's water supply fluoridated * 1964: Glenorchy proclaimed city * 1965: First Tasmanians leave for

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

under national service scheme * 1965: Ferry '' Empress of Australia'' makes first Sydney–Hobart voyage * 1965: Official opening of Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music * 1965: Bass Strait

oil drilling An oil well is a drillhole boring in Earth that is designed to bring petroleum oil hydrocarbons to the surface. Usually some natural gas is released as associated petroleum gas along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce only gas may ...

begins * 1966: Huge copper reserves found in Mount Lyell area * 1966: Savage River iron ore agreements involving $62 million signed * 1967 (February): Black Tuesday bushfires claim 62 lives—53 in Hobart area—and destroy more than 1300 homes * 1967: Tasmanian joins other states in approving full constitutional rights for Aboriginal people * 1967: Hydro-Electric Commission tables plans in State Parliament to dam

in South-West * 1967:

and

breathalyser A breathalyzer or breathalyser (a portmanteau of ''breath'' and ''analyzer/analyser'') is a device for estimating blood alcohol content (BAC), or to detect viruses or diseases from a breath sample. The name is a genericized trademark of the Br ...

tests introduced * 1968: Full adult franchise introduced for Legislative Council elections * 1968: Hobart trolley buses cease, replaced by diesel vehicles * 1968: State abolishes death penalty * 1968: Savage River iron ore project officially opens * 1968:

Batman Bridge The Batman Bridge is a modern road bridge that carries the Batman Highway across the Tamar River, between Whirlpool Reach, Hillwood at its eastern end and Sidmouth / Deviot midpoint at its western end, in north Tasmania, Australia. The bridge c ...

across lower

opens * 1969: Tasmanians vote Labor Party out after 35 years in office, Liberal-Centre Party forms coalition government * 1969: Worst floods in 40 years hit Launceston

1970–1979

* 1970: Parliament legislates for permanent daylight saving time * 1970: State marine research laboratories at

Taroona Taroona is a major residential suburb approximately 15 minutes drive from the centre of Hobart, Tasmania on the scenic route between Hobart and Kingston. Although on the edges of the City of Hobart, Taroona is actually part of the municipality ...

open * 1970:

opens $6 million residue treatment plant * 1971: First woodchip shipment leaves Tasmanian Pulp and Forest Holdings' mill at

Triabunna Triabunna is a rural residential locality in the local government area (LGA) of Glamorgan–Spring Bay in the South-east LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about north-east of the city of Hobart. The has a population of 905 for the state ...

* 1971: APPM Ltd's Wesley Vale paper plant opens * 1971: First state Aboriginal conference held in Launceston * 1972: Conservationists lose battle to prevent flooding of

in South-West for hydro-electric scheme * 1972: Liberal-Centre Party coalition government collapses * 1972: Tasmanian College of Advanced Education opens in Hobart * 1972: Ferry ''Princess of Tasmania'' makes last Tasmanian voyage * 1972: Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre opens at Tasmanian Aboriginal Information Centre * 1973: Coastal freighter ''Blythe Star'' sinks with loss of three men, seven survivors spend eight days adrift in lifeboat before coming ashore on Forestier Peninsula * 1973: Australia's first legal

casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...

opens at

Wrest Point Hotel Casino The Wrest Point Hotel Casino is a casino in Tasmania. It was Australia's first legal casino, opening in the suburb of Sandy Bay in Hobart, on 10 February 1973. History Historically, Dunkley's Point was a camping ground held by the semi-nomadic ...

* 1973: Sir Stanley Burbury, formerly chief justice, becomes first Australian-born governor of Tasmania * 1974: Three die when boiler explosion demolishes laundry at Mt St Canice Convent, Sandy Bay * 1974: Tasmanian workers under state wages board awards get four weeks annual leave; woman awarded equal pay * 1974: Hobart suburban rail services cease * 1975: Freighter ''

MV Lake Illawarra SS ''Lake Illawarra'' was a handysize bulk carrier of 7,274 tons in the service of the Australian National Line. This ship is known for causing the Tasman Bridge disaster when she collided with pylon 19 of Hobart's giant high concrete arch ...

'' crashes into Tasman Bridge, causing 12 deaths and bringing down part of bridge; temporary Bailey bridge put across Derwent * 1975: Police academy completed at Rokeby * 1975: Hotels allowed to open for Sunday trading * 1975:

Totalizator Agency Board The Totalisator Agency Board, universally shortened to TAB or T.A.B., is the name given to monopoly totalisator organisations in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. They operate betting shops and online betting. They were originally govern ...

begins operating * 1976: Members of Aboriginal community ritually cremate

's remains, scatter ashes in

* 1976:

Tasmanian Wilderness Society The Tasmanian Wilderness Society was a Tasmanian environmental group that started in 1976 in response to a proposal by the state's Hydro Electric Commission to construct a dam on the Gordon River, downstream from the Franklin River, that led to t ...

formed * 1976: Freight equalisation scheme subsidises sea cargo to and from state * 1977: Repaired Tasman Bridge reopens to traffic * 1977: Royal visit, during which Aboriginal activist

Michael Mansell Michael Alexander Mansell (born 5 June 1951 in northern Tasmania) is a Tasmanian Aboriginal leader who, as an activist and lawyer, has worked for social, political and legal changes to improve the lives and social standing of Tasmanian Aborigi ...

presents the Queen with land rights claim * 1977: Tasmanian Film Corporation launched * 1978: Australian National Railways takes over Tasmanian rail system; Tasman Limited ceases operations, ending regular passenger train services in state * 1978: Hydro-Electric Commission proposes power scheme involving

Gordon Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gordon, ...

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...

and

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

rivers * 1979: Tasmanian College of Advanced Education moves to Launceston * 1979: State's first ombudsman begins duties * 1979: Hobart gets increased Saturday morning shopping * 1979: Government expands South-West conservation area to more than one-fifth of state's total area

1980–1989

* 1980:

Australian Antarctic Division The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) is a division of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. The Division undertakes science programs and research projects to contribute to an understanding of Antarctica and the ...

headquarters completed at Kingston * 1980: Labor MHA Gillian James becomes first woman to become State Government minister * 1980: Australian Maritime College opens at Beauty Point * 1980:

Australian Heritage Commission The Australian Heritage Commission (AHC), was the Australian federal government authority established in 1975 by the ''Australian Heritage Commission Act 1975'' as the first body to manage natural and cultural heritage in Australia until its de ...

includes Tasmania on National Estate register * 1981: Plebiscite on preferred new

power development scheme shows 47% of voters favour Gordon-below-Franklin development, 8% prefer Gordon-above-Olga, with 45% casting informal votes, including 'no dams' write-ins. * 1981: Devonport proclaimed city * 1981: Bushfires destroy 40

homes * 1982: Proclamation of

Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, abbreviated to TWWHA, is a World Heritage Site in Tasmania, Australia. It is one of the largest conservation areas in Australia, covering , or almost 25% of Tasmania. It is also one of the last ex ...

, including

South-West The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...

, Franklin-Lower Gordon Wild Rivers and Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair national parks; conservationists blockade Gordon-below-Franklin hydro-electric dam work * 1982: Tasmanians elect Liberals as government in their own right for first time in state's history * 1983: Federal regulations block

Franklin Dam The Franklin Dam or Gordon-below-Franklin Dam project was a proposed dam on the Gordon River in Tasmania, Australia, that was never constructed. The movement that eventually led to the project's cancellation became one of the most significant ...

construction; High Court rules in favour of federal sovereignty, ending the proposed Gordon-below-Franklin scheme * 1983: Tasmanian Aboriginal Land Council established * 1983: Visit by

The Prince ''The Prince'' ( it, Il Principe ; la, De Principatibus) is a 16th-century political treatise written by Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli as an instruction guide for new princes and royals. The general theme of ''The ...

and Princess of Wales * 1984: Official opening of

Bowen Bridge The Bowen Bridge is a four-lane road bridge crossing the Derwent River in Tasmania, Australia. Description The bridge lies on the river about halfway between the Tasman Bridge and the Bridgewater Bridge. The bridge links the East Derwent Hi ...

* 1984: Official opening of Wrest Point Convention Centre * 1984: Fire damages Theatre Royal * 1984: Atlantic salmon eggs introduced to Tasmania * 1985: Four-day cremation ceremony at Oyster Cove, south of Hobart, for Aboriginal remains recovered from museums * 1985: CSIRO Marine Laboratories open in Hobart * 1985: Last voyage by ferry ''Empress of Australia'' before replacement by ''

'' * 1985: Last Tasmanian

drive-in theatre A drive-in theater or drive-in cinema is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movi ...

s close in Hobart and Launceston * 1985: Municipal rationalisation advances with Launceston taking over St Leonards and Lilydale * 1986:

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

holds

mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...

for 32,000 people at Elwick racecourse during Hobart visit * 1986: Archaeologists discover Aboriginal rock paintings in South-West believed to be 20,000 years old * 1987: Launching of ''Lady Nelson'' replica ship * 1987: High Court decision bans logging in Lemonthyme, southern forests * 1987: Antarctic supply ship ''

Nella Dan MV ''Nella Dan'' was one of the famous 'Dan' ships of the Danish J. Lauritzen A/S Lines that were almost synonymous with ANARE (Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions) shipping through the early years of Australia's official Antarct ...

'' sinks off

* 1988: International fleet of about 200 sailing, cruise and naval ships from about 20 countries calls at Hobart as part of Australian

Bicentennial __NOTOC__ A bicentennial or bicentenary is the two-hundredth anniversary of a part, or the celebrations thereof. It may refer to: Europe *French Revolution bicentennial, commemorating the 200th anniversary of 14 July 1789 uprising, celebrated ...

celebrations; more than 150 leave on race to Sydney * 1988:

Clarence Clarence may refer to: Places Australia * Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division * Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow * Clarence River (New South Wales) * Clarence Strait (Northern Territory) * City of Clarence, a l ...

and Burnie proclaimed cities * 1988: Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame opens * 1989: State election ends with Labor-

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combi ...

accord involving five independents; their no-confidence vote in Robin Gray's minority Liberal government gives Labor's Michael Field premiership

1990–1999

* 1990:

Sea Cat Seacat was a British short-range surface-to-air missile system intended to replace the ubiquitous Bofors 40 mm gun aboard warships of all sizes. It was the world's first operational shipboard point-defence missile system, and was designed so tha ...

Tasmania, built in Hobart by

Incat Incat Tasmania is an Australian manufacturer of high-speed craft (HSC) catamaran ferries. Its greatest success has been with large, sea going passenger and vehicle ferries, but it has also built military transports and since 2015 it has built s ...

, begins summer crossings of Bass Strait * 1990: King Island

scheelite Scheelite is a calcium tungstate mineral with the chemical formula Ca W O4. It is an important ore of tungsten (wolfram). Scheelite is originally named after Swedish chemist K. Scheele (1742-1786). Well-formed crystals are sought by collectors ...

mine closes * 1990: World Rowing Championships held on Lake Barrington, near

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...

* 1991: Savings Bank of Tasmania and Tasmanian Bank amalgamate as Trust Bank * 1991: Port Huon paper mill,

Electrona Electrona may refer to: * ''Electrona'' (fish), a genus of lanternfishes in the family Myctophidae * Electrona, Tasmania, a town in Tasmania, Australia {{disambig ...

silicon Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is a hard, brittle crystalline solid with a blue-grey metallic luster, and is a tetravalent metalloid and semiconductor. It is a member of group 14 in the periodic ta ...

smelter, Renison

tin mine Tin mining began early in the Bronze Age, as bronze is a copper-tin alloy. Tin is a relatively rare element in the Earth's crust, with approximately 2 ppm (parts per million), compared to iron with 50,000 ppm. History Tin extraction and use can ...

and Devonport

Ovaltine Ovaltine (also known by its original name Ovomaltine) is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract (except in the blue packaging in the United States), sugar (except in Switzerland), and whey. Some flavors also have cocoa. Ovalt ...

factory close * 1992: Aboriginal people occupy

in protest over land claims * 1992: Royal Hobart Hospital nursing school closes, ending hospital-based nursing training in Tasmania * 1992: Seven women ordained as Anglican priests at St David's Cathedral * 1992: State's

unemployment rate Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refere ...

reaches 12.2% as jobs decline in public and private sectors; rallies of angry workers force temporary closure of House of Assembly * 1993: Christine Milne (

Tasmanian Greens The Tasmanian Greens are a political party in Australia which developed from numerous environmental campaigns in Tasmania, including the flooding of Lake Pedder and the Franklin Dam campaign. They form a part of the Australian Greens. The party ...

) becomes first female leader of a Tasmanian political party * 1993: ''

Spirit of Tasmania TT-Line Company Pty Ltd, better known by its trading name Spirit of Tasmania is a company which has been operating ferries from mainland Australia to Tasmania since July 1985. The company was separated from the Tasmanian Government's Depart ...

'' replaces ''

'' on Bass Strait ferry service * 1993: Tasmania's unemployment rate reaches 13.4% * 1993: State Government reduces total of

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

from 46 to 29, number of departments from 17 to 12 * 1994: End to 80 years of dam building as state's last power station, Tribute, opens near Tullah * 1994: HMAS Huon naval base decommissioned * 1995: All-day Saturday shop trading begins * 1995: Government announces legislation to transfer 38 km² of culturally significant land to Aboriginal community, including

and Oyster Cove * 1995: States unemployment rate falls to 9.6% as number of Tasmanians in work sets record * 1996 (28 April): Gunman

Martin Bryant Martin John Bryant (born 7 May 1967) is a convicted Australian mass shooter who murdered 35 people and injured 23 others in the Port Arthur massacre, one of the world's deadliest shooting sprees, in Port Arthur, Tasmania, be ...

kills 35 people and injures 20 more in shooting rampage at Port Arthur historic site; Supreme Court sentences him to life imprisonment * 1996: Former federal Liberal minister Peter Nixon heads Commonwealth state inquiry into Tasmanian economy * 1997: Tasmania becomes first state to formally apologise to Aboriginal community for past actions connected with the ' stolen generation'. * 1997: Hobart Ports Corporation succeeds marine board * 1997: State Parliament repeals two century-old laws that together made all male homosexual activity criminal * 1997:

announces part privatisation * 1997: Official opening of Hobart's Aquatic Centre * 1997: Nixon report recommendations include single chamber State Parliament with 27 members, government asset sales * 1997: About 800

gaming machine A gaming computer or gaming PC is a personal computer specifically designed for playing video games at very high video game graphics, graphic and gameplay computer configuration, configurations. Gaming PCs typically differ from mainstream person ...

s introduced into 55 Tasmanian hotels, clubs amid predictions of major social problems * 1998: Federal Government sells Hobart and Launceston airports * 1998: Subsidiary

Kendell Airlines Kendell Airlines was a regional airline in Australia, in the 1990s the largest in the country. It served major regional centres in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania from Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney. Many of its ser ...

takes over Ansett's Tasmanian services * 1998: Parliament reduced from 54 members to 40–25 Members of the

and 15 Members of the Legislative Council * 1998: Legislation passed to separate Hydro-Electric Commission into three bodies: Aurora Energy,

Transend Networks Transend Networks Pty Ltd was a Tasmanian government-owned business which operated between 1998 and 2014 as the electricity transmission network provider for Tasmania, Australia. It was formed by the disaggregation of the Hydro-Electric Commis ...

and

Hydro Tasmania Hydro Tasmania, known for most of its history as the Hydro-Electric Commission (HEC) or The Hydro, is the trading name of the Hydro-Electric Corporation, a Tasmanian Government business enterprise which is the predominant electricity generator i ...

. * 1998:

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 ...

destroy six houses in Hobart suburbs, burn out 30 km² * 1998 (December): Storms and massive seas claim six lives in Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race * 1999: Wild winds and heavy rain caused chaos across Tasmania, one casualty being the Ferris Wheel at the Royal Hobart Regatta which blew over onto the Gee Whizzer ride. 113 km/h winds in Hobart, 158 km/h winds on Mount Wellington. * 1999: Tasmanian cricketer

David Boon David Clarence Boon (born 29 December 1960) is an Australian cricket match referee, former cricket commentator and international cricketer whose international playing career spanned the years 1984–1996. A right-handed batsman and a very oc ...

announced his retirement from Sheffield Shield cricket * March 1999: Tasmania is almost booked out for the millennium New Year's Eve party—a once-in-1000-year event for Tasmania's key resorts, hotels, motels and restaurants * 1999: Albanian refugees from

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

housed at Brighton military camp, renamed Tasmanian Peace Haven * 1999: Legislation passed to give Aboriginal community control of Wybalenna, Flinders Island * 1999:

Colonial State Bank The State Bank of New South Wales, from 1933 until 1981 known as the Rural Bank of New South Wales, was a bank that was owned by the Government of New South Wales. It existed from 1933 until 1994, when it was taken over by the Colonial State B ...

of NSW takes over Trust Bank * 1999: Official opening of Port Arthur Visitor Centre * 1999: Queen Alexandra Hospital building leased to private operators * 1999 (25 October): Labor part stalwart

Eric Reece Eric Elliott Reece, AC (6 July 190923 October 1999) was Premier of Tasmania on two occasions: from 26 August 1958 to 26 May 1969, and from 3 May 1972 to 31 March 1975. His 13 years as premier remains the second longest in Tasmania's history, On ...

, hailed as Tasmania's greatest premier, died in Hobart, aged 90 * 1999: Proclamation of

Tasmanian Seamounts Marine Reserve Huon Commonwealth Marine Reserve is a 9,991 km2 marine protected area within Australian waters. The former Tasmanian Seamounts Marine Reserve created in 1999 was incorporated into the Huon reserve in 2007, and is part of the South-east Commonwe ...

, Australia's first deep-sea reserve * 1999: Tasmania voted the best temperate island in the world by the world's largest travel magazine, ''Conde Nast Traveler''

2000–present

* 2000 (1 January): Tasmania beamed to 43 television networks around the world to herald the new

millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...

* 2000: Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia visits Hobart * 2000: Tasmania hosts its first Sorry Day at

* 2000:

Olympic Torch The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. Several months before the Olympic Games, the Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece. This ceremony starts the Olym ...

comes to Tasmania * 2000: New Federation Concert Hall opens in Hobart * 2001 (10 May): Centenary of Federation celebrated * 2001: For the first time in 120 years, Tasmanian Australian rules football clubs take the national stage playing home and away VFL games * 2001: Tasmanian company Gunns clinches $335 million deal to become one of the giants of the Australian

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...

industry * 2001:

Impulse Airlines Impulse Airlines was an independent airline in Australia which operated regional and low-cost trunk services between 1992 and 2004. It was acquired by Qantas in 2001 to formed the basis of Qantas' new regional airline QantasLink. The airline ...

begins, cutting one way Hobart-Melbourne fares to $40, but is subsumed by

* 2001:

10 Days on the Island 10 Days on the Island is a biennial cultural festival held in Tasmania, Australia. The first was held in 2001. It is Tasmania's premier cultural event, and presents exhibitions, performances and community events in 50 locations around the island. ...

begins. It is Tasmania's biggest cultural festival in a century * 2001: State Government announces $53 million jail to replace the old

Risdon Jail Risdon is a surname and also a first name, and may refer to: ; Given name * Risdon Beazley (1904–1979), British businessman ; Surname * Dustin Risdon (born 1981), Canadian professional golfer * Elisabeth Risdon (1887–1958) English film actr ...

* 2001: New

traffic law Traffic codes are laws that generally include provisions relating to the establishment of authority and enforcement procedures, statement of the rules of the road, and other safety provisions. Administrative regulations for driver licensing, veh ...

s introduced, drivers face automatic disqualification if travelling 38 km/h over the limit * 2001: Meningoccocal hits Tasmania with the first of many deaths * 2002: House and land boom begins with East Coast blocks selling for almost three times the town's previous record * 2002 (May): : Tasmania's suburban street speed limit dropped to 50 km/h in a bid to increase road safety * 2002: Tasmania hit by drought * 2002 (16 May): Death of Australia's last

ANZAC The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the Gallipoli campaign. General William Birdwood comm ...

, Tasmania's Alec Campbell, aged 103. * 2002 (3 August): Tasmanian boxer Daniel Geale wins Tasmania's only gold medal at the

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

in Manchester, England. * 2002: Virgin Blue begins operating in Tasmania offering introductory $66 one-way fares to Melbourne * 2002 (1 September): Tasmania's fast ferries ''

Spirit of Tasmania I MS ''Spirit of Tasmania I'' is a roll-on/roll-off ferry operated by TT-Line between Melbourne and Devonport in Australia. Built in 1998 by Kvaerner Masa-Yards at Turku New Shipyard in Finland for Superfast Ferries as MS ''Superfast IV'', sin ...

'' and '' II'' replace original

on Bass Strait trade. * 2002 (12 October): Tasmanian Tim Hawkins killed in Bali bombing * 2002: Deregulated shop trading hours begin * 2003 (January): People urged by Tasmanian Fire Service to abandon their Australia Day long-weekend plans and prepare their homes for a potential firestorm as a number of fires pose the worst fire threat in 30 years * 2003: Official opening of the restored Queenstown to

Regatta Point Regatta Point is the location of a port and rail terminus on Macquarie Harbour (West Coast, Tasmania). Port Regatta Point is often assumed into the name of the locality across the bay in Macquarie Harbour, Strahan, Tasmania. The other ports ...

railway line

West Coast Wilderness Railway The West Coast Wilderness Railway is a reconstruction of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company Mount Lyell railway in Western Tasmania between Queenstown and Regatta Point, Strahan. The railway is significant because of its Abt rack s ...

. () * 2003: Attempted hijack of a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Launceston * 2003:

Federal Hotels Federal Group is a privately owned family company which operates tourism, hospitality, retail, and a national sensitive freight company but are primarily known for their casino and gaming assets in Tasmania which is described as a "a licence to pr ...

gets exclusive control of state's gaming machines for 15 years with a further 5-year option * 2003: Richard Butler becomes Tasmania's new governor * 2003:

Regina Bird Regina "Reggie" Sorensen (formerly Bird; born 19 March 1974) is an Australian television personality best known for being a contestant on and winning the third and fourteenth seasons of '' Big Brother Australia'' in 2003 and 2022 respectively, ...

wins reality-TV show '' Big Brother'', becomes first Tasmanian to do so * 2003: Tasmania passed some of the most progressive relationship laws in the world including same-sex adoptions and registration of 'significant' relationships * 2003: Engagement of Tasmania's Mary Donaldson to Denmark's Prince Frederik * 2004 (13 January): '' Spirit of Tasmania III'' makes its first voyage from Sydney to Devonport * 2004: State Government announces legislation to legalise brothels; leading to a back flip in 2005 when the government chose to ban brothels altogether. * 2004 (14 May): Wedding of Tasmania's Mary Donaldson to Denmark's Prince Frederik in Copenhagen. * 2004 (20 May): Premier

Jim Bacon James or Jim Bacon may refer to: *Jim Bacon (politician) (James Alexander Bacon, 1950–2004), Premier of Tasmania, 1998–2004 *Jim Bacon (rugby) James Arthur Bacon (fourth ¼ 1896 – fourth ¼ 1968) was a Welsh rugby union, and professional ...

dies in Hobart of lung cancer * 2004 (8 August):

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

n governor Richard Butler resigns at the request the premier, who agreed to pay "compensation" of $600,000 in lost salary * 2005 (15 October): Tasmanian Mary Donaldson and Prince Frederik give birth to a male infant Prince Christian who will be in the

line of succession to the Danish throne The Danish Act of Succession, adopted on 5 June 1953, restricts the throne to those descended from Christian X and his wife, Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, through approved marriages. Succession is by a change in the law in 2009 governed by ...

* 2006 (26 April): Beaconsfield mine collapse—One miner killed, two trapped underground for a fortnight. * 2006 (27 August): Final crossing of the '' Spirit of Tasmania III'' from Sydney to Devonport * 2011 (22 January) : The

Museum of Old and New Art The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) is an art museum located within the Moorilla winery on the Berriedale peninsula in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is the largest privately funded museum in the Southern Hemisphere. MONA houses ancient, mode ...

(MONA) opens to the public. * 2012 : Tasmania's largest company, Gunns, enters voluntary administration.

References and sources

;References ;Sources * * Robson, L. L. (1983). ''A History of Tasmania. Volume I. Van Diemen's Land From the Earliest Times to 1855''. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. . * Robson, L. L. (1991). ''A History of Tasmania. Volume II. Colony and State From 1856 to the 1980s''. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. . * Fenton, James. A history of Tasmania from its discovery in 1642 to the present time. London: Macmillan and Co., 1884.
link
{{Australia topic, title=

History of Australia The history of Australia is the story of the land and peoples of the continent of Australia. People first arrived on the Australian mainland by sea from Maritime Southeast Asia between 50,000 and 65,000 years ago, and penetrated to all part ...

, prefix=History of, VI=Victoria Articles containing video clips Tasmanian timelines

Indigenous people

European arrival

Timeline

Pre-1800

1800–1809

1810–1819

1820–1829

1830–1839

1840–1849

1850–1859

1860–1869

1870–1879

1880–1889

1890–1899

1900–1909

1910–1919

1920–1929

1930–1939

1940–1949

1950–1959

1960–1969

1970–1979

1980–1989

1990–1999

2000–present

See also

References and sources