Tasmania is an Island state on the south east tip of the continent. It is the smallest of the six states and two Territories that constitute Australia, and is the only state detached from the mainland.
Originally named Van Dieman’s Land - after the Governor of the Dutch East India Company - by Dutch navigator-explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, it was administered as part of New South Wales, when the British established a penal colony there in 1803. The colony's name was changed to Tasmania in 1856, when the British Parliament granted the colony responsible self-government. It became the State of Tasmania when it joined with the other states and territories to form a Federation in 1901.
In the 2021 Australian Census, Tasmania had a population of 553,000 people, of which about 5.4% identify as Indigenous Australians. The capital of Tasmania is Hobart, but almost two-thirds of the population lived outside the metropolitan area of the capital.[1]
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History of Tasmania
Indigenous History
Traveling across a land bridge that connected Tasmania to the mainland 40 thousand years ago, the Palawa or Pakana people of Tasmania were isolated around 6000 years ago, when sea levels rose dramatically, creating what is now called Bass Strait. Their society developed in isolation until the arrival of European explorers in the 18th century.
The island was divided among several bands or family groups of 15 to 50 people, who spoke different dialects. Each kinship group had a loosely defined territory, hunting land and sea mammals and collecting shellfish and vegetables.
In the warmer months people traversed the open forest and moorlands of the interior in. During the colder winter months they moved to the coast. Bands would gather together for a corroboree to celebrate important events, for a hunt, or for protection[2].
When the British established a penal colony in the south east of the island, Europeans immediately came into conflict with the indigenous residents, who were no match for the superior weaponry of the invaders. From a pre-European population of several thousand people, by the 1830s there were only around 400 full blooded Tasmanian aboriginal people left.
Between 1831 and 1835, most of the Aborignal population were removed to Flinders Island.
Their social organization and traditional way of life destroyed, subjected to alien disease and attempts to “civilize” them, most of them soon died. The death in 1876 of Truganini, a Tasmanian Aboriginal woman who had aided the resettlement on Flinders Island, gave rise to the widely propagated myth that the Aboriginal people of Tasmania had become extinct. [3]
However, a community of aboriginal women onnCape Barren Isalnd, living with European sealers, continued to identify as Tasmanian Aborigines. In 1881, the island became a reserve for “half-castes,” (an official designation for mixed-race individuals) But even there, they were discriminated against even as their Aboriginal identity was negated. The Cape Barren Island Reserve Act of 1912 , identified the islanders as a distinct people requiring special regulation by the government but did not recognize them as Aboriginal[2].
By the 1970s a movement for Aboriginal rights in Tasmania had begun to gain steam, led by activists who pointedly identified themselves as Aboriginal people rather than as the “descendants” of Aboriginal people. Soon the movement’s goals moved beyond recognition of Aboriginal identity to the pursuit of land rights. With the adoption of the Aboriginal Lands Act of 1995 , the Tasmanian government began returning control of significant places (including most of Cape Barren Island in 2005) to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community. In the 2011 census, more than 19,000 Tasmanians identified as Aboriginal people, though disputes arose within the Aboriginal community over the authenticity of some of those claims. [2]
European Settlement
The coast of Tasmania was first sighted in 1642 by Dutch navigator/ explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who called it Anthoonij van Diemenslandt, after his benefactor, Anthony Van Diemen, governor at the Dutch East India Company.
In 1772, a French expedition led by Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne 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.[4]
In 1798, Matthew Flinders became the first person to circumnavigate Tasmania.
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In 1803, the British established a small settlement, mostly made up of convict labour and guards, on the eastern bank of the Derwent River, at Risdon Cove, under the command of under Lt. John Bowen. The British shortened the island’s name to Van Diemen’s Land. In 1804 the settlement relocated 5km south, and crossed over to the western bank of the Derwent River, where there was a better supply of fresh water. The new settlement was named Hobart Town, after the British Colonial Secretary of the time, Lord Robert Hobart, and eventually shortened to simply Hobart.
The first ship of free settlers arrived in the colony in 1816, and between 1817 and 1852 convict ships traveled directly from England. In 1821 the notorious Macquarie Harbour Penal settlement was established at Sarah Island, on the west coast.
1824 both the Supreme Court and Cascade Brewery were established. Both are still in operation, with the latter holding the honour of being Australia's longest continuously operating brewery.
In 1825, Van Diemen’s land attained independence from New South Wales.
Van Diemen’s land became the penal colony’s penal colony, with recidivist prisoners from the north sent south for more severe punishment. In 1833 Port Arthur, a former timber station, was repurposed as…
…a destination for those deemed the most hardened of convicted British criminals, those who were secondary offenders having reoffended after their arrival in Australia. Rebellious personalities from other convict stations were also sent there. … Port Arthur had some of the strictest security measures of the British penal system.[5]
The colony developed with resources such as the keenly sought after timber, Lagarostrobos, also called Huon Pine, in high demand for ship building. Tin, copper and zinc mining boomed, and the population grew rapidly, from about 4,500 in 1820, to over 150,000 by the 1890s.
On 23 October 1854 the Legislative Council had voted to forward a petition to the Queen to take the necessary steps to substitute the name Tasmania for Van Diemen's Land. The actual name change was, as directed by this Order, proclaimed on 1 January 1856. The use of Tasmania as a name for the island dates from at least early 1820s. Godwin's Emigrant's Guide to Van Diemen's Land, more properly called Tasmania appeared in 1823. The name in this context probably referred to the famed navigator, Abel Tasman. 'Tasmania' became popular in official circles from the late 1830, perhaps partly to avoid the convict associations of the official name.[6]
Post Federation
In 1898 Tasmanians voted to join the federation of Australian states, forming the State of Tasmania in the Commonwealth of Australia.
The economy grew.
…hydroelectricity made possible the construction and operation of a massive zinc refinery near Hobart. In the years immediately following, a large confectionery plant was also built near Hobart, and several textile mills sprang up, notably in Launceston. [7]
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One industry that also became synonymous with Tasmania was apple growing.
Apples were among the first crops introduced to Tasmania by the early settlers. These were initially planted around the homesteads as "house orchards", being part of a near subsistence economy. From the 1820's onwards an ever increasing surplus was exported to the mainland colonies. By 1860 (the first year of detailed statistics) there were 120 varieties of apples produced in Tasmania[8]
Tasmania’s natural beauty was always a drawcard for the island. After environmental protests in the 1980s stopped the damming of the Franklin River on the west coast, Tasmania became a magnet for green tourism. The Scenic Preservation Board was created in 1915, to help keep Tasmania’s natural treasures safe. Iconic locations such as Cradle Mountain and Freycinet National Park were among the first to be preserved. By 1971 when the Board's work was taken over by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, but by then over 100,000 acres of reserves had been created.[9]
Today, Tasmania is a hub of great food, fine art, diverse culture and unspoiled nature. Local produce and beverages regularly win international awards, MONA, the privately owned Museum of Old and New Art, is one of the most popular art galleries in the country, and Port Arthur is a major tourist destination.
Government in Tasmania
Tasmania is divided into seats represented by state parliamentarians. The Tasmanian State government is responsible for areas of public administration such as schools, hospitals and public transport. They also manage the Libraries Tasmania, which also hold the Tasmanian State Archives. Local Government Areas (LGA's), also known as local councils, are responsible for issues that relate to a local area, sometimes referred to as the 3-Rs - Roads, Rubbish and Recreation. Councils are also responsible for local libraries
Demographics
Around 15% of Tasmania's residents were born in overseas. The 2021 Census included a question on ancestral background. The top ancestral backgrounds in Tasmania are:
- English 43.7%
- Australian 40.4%
- Irish 10.2%
- Scottish 9.4%
- Australian Aboriginal 4.8%
In 2021, the top five countries of birth in Tasmania were:
- Australia 79.1%
- England 3.5%
- China 1.2%
- Nepal 1.1%
- India 1.1%
After English the most common languages used were Mandarin (1.5%), Nepali (1.3%), Punjabi (0.5%) and Spanish (0.3%)[10]
Most Popular Surnames in Tasmania
Researching your Family History in Tasmania
Records relevant to family history research can be found in collections at a national, state and local level. As a British colony, some very early records may also be found in The National Archives in the UK.
The primary sources for genealogical records in South Australia are Government agencies, archives and libraries.
Digital images of historical Birth, Death and Marriage certificates can be ordered from the Birth Death and Marriage Registry. Links to searchable indexes are available through Libraries Tasmania.
Libraries Tasmania also holds a variety of archival records for the state. Their website has a Names Index, where one can search for specific individuals in state records, and plenty of other information and resources to help you navigate their holdings.
Trove, managed by the National Library of Australia, is another free resource that aggregates content, including digitised newspapers, magazines, images, diaries and letters, and other material, dating from the establishment of the colony, from collections around Australia.
Military Archives from around the country are predominantly held at the Australian War Memorial (AWM). The collection includes millions of items relating to individuals, units and conflicts, including digitised service records.
In regional areas and small country towns, local history and genealogical societies are a great source of local records. Many regional towns in Tasmania have a local history society, and/or a local library and museum. The Federation of Australian Historical Societies has a searchable index where you can find contact details for a society in a specific town or locality, or simply do a web search for the town name plus historical society.
And of course, MyHeritage holds a large number of records for Tasmania.
See also
Explore more about Tasmania
- Tasmania - collection catalog at MyHeritage
- The Epic Love Stories Shared with Us in the #HowTheyMet Contest - on the MyHeritage Blog
References
- ↑ "Snapshot of Tasmania | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. Tue, 28/06/2022 - 10:00. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Tasmanian Aboriginal people | History & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-08-30. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ↑ Wikipedia - Aboriginal Tasmanians
- ↑ Wikipedia-History of Tasmania
- ↑ Wikipedia-Port Arthur, Tasmania
- ↑ "Documenting Democracy". www.foundingdocs.gov.au. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ↑ "Tasmania - Self-Government, Federation, Island | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-08-30. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ↑ aph.gov.au Senate Review of Australia’s Quarantine Function - SUBMISSION BY: TASMANIAN APPLE & PEAR GROWERS ASSOCIATION INC
- ↑ "Scenery Preservation Board". www.utas.edu.au. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ↑ "Snapshot of Tasmania | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. Tue, 28/06/2022 - 10:00. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
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