Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia, population approximately 90,000 (Greater urban and 99,100 statistical division), located at the juncture of the North Esk, South Esk, and Tamar rivers. It is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart. km redirects here. ... Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. ... Devonport City Council shown in green in map of Tasmania Devonport is a city in the north-west of Tasmania, Australia, at the mouth of the Mersey River. ... Scottsdale is a town in the north-east coast of Tasmania, Australia. ... Capital Hobart Government Constitutional monarchy Governor William Cox Premier Paul Lennon (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 5  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $16,114 (7th)  - Product per capita  $33,243/person (8th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  489,600 (6th)  - Density  7. ... The North Esk River is one of the tributaries of the Tamar River together with the South Esk River. ... The South Esk River is the longest river in Tasmania. ... Tamar River The Tamar River in northern Tasmania is formed by the merging of the North Esk River and South Esk Rivers in Launceston. ... For other places and things named Hobart, see Hobart (disambiguation). ...

Launceston is Australia's third oldest city (after Sydney and Hobart) and has many historical buildings and sights. The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of 4,119,190, and 151,920 in the City of Sydney, as of the 2006 census. ...

Like many Australian places, it was named after a town in the United Kingdom—in this case, Launceston, Cornwall. (Note, however, that while the Cornish Launceston is pronounced /ˈlɔːns(t)ən/ or /ˈlɑːns(t)ən/, the Australian one is pronounced /ˈlɒnsəstən/.) Disambiguation: for the Australian town, please see Launceston, Tasmania Launceston (Cornish: Lannstefan; the English name is pronounced , or , usually without the t by the Cornish, but with by everyone else) is a town and civil parish in the north of Cornwall, England, with a population of approximately 7,000. ... This chart shows concisely the most common way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is applied to represent the English language. ...

History

Europeans originally settled at the mouth of the Tamar River (historically called Port Dalrymple^[1]) at George Town in 1804 but moved to the present site of Launceston in 1805. Between 1803 until the proclamation of Van Diemen's Land in 1823, Launceston was the administrative capital of one the dependencies of New South Wales on the island. World map showing the location of Europe. ... Tamar River The Tamar River in northern Tasmania is formed by the merging of the North Esk River and South Esk Rivers in Launceston. ... Municipality of George Town George Town () is one of the larger towns in north-east Tasmania, on the eastern bank of the mouth of the Tamar River. ... 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Capital Sydney Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Professor Marie Bashir Premier Morris Iemma (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 50  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $305,437 (1st)  - Product per capita  $45,153/person (4th) Population (End of March 2006)  - Population  6,817,100 (1st)  - Density  8. ...

Launceston was once the home of John Batman (see History of Melbourne). From Launceston, Batman planned and designed the city of Melbourne, and in 1834 he sailed with John Pascoe Fawkner across Bass Strait to settle at Port Phillip, Victoria. (Note: The spelling of John Batman's surname is Bateman in some literature.) John Batman Statue of John Batman at former National Mutual Plaza off Collins Street in Melbourne unveiled 26 January 1979 John Batman (born 21 January 1801 - 5 May 1839) was an Australian farmer and businessman who was one of the first settlers of the Melbourne area and known for founding... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... Portrait of John Pascoe Fawkner, founder of Melbourne, by William Strutt, 1856: oil on canvas; 61. ... Map of Australia with Bass Strait marked in light blue Bass Strait (IPA: ) is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland (Victoria in particular). ... Landsat 7 composite imagery of the bay. ... Capital Melbourne Government Constitutional monarchy Governor David de Kretser Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 37  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $222,022 (2nd)  - Product per capita  $44,443/person (5th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  5,110,500 (2nd)  - Density  22. ...

For some years after 1848, Launceston was the place of exile of the Irish nationalist leader Terence MacManus where his cottage still stands. Exile (band) may refer to: Exile - The American country music band Exile - The Japanese pop music band Category: ... An Irish nationalist is generally one who seeks (greater) independence of Ireland from Great Britain, including since 1921 the goal of a United Ireland. ... Terence Bellew MacManus (Born probably County Fermanagh, 1811; died San Francisco, January 15 1861). ...

Government

Almost the entire city is part of the City of Launceston Local Government Area. Some outer suburbs are part of adjacent council districts; Riverside and Legana are part of the West Tamar Council; Prospect Vale and Blackstone Heights are part of the Meander Valley Council. The City of Launceston is a Local Government Area of Tasmania, encompassing almost all of the greater Launceston area in northern Tasmania. ... Local Government Area (abbreviated LGA) is a term used in Australia (and especially by the Australian Bureau of Statistics) to refer to areas controlled by each individual Local Government. ... // Legana is a small township on the Tamar River in northern Tasmania 12 kilometres north of Tasmanias second largest city, Launceston. ... The West Tamar Council is a Local Government Area of Tasmania, Australia. ... This article, image, template or category should belong in one or more categories. ... The Meander Valley Council is a Local Government Area of Tasmania. ...

Geography and landmarks

Ornate fountain in Prince's Square

Launceston serves as the commercial hub for the north of the state and, like many parts of Tasmania, is a major tourist centre. Some points of attraction are: Image File history File linksMetadata Launceston_albert_square. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Launceston_albert_square. ...

• The Cataract Gorge, a natural wonder of Tasmania and only five minutes walk from the city
• The City Park, which includes an enclosure for Japanese Macaque monkeys, a gift from the sister-city of Ikeda, Japan
• The Tamar River and tributaries
• The Tamar Valley, which is home to some of Australia's best vineyards
• The Boags Brewery, which produces one of Australia's premium beers.
• Aurora Stadium - The State's only venue for Australian Football League matches

The city is home to a large collection of magnificently preserved Victorian architecture. The Cataract Gorge Reserve is one of Launceston and northern Tasmanias premier tourist attractions. ... Binomial name Macaca fuscata Blyth, 1875 The Japanese Macaque (Macaca fuscata), also known as the Snow Monkey, is a terrestrial Old World monkey species native to northern Japan, although an introduced free-ranging population has been living near Laredo, Texas since 1972. ... Approximate worldwide distribution of monkeys. ... Ikeda may refer to: Ikeda, Osaka Ikeda, Hokkaido This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Tamar River in northern Tasmania is formed by the merging of the North Esk River and South Esk Rivers in Launceston. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Tamar Valley is a very picturesque valley which runs north-west from Launceston to the coast a distance of about fifty kilometers. ... A common vineyard. ... Boags Brewery is a brewery run by J. Boag & Sons and is located in Launceston, Australia. ... York Park (also known as Aurora Stadium) is the major Australian Rules Football ground located in the city of Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. ... The Australian Football League (AFL), formerly known as the Victorian Football League, and sometimes known as the VFL/AFL, is the elite Australian national competition in the sport of Australian rules football. ... Manchester Town Hall is an example of Victorian architecture found in Manchester, UK. The Carson Mansion is an example of a Victorian home in Eureka, California, USA The term Victorian architecture can refer to one of a number of architectural styles predominantly in the Victorian era. ...

The Launceston General Hospital is one of 3 major public hospitals in the state. The Launceston Remand Centre serves as the area's detention facility. The Launceston General Hospital is one of the three main public hospitals in Tasmania, Australia, and serves the north of the state. ... Launceston Remand Centre is an Australian prison facility located in Cimitiere Street, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. ...

Launceston is the hub for the state's medical retrieval service. The Royal Flying Doctor Service is serviced by the state's ambulance service, and doctors from the Launceston General Hospital. An RFDS Pilatus PC-12 on a remote airstrip in Queensland, Australia. ...

The University of Tasmania has a large campus close to the city, at Newnham. The Australian Maritime College is located on the grounds. The University of Tasmania (also abbreviated as UTAS, UTas or Tas Uni) is a well-regarded Australian university, with three campuses in Tasmania. ... AMC Logo The Australian Maritime College (AMC) is a tertiary education institution based in Launceston, Tasmania. ...

Transport

Metro Bus Launceston

Launceston has a public bus service operated by the Tasmanian government owned company Metro Tasmania. Buses operate on an irregular time table and take commuters between city suburbs. Services run from some stops per hour, Monday to Friday and with only a few services on weekends. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (449x658, 34 KB) Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (449x658, 34 KB) Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Metro Tasmania is the primary provider of public transport in the Australian state of Tasmania. ... A Go North East bus parked in a lay-by in Tyne and Wear, England. ...

Launceston is the hub of five of the state's major highways:

• The Midland Highway, the primary route to Hobart
• The Bass Highway, the primary route to Devonport and Burnie
• The Tasman Highway, the alternate scenic route to Hobart via Scottsdale and the east coast.
• The West Tamar Highway and East Tamar Highway, on either side of the Tamar River.

The city is served by Launceston Airport (IATA code LST), just south-east of the city. There are direct flights to and from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The Midland Highway (also known as the Midlands Highway) is the main highway in Tasmania, Australia. ... Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. ... The Bass Highway is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. ... Devonport City Council shown in green in map of Tasmania Devonport is a city in the north-west of Tasmania, Australia, at the mouth of the Mersey River. ... Burnie is a port city on the north-west coast of Tasmania, originally settled in 1827 as Emu Bay. ... Tasman Highway, at Cambridge(Mt. ... Scottsdale is a town in the north-east coast of Tasmania, Australia. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The East Tamar Highway is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. ... Launceston Airport (IATA: LST, ICAO: YMLT) is the airport of Launceston, Tasmania. ... An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier or simply a location identifier [1], is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). ... Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of 4,119,190, and 151,920 in the City of Sydney, as of the 2006 census. ... Brisbane (pronounced ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, as well as the third largest city in Australia, with a greater metropolitan population of 1. ...

The Tamar river is used for tourist cruises.

Although there is no passenger rail system in Tasmania, the main freight rail route links Launceston with Hobart.

Like many of the larger cities in Australia, Launceston operated a tramway system between 1911 and 1952, which consisted of 29 trams and was first planned in 1909 after observations of efficiently working systems in Melbourne and Adelaide. For a decade before the tram system was abandoned, Launceston had begun converting to trolleybuses, especially for the hilly routes and operated one of the most extensive trolleybus networks in Australia. The network was finally ripped up in 1952 to make way for cars and buses and a single tramway museum in Inveresk is all that remains. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Å koda 14 Tr trolleybus in Vilnius, Lithuania. ...

Culture, sport, notable achievements

Launceston Firsts

The Sir John Hart Conservatory in City Park

Ornate cast iron fountain in City Park

Launceston was the home of several firsts: Image File history File linksMetadata Launceston_conservatory. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Launceston_conservatory. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Launceston_city_gardens_fountain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Launceston_city_gardens_fountain. ...

• first use of anaesthetic in Southern Hemisphere
• first Australian city to have underground sewers
• first Australian city to be lit by hydro-electricity (see Duck Reach Power Station)
• longest single span chairlift in the world at the Cataract Gorge
• first telephone call in Australia
• first laminated tennis racket
• first use of two way radios in taxis
• first shopping mall in Australia
• first breeding of seahorses in captivity, in the world
• first First-class cricket game played in Australia (at the NTCA Ground between Tasmania and Victoria)
• youngest female elected mayor in Australia

From 1999 to 2003, Launceston was the home of three of the four Gone South music festivals. Since 2006 it has also been the host of MS Fest, a music festival to raise funds for multiple sclerosis research. Anesthesia (AE), also anaesthesia (BE), is the process of blocking the perception of pain and other sensations. ... Sewers transport wastewater from buildings to treatment facilities. ... Hydroelectric dam diagram The waters of Llyn Stwlan, the upper reservoir of the Ffestiniog Pumped-Storage Scheme in north Wales, can just be glimpsed on the right. ... Duck Reach Power Station was the first publicly-owned hydro-electric plant in the Southern Hemisphere, and provided the Tasmanian city of Launceston with hydro-electric power from its construction in 1895 to its closure in 1955. ... The Cataract Gorge Reserve is one of Launceston and northern Tasmanias premier tourist attractions. ... First-class cricket matches are those between international teams or the highest standard of domestic teams in which teams have two innings each. ... Capital Melbourne Government Constitutional monarchy Governor David de Kretser Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 37  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $222,022 (2nd)  - Product per capita  $44,443/person (5th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  5,110,500 (2nd)  - Density  22. ... Gone South is a music festival in Tasmania, Australia. ...

Launceston is also the home to Australia's oldest bookshop. A.W. Birchall & Sons (Birchalls) opened its doors in 1844 at its current site in Brisbane Street.^[2]

Inveresk Precinct

This precinct, near Royal Park, hosts the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (the largest museum and art gallery in Australia located outside a capital city), Chinese Temple, Railway Workshops and a Planetarium. The latest addition to the precinct is the new Launceston Tramway Museum. Included in the museum is the fully restored No 29 tram, the fully restored 'Mary St' shelter shed and a host of memorabilia. The restoration has taken place over a number of years and the museum is run entirely by volunteers. // A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. ...

Sport

Launceston is the home of Aurora Stadium (a.k.a. York Park), which is the state's only first-class sports ground equipped with lights for evening games. It hosts several first class Australian rules events, including the Northern Tasmanian Football League and Victorian Football League team, the Tasmanian Devils Football Club. The Melbourne team Hawthorn (and previously St Kilda) have played a small number of AFL (Australian football) games there each year. Launceston holds the record attendance for a VFL/AFL crowd in Tasmania (20,961) set on June 18, 2006 when Hawthorn played Richmond Football Club. York Park (now known as Aurora Stadium) is the major Australian rules football ground located in Inveresk, an inner city suburb of Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. ... The Northern Tasmanian Football League is an Australian rules football competition in northern Tasmania. ... For other uses, see VFL (disambiguation). ... The Tasmanian Devils Football Club is an Australian rules football team, in the Victorian Football League in Australia. ... Hawthorn Football Club logo The Hawthorn Football Club, known by their nickname The Hawks are an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League. ... St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed The Saints, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League. ... The Australian Football League (AFL), formerly known as the Victorian Football League, and sometimes known as the VFL/AFL, is the elite Australian national competition in the sport of Australian rules football. ... High marking is a key skill and spectator attribute of Aussie Rules Precise field and goal kicking using the oval shaped ball is the key skill in Aussie Rules Football Australian rules football, also known as Australian football, Aussie rules, or simply football or footy is a code of football... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League. ...

There is heated (but friendly) rivalry between residents of Launceston and the southern capital Hobart. The AFL games mentioned above are an example -- Hobart residents are disappointed about missing out -- while Hobart hosts all international cricket games played in the state at the Bellerive Oval. Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. ... The Australian Football League (AFL), formerly known as the Victorian Football League, and sometimes known as the VFL/AFL, is the elite Australian national competition in the sport of Australian rules football. ... Bellerive Oval is a sports ground in Bellerive, eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. ...

Launceston is also the city where the controversial finish to the St Kilda v Fremantle game occurred, on April 30, 2006. The AFL siren controversy of 2006 (dubbed Sirengate) was the controversy surrounding the conclusion and result of an Australian rules football match played on 30 April 2006 during Round 5 of the Australian Football Leagues 2006 season. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

The city was also one of the venues for the 2003 Rugby World Cup attracting a record crowd of 19,891 for the sport of rugby union in Tasmania to a game between Romania and Namibia at York Park. The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth rugby union world cup. ... A rugby union scrum. ...

Launceston is the only city in Tasmania to have hosted national soccer matches. A National Soccer League game was held at Aurora Stadium in 2002 between Perth Glory and Melbourne Knights, attracting 5,324 fans. An A-League pre-season cup game was played at the same venue between Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United on 16 July 2006 in front of a crowd of 6,834. A player (wearing the red kit) has penetrated the defence (in the white kit) and is taking a shot at goal. ... The National Soccer League, or NSL, was the former national football (soccer) competition in Australia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Perth Glory FC is a football (soccer) club from Perth, Western Australia, playing in the A-League. ... The Melbourne Knights Football Club is a football (soccer) club representing Melbourne in the Victorian Premier League (VPL), and is a two-time championship winner in the now defunct National Soccer League (NSL). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Melbourne Victory FC is a football (soccer) club based in Melbourne, Australia. ... Adelaide United FC are a football (soccer) club from Adelaide, Australia. ... is the 197th day of the year (198th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Industry

Launceston is a major service centre for the north of the island of Tasmania, powering a small finance, education and entertainment industries.

The city is also has a large minerals and manufacturing base. Air quality is a concern in the city, which has the highest levels of atmospheric pollution in the state [1].

It is also a hub for the major agricultural region.

Tourism is also an industry in the city.

Notable people from Launceston

• Marcos Ambrose (racing car driver)
• Simon Baker (actor)
• David Boon (cricket player)
• Daniel Geale (boxer)
• Graeme Murphy (choreographer)
• Ricky Ponting (cricket player)
• Peter Sculthorpe (composer)
• Allan Stone (tennis player)
• Rachael Taylor (actress)
• Tim Lane (sports commentator)
• Hudson Fysh (aviator)

Marcos Ambrose (born September 1, 1976 in Launceston, Tasmania) is an Australian racing driver. ... Simon Baker (b. ... David Clarence Boon, usually referred to as Boony (born December 29, 1960, in Launceston, Tasmania) is a former Australian cricketer of the 1980s and 1990s. ... Daniel Geale (born February 26, 1981 in Launceston, Tasmania) is a welterweight boxer from Australia, who won the gold medal in the mens welterweight division at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, United Kingdom. ... Graeme Murphy (born November 1950) is one of Australias most well known dance choreographers and formed the Sydney Dance Company in 1976 with fellow dancer and collaborator Janet Vernon. ... Ricky Thomas Ponting (born December 19, 1974, in Launceston, Tasmania) is an Australian cricketer and current captain of the Australia national cricket team (for both One-Day International and Test cricket). ... Peter Sculthorpe (born April 29, 1929) is a noted Australian composer from Launceston, Tasmania. ... Allan Stone (born October 14, 1945, in Launceston, Australia) played amateur and professional tennis in the 1960s and 1970s. ... Sasha and Adam (Conrad Coleby) in headLand Rachael Taylor (born July 11, 1984) is an Australian actress. ... Timothy Tim Lane (born 1951 in Launceston, Tasmania) is an Australian journalist and sports commentator. ... Wilmot Hudson Fysh (b January 6, 1895, d April 6, 1974). ...

Notable residents of Launceston

• Allan Sallsbury (cartoonist best known for Snake Tales)

Allan Salisbury, also known as Sols, is an Australian cartoonist, best known for his newspaper comic Snake Tales. ... Snake Tales (also known as simply Snake, after the main character) is a comic strip written by Australian cartoonist Allan Salisbury (aka Sols). ...

Sister cities

• Ikeda, Japan (1965)
• Seremban, Malaysia (1976)
• Napa, United States of America (1988)
• Taiyuan, Peoples Republic of China (1995)

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Image File history File links Wikibooks-logo. ... Image File history File links Wikiquote-logo. ... Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Image File history File links WikiNews-Logo. ... Image File history File links Wikiversity-logo-Snorky. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Ikeda ) is a city located in Osaka, Japan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Malaysia. ... This article does not adequately cite its references. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Places: Napa, California Napa County, California Napa Valley College Other: NAPA - National Automotive Parts Association NAPA - National Asphalt Pavement Association Categories: Disambiguation ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Peoples_Republic_of_China. ... Location within China Taiyuan (Chinese: ; pinyin: Tàiyuán; Wade-Giles: Tai-yüan) is a prefecture-level city in China, capital of the Shanxi province. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Coordinates: 41°26′31″S 147°08′42″E / -41.442, 147.145 Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

• Maps and aerial photos
  • Street map from Street Directory, MSN Maps and Multimap.
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, WikiMapia and Terraserver.
  • Topographic and bathymetric map from Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia.