Scottsdale, Tasmania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
-
For other uses, see Scottsdale .
Scottsdale is a town in the north-east coast of Tasmania, Australia. It lies on the Tasman Highway, around 60 km north-east of Launceston. It has a population of 1,904 (2001 census [1]) and is part of the Municipality of Dorset.
The area was first surveyed in 1855 and was described as, "the best soil on the island ... well watered, with a mild climate" by surveyor James Scott, for whom the town is named. This rings true today as the town, as well as being the regional centre for other north-east towns, is a major agricultural centre.
Contents |
[edit] Industry
Potato farming, dairy farming, pine plantations, poppy cultivation and mining are all major industries in the area. The setting of the town, surrounded by green fields and blue mountains, as well as increasing infrastructure and improved promotion for visitors, is giving the local tourism industry a boost.
The Forest EcoCentre, operated by Forestry Tasmania, was built in Scottsdale in the late 1990s, as an educational visitor centre designed to inform the public about the forestry industry in Tasmania.
[edit] Demographics
Scottsdale is a relatively anglo-saxon community, with the largest groups of foreign-born locals being from the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Italy. The town lacks religious diversity, with 72% of the population report to being of the Christian faith, and no Muslims or Jews. The median age of the town is 36. (These figures are from the 2001 census [2])
[edit] Localities
Scottsdale consists of a web of streets around two major avenues, King Street (Tasman Highway) and George Street/Tasman Highway or "Ringarooma Road" (Bridport Road). The main shopping area is located around King Street and Victoria Street. The high point of the town is located in Mary Street where there is a large water storage tank.
Elesmere is the "original" Scottsdale where the first settlement was built, located now on the northern outskirts of the town.
The other well-known locality is Lades Estate, primarily a government housing area. Lades Estate has earned the nickname Sin City because of the higher crime rate and lower socioeconomic status of this area of Scottsdale.
[edit] Culture
The town gained national media attention in 2005 and 2006 when fears about job losses in the local sawmilling industry [3] arose in the Scottsdale community.
In July 2006 Scottsdale, the heart of Tasmania's "north-east Bible belt", was given national coverage because local Exclusive Brethren sect members were named as having conducted an advertising smear against the Australian Greens political party[4]. Scottsale again received national attention in relation to this issue when the Greens party attempted to pass a motion to have a Senate Inquiry into the activities of the Exclusive Brethren.[5] Exclusive brethren members are successful local business people.
There has been consternation and division in 2005 and 2006 in the local community and against the Dorset Council over the issue of the closure of William Street to through traffic and the blessing of Lilydale Road and Listers Lane as a trucking route.[6]
Scottsdale locals gain a sense of community by participating in activities related to the local primary and high schools, churches and sport. AFL football is very popular in the town, as are swimming, golf, hockey, bowls and basketball.
Scottsdale is served by television stations ABC TV, SBS, Southern Cross Tasmania, WIN Television and radio stations 7SD 540 kHz and Sea FM 99.7 MHz
[edit] External links
