The Derwent Valley is a

river valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over a ...

and geographic area located in southern

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

, Australia. The largest town is

New Norfolk New Norfolk ( ; Aboriginal Tasmanians#Big River, Leenowwenne/palawa kani: ''Wulawali'') is a river bank, riverside town located on the Derwent River (Tasmania), River Derwent in southeastern Tasmania, Australia. Established in 1807, it is Tasm ...

, with other smaller towns spread across the area. The Derwent Valley area had a population of 10,942 in 2021. Commencing at Lake St Clair and spanning to the state capital of

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

, the River Derwent receives contributions from numerous tributaries and plays a role in Tasmania's intricate

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

system at certain points. Renowned for its

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

output, the Derwent Valley was initially settled by British colonists during the 1800s. Prior to colonisation, the area was inhabited by the Leenowwenne peoples of the Big River district.

Economy

The economy of the Derwent Valley is diverse, with a blend of agriculture (specifically

horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

and

viticulture Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine ...

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

small businesses Small businesses are types of corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships which have a small number of employees and/or less annual revenue than a regular-sized business or corporation. Businesses are defined as "small" in terms of being ...

, and local industries contributing to the region's economic activities. The hop industry in the Derwent Valley has held considerable importance as a primary sector and for many years was the most successful hop growing area in the Southern Hemisphere. Beginning in 1849, the Shoobridge family played a pivotal role in advancing the prosperity and development of hop cultivation in the Derwent Valley. Records indicate the initial mention of hops in Tasmania's agricultural reports in 1854. For an impressive span of 65 years, the Shoobridge family diligently farmed the

Bushy Park Bushy Park in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is the second largest of London's Royal Parks, at in area, after Richmond Park. The park, most of which is open to the public, is immediately north of Hampton Court Palace and Hampton ...

properties, dedicating the majority of this time to consistent hop production. This sustained effort resulted in Bushy Park becoming renowned as the most prosperous hop-growing region in the southern hemisphere. The valley is renowned for its fertile soils and favorable climate, making it an ideal area for agriculture. The region produces a variety of agricultural products, including fruits like

apples An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

cherries A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The name ...

berries A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone fruit, stone or pit (fruit), pit although many wikt:pip#Etymology 2, pips or seeds may be p ...

, and

stone fruits In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is a type of fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pip'' (UK), ''pit'' (US), ''stone'', or ''pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed ...

, as well as

vegetables Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including flowers, fruits, ...

. Many farms in the Derwent Valley engage in

and orcharding, contributing significantly to Tasmania's agricultural output. There are thriving

trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...

and

salmon Salmon (; : salmon) are any of several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera ''Salmo'' and ''Oncorhynchus'' of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native ...

fish hatcheries A fish hatchery is a place for artificial breeding, Egg#Fish and amphibian eggs, hatching, and rearing through the early life stages of animals—finfish and shellfish in particular.Crespi V., Coche A. (2008) Food and Agriculture Organization of t ...

, exemplified by the Salmon Ponds, founded in 1864 with the aim of introducing salmon to the region. While the initial salmon introduction didn't succeed as anticipated, focus shifted to trout, also imported from England. This hatchery served as the cornerstone for trout hatcheries across Australia and New Zealand. Presently, the Salmon Ponds continue to supply trout stock for Tasmania's lakes and rivers. The picturesque landscapes and historical significance of the Derwent Valley attract tourists. Visitors are drawn to the region's natural beauty, heritage sites, and outdoor recreational activities. Tourism-related businesses such as accommodations, restaurants, local markets, and adventure tourism activities play a role in the local economy. The Derwent Valley hosts

Mount Field National Park Mount Field National Park is a national park in Tasmania, Australia, 64 km northwest of Hobart, Australia, Hobart. The landscape ranges from eucalyptus temperate rainforest to alpine moorland, rising to 1,434 metres (4,705 ft) at the ...

, among Australia's oldest preserved natural landscapes. This park shelters distinctive Tasmanian wildlife and plants, including rare native species and some of the globe's tallest trees. It boasts lakes, snow-covered peaks in winter, and breathtaking waterfalls like Lady Barron Falls, Horseshoe Falls, and

Russell Falls The Russell Falls, a Waterfall#Types, tieredcascade waterfall on the Russell Falls Creek, is located in the Central Highlands (Tasmania), Central Highlands region of Tasmania, Australia. Location and features The Russell Falls are situated on ...

. Visitors can engage in various activities such as hiking, nocturnal glow worm tours, skiing, spelunking, and camping within the park's bounds. Historically, the Derwent Valley has been involved in forestry and timber-related activities. While this sector has undergone changes over the years, forestry remains a part of the region's economy.

History

The area was first settled by Europeans in the early 1800s. The Derwent Valley Railway opened on the 1 September 1887.

Media

The Derwent Valley hosts ''The Derwent Valley Gazette'', a weekly local newspaper, and the ''New Norfolk and Derwent Valley News'', an online new resource. Edge Radio is the local youth radio station and New Norfolk is the headquarters of TYGA FM, a

community radio Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial broadcasting, commercial and public broadcasting. Community broadcasting, Community stations serve geographic communities and communities o ...

station.

References

Sources

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External links