The history of Tasmania begins at the end of the Last Glacial Period (approximately 12,000 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 colonisation of Tasmania in the 19th century.

Indigenous people

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 ...

was inhabited by an Indigenous population, 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. At the time of European contact, Aboriginal Tasmanians were divided into a numb ...

, 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'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 that precipitated the near-extermination of the indigenous population. The conflict was fought largely as ...

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

infectious disease An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmis ...

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. Today Flinders Island is part of the state of Tasmania, Australia. It is from Cape Portland, Tasmania, Cape Portl ...

George Augustus Robinson George Augustus Robinson (22 March 1791 – 18 October 1866) was an English born builder and self-trained preacher who was employed by the British colonial authorities to conciliate the Indigenous Australians of Van Diemen's Land and the Po ...

. Until the 1970s, most people thought that the last surviving Tasmanian Aboriginal person was Truganini, 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 sea explorer, seafarer and exploration, explorer, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He was the first European 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 during the European exploration of Australia, European exploration and colonisation of Australia in the 19th century. The Aboriginal Tasmanians, Aboriginal-inhabited island wa ...

by the British. In 1772, a French expedition led by Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne landed on the island. Captain

James Cook Captain (Royal Navy), Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 176 ...

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

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

at Risdon Cove 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 Sullivans Cove is on the River Derwent adjacent to the Hobart City Centre in Tasmania. It was the site of initial European settlement in the area, and the location of the earlier components of the Port of Hobart. History The cove was the init ...

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. 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 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 ( ; VOC ), commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, was a chartered company, chartered trading company and one of the first joint-stock companies in the world. Established on 20 March 1602 by the States Ge ...

, 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 demogr ...

; he names it Van Diemen's Land after fellow

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...

(now

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

)

Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

Anthony van Diemen Anthony van Diemen (also ''Antonie'', ''Antonio'', ''Anton'', ''Antonius''; 1593 – 19 April 1645) was a Dutch colonial governor. Early life Van Diemen was born in Culemborg (now in the Netherlands, then in a county in the Holy Roman Empire) ...

* 1792: Captain

William Bligh William Bligh (9 September 1754 – 7 December 1817) was a Vice-admiral (Royal Navy), Royal Navy vice-admiral and colonial administrator who served as the governor of New South Wales from 1806 to 1808. He is best known for his role in the Muti ...

anchors in Adventure Bay for a second time and names Table Mountain (now kunanyi/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 Navy officer, explorer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Isle de France (Mauritius), governor of Isle de Fran ...

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

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

, 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 life Bass was born on 30 January 1771 at Aswarby, a hamlet near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of a tenant farmer, George B ...

and

Matthew Flinders Captain (Royal Navy), Captain Matthew Flinders (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer, navigator and cartographer who led the first littoral zone, inshore circumnavigate, circumnavigation of mainland Australia, then ...

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 175416 September 1803) was a French explorer, cartographer, naturalist and hydrographer, most notable for his explorations in Australia and the southern Pacific. He carried a few corms of Gros Michel banana ...

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 Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than "Britain" today. The name for Scot ...

'', starts first British settlement of Tasmania at Risdon Cove, naming it

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 ...

. * 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 languages, Kulin: ''Narm-Narm'') or Port Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shaped bay#Types, enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The bay opens into the Bass Strait via a short, ...

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 convicts ...

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 State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

clergyman Robert Knopwood 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 named a river, the waterway is a brackish and tidal estuary over its entire length. Etymology The Tamar River was named ...

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

whaling Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...

station at Ralphs Bay. * 1805: First land grants include 10 acres (40,000 m²) to Robert Knopwood * 1806: Colonel William Paterson begins transfer of York Town settlement to site of modern Launceston * 1807: First

Norfolk Island Norfolk Island ( , ; ) is an States and territories of Australia, external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head, New South Wales, Evans Head and a ...

settlers arrive in Hobart in the and settle at

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 ...

* 1807: Lieutenant Thomas Laycock 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 New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

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 built beside

Rivulet A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a strea ...

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 a subantarctic island in the south-western Pacific Ocean, about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. It has been governed as a part of Tasmania, Australia, since 1880. It became a Protected areas of Tasmania, Tasmania ...

* 1811: After arriving from Sydney, Governor

Lachlan Macquarie Major-general (United Kingdom), Major General Lachlan Macquarie, Companion of the Order of the Bath, CB (; ; 31 January 1762 – 1 July 1824) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Scotland. Macquarie served as the fifth Gove ...

draws up plan for Hobart streets and orders construction of public buildings and Mount Nelson

signal station A signal station is a form of Navigational aid, Aids to Navigation that is defined by the International Hydrographic Organization, IHO simply as "A signal station is a place on shore from which signals are made to ships at sea". While this broad de ...

. * 1812: Michael Howe (later

bushranging Bushrangers were armed robbers and outlaws who resided in The bush#Australia, the Australian bush between the 1780s and the early 20th century. The original use of the term dates back to the early years of the British colonisation of Australia ...

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, Australia's longest continuously occupied military building * 1814: Colony's first

horse race Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

s believed to have taken place at

New Town New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz * New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** New (Paul McCartney song), "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * New (EP), ''New'' (EP), ...

* 1814: Lieutenant-governor's

court A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between Party (law), parties and Administration of justice, administer justice in Civil law (common law), civil, Criminal law, criminal, an ...

created to deal with small personal financial disputes. * 1814: Governor Lachlan Macquarie offers amnesty to

bushranger Bushrangers were armed robbers and outlaws who resided in The bush#Australia, the Australian bush between the 1780s and the early 20th century. The original use of the term dates back to the early years of the British colonisation of Australia ...

s * 1814: Ship ''

Argo In Greek mythology, the ''Argo'' ( ; ) was the ship of Jason and the Argonauts. The ship was built with divine aid, and some ancient sources describe her as the first ship to sail the seas. The ''Argo'' carried the Argonauts on their quest fo ...

'' 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

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 colo ...

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 carthorses 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 list of sheep breeds, 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 monop ...

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 Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

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

chose sites for

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, Campbell Town, Ross, Oatlands, Sorell and

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

. In 1821, officials and convicts left Port Dalrymple to establish Macquarie Harbour penal settlement 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 historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

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 In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

occurred in 1824, as did the opening of Cascade Brewery, Australia's longest continuously operating Brewery. Convict

Alexander Pearce Alexander Pearce (1790 – 19 July 1824) was an Irish convict who was transported to the penal colony in Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania), Australia for seven years for theft. He escaped from prison several times, allegedly becoming a canniba ...

was hanged after escaping twice from Macquarie Harbour and surviving by eating his companions. Convict Matthew Brady began his bushranging career after escaping from

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

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

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 established

Maria Island Maria Island or wukaluwikiwayna in palawa kani is a mountainous island located in the Tasman Sea, off the east coast of Tasmania, Australia. The island is entirely occupied by the Maria Island National Park, which includes a marine area of o ...

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

Circular Head Circular Head Council is a 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 include Arthur River, Marrawa ...

; and the Tasmanian Turf Club was established. Settler

John Batman John Batman (21 January 18016 May 1839) was an Australian Pastoral farming, grazier, entrepreneur and explorer, who had a prominent role in the foundation of Melbourne, founding of Melbourne. He also was involved in many attacks against Indigen ...

, later one of

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

's founders, helped capture bushranger Matthew Brady near Launceston. Hobart experienced a disease epidemic which was blamed on rivulet pollution. A

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...

was built on the corner of Macquarie Street and Murray Street; and

street lighting A street light, light pole, lamp pole, lamppost, streetlamp, 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 b ...

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 Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wa ...

-style events on Derwent River; and Van Diemen's Land Company began settlement at Emu Bay (now

Burnie Burnie ( ; Aboriginal Tasmanians#North, pirinilaplu/palawa kani: ''Pataway'') is a port city located on the North West Tasmania, north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is the fourth largest city on the island, located approximately north ...

). A proclamation made in 1828 by Lieutenant-Governor

George Arthur Sir George Arthur, 1st Baronet (21 June 1784 – 19 September 1854) was a British colonial administrator who was Lieutenant Governor of British Honduras from 1814 to 1822 and of Van Diemen's Land (present-day Tasmania) from 1824 to 1836. ...

excluded Aboriginal people from settled areas and was the year of the

Cape Grim massacre The Cape Grim massacre was an attack on 10 February 1828 in which a group of Aboriginal Tasmanians gathering food at a beach in the north-west of Tasmania is said to have been ambushed and shot by four Van Diemen's Land Company (VDLC) workers, w ...

. 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 ...

. Regular mail services to and from 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 started an Aboriginal mission at

Bruny Island Bruny Island is a coastal island of Tasmania, Australia, located at the mouths of the Derwent River and Huon River estuaries on Storm Bay on the Tasman Sea, south of Hobart. The island is separated from the mainland by the D'Entrecasteaux C ...

, convicts seized the brig ''Cyprus'' at Recherche Bay and sailed to China; Van Diemen's Land Scientific Society was 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 Books * Reconciliation (Under the North Star), ''Reconciliation'' (''Under the North Star''), the third volume of the ''Under the ...

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 A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet T ...

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 Convictism in Australia, 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 ...

, 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 Cascade Brewery * 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 actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communic ...

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 western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

* 1834:

Stagecoach A stagecoach (also: stage coach, stage, road coach, ) is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by ...

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

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

'' 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 ...

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

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 Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...

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 Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wa ...

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: Bruny Island Lighthouse completed

1840–1849

* 1840: Economic depression starts, continues until 1845 * 1840: Captain James Ross arrives with

Antarctic The Antarctic (, ; commonly ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the South Pole, lying within the Antarctic Circle. It is antipodes, diametrically opposite of the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antar ...

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 Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

bishop, Francis Russell Nixon * 1843: Bushranger

Martin Cash Martin Cash (baptised 10 October 1808 – 26 August 1877) was a notorious Irish-Australian convict bushranger, known for escaping twice from Port Arthur, Tasmania, Port Arthur, Van Diemen's Land. His 1870 autobiography, ''The Adventures of Mar ...

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, first branch outside Britain, as development of society founded in 1837 by Sir John Franklin; society branch takes over botanical gardens * 1844:

, 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, grammar is the set of rules for how a natural language is structured, as demonstrated by its speakers or writers. Grammar rules may concern the use of clauses, phrases, and words. The term may also refer to the study of such rul ...

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 Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

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, explorer and colonial administrator. After serving in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, he led two expeditions into the Canadian Arctic and thro ...

's death during

Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...

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 t ...

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 comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

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

William Smith O'Brien William Smith O'Brien (; 17 October 1803 – 18 June 1864) was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican who, in the course of Ireland's Great Famine (Ireland), Great Famine, had been converted to the cause of Irish nationalism, national i ...

, 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 cult ...

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, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...

in February * 1851:

Influenza Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These sympto ...

epidemic * 1851: First election for 16 non-appointed members of Legislative Council * 1851: Hobart

Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...

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 Fingal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is one of three successor counties to County Dublin, which ...

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

officially changed to

after grant of responsible self-government * 1856: New two-house Parliament opens after elections, William Champ becomes colony's first

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

* 1856:

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 ...

line opens * 1857: Hobart customers start using

coal gas Coal gas is a flammable gaseous fuel made from coal and supplied to the user via a piped distribution system. It is produced when coal is heated strongly in the absence of air. Town gas is a more general term referring to manufactured gaseous ...

, streets get gas lighting * 1858: First meeting of Hobarts Marine Board, Australia's oldest

port authority A port authority (less commonly a port district) is a governmental or quasi-governmental public authority for a special-purpose district usually formed by a legislative body (or bodies) to operate ports and other transportation infrastructure. ...

* 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 Government House at Domain occupied for first time, by Governor Henry Young 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 Co ...

war in New Zealand * 1860: Volunteer corps of

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

and

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

formed * 1860:

Economic depression An economic depression is a period of carried long-term economic downturn that is the result of lowered economic activity in one or more major national economies. It is often understood in economics that economic crisis and the following recession ...

* 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 Incontrovertible evidence, conclusive evidence (termed "Defeasible reasoning#Political and judic ...

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 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 Duke of Edinburgh, named after the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, is a substantive title that has been created four times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not pr ...

) 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 ("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 A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the seabed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean and sea. The first submarine communications cables were laid beginning in the 1850s and car ...

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 The mountain was named in t ...

* 1872: Direct

ic communication begins between Tasmania and England * 1873: Work begins on private operated Hobart–Launceston rail link—() * 1873: Government takes over Launceston- Deloraine line * 1874: St David's Cathedral

consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

* 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 con ...

'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: Truganini, 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 Beaconsfield ( ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, northwest of central London and southeast of Aylesbury. Three other towns are within : Gerrards Cross, Amersham and High Wycombe. The ...

* 1878: Mount Heemskirk

tin mining 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 ca ...

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) * 1880: Gold discovered at Pieman River on

West Coast, Tasmania The West Coast of Tasmania is one of the regions of Tasmania in Australia. It is mainly isolated rough country and is associated with wilderness, mining and tourism. It served as the location of an early convict settlement in the early history ...

* 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 Rosebery and Queenstown. History The greater Zeehan a ...

* 1882: Hobart Stock Exchange opens * 1883:

Typhoid Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often ther ...

and

diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria, bacterium ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild Course (medicine), clinical course, but in some outbreaks, the mortality rate approaches 10%. Signs a ...

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 the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...

). * 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 (University of Tasmania), Christ College, one of the unive ...

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 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 was founded in 1849 in Adelaide, South Australia and has more than 50 stores nationally. In 2015, ownership of Harris Sc ...

* 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 Mathi ...

* 1895: All Tasmanian districts move to

Australian Eastern Standard Time Australia uses three main time zones: Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST; UTC+10:00), Australian Central Standard Time (ACST; UTC+09:30) and Australian Western Standard Time (AWST; UTC+08:00). Time is regulated by the individual states a ...

, 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. ...

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 and a chemical reducing agent to an ore to extract a desired base metal product. It is a form of extractive metallurgy that is used to obtain many metals such as iron-making, iron, copper extraction, copper ...

begins at Mount Lyell * 1897: Hare-Clark voting system used on trial basis for state polls in Hobart and Launceston (six members in Hobart, four in 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, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

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's

expedition arrives in Hobart on way south; Tasmanian

Louis Bernacchi Louis Charles Bernacchi (8 November 1876 – 24 April 1942) was an Australian physicist and astronomer best known for his role in several Antarctic expeditions. Early life Bernacchi was born in Belgium on 8 November 1876 to Italian paren ...

joins as physicist * 1899: First Tasmanian troops leave for

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

in South Africa * 1899:

Federation of Australia The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia (which also governed what is now the Northern Territory), and Wester ...

wins overwhelming Tasmanian approval in the second referendum

1900–1909

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

suffrage Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...

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 g ...

adopted, with property qualifications abolished * 1900: End of whaling operations from Hobart * 1900:

Bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of Plague (disease), plague caused by the Bacteria, bacterium ''Yersinia pestis''. One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and ...

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 country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It has a total area of , making it the sixth-largest country in ...

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

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

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 Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

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 (W ...

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. For example, while the political systems ...

) * 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 Frey ...

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 g ...

* 1905:

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

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 pi ...

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 History of the iron and steel industry in the United States, American steel industry in the late ...

, 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 (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 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 (5 May 1882 – 14 October 1958) was a British-born Australian geologist, Antarctic explorer, and academic. Along with Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Sir Ernest Shackleton, he was a key expedition leader during ...

's ship ''

Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...

'' docks in Hobart on way to

* 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 Norwegians, 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, Am ...

, first man to reach

South Pole The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is the point in the Southern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True South Pole to distinguish ...

, 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 or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

* 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 Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islan ...

* 1916: First all-Tasmanian

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

(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 park A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

s declared at Mount Field and Freycinet * 1916:

Daylight saving time Daylight saving time (DST), also referred to as daylight savings time, daylight time (Daylight saving time in the United States, United States and Daylight saving time in Canada, Canada), or summer time (British Summer Time, United Kingdom, ...

first introduced as temporary wartime measure * 1917: Electrolytic Zinc Company works at Risdon and Australian Commonwealth Carbide's plant at Electrona established * 1917: Ridgeway reservoir completed * 1919: Worldwide

Spanish influenza The 1918–1920 flu pandemic, also known as the Great Influenza epidemic or by the common misnomer Spanish flu, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 subtype of the influenza A virus. The earliest docum ...

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 motion (physics), motion of an Physical object, object through an atmosphere, or through the vacuum of Outer space, space, without contacting any planetary surface. This can be achieved by generating aerodynamic lift ass ...

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 ...

* 1920: Miena dam completed * 1920: Launceston-born

Hudson Fysh Sir Wilmot Hudson Fysh (7 January 18956 April 1974) was an Australian aviator and businessman. A founder of the Australian airline company Qantas, Fysh was born in Launceston, Tasmania. Serving in the Battle of Gallipoli and Palestine Camp ...

helps found

Qantas Qantas ( ), formally Qantas Airways Limited, is the flag carrier of Australia, and the largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations in Australia and List of largest airlines in Oceania, Oceania. A foundi ...

* 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 * 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. M ...

proclaimed * 1923: First concert by Hobart

Symphony Orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

* 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 tenth prime minister of Australia, from 1932 until his death in 1939. He held office as the inaugural leader of the United Australia Par ...

, 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 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 George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...

and Queen Elizabeth) * 1928:

Cadbury's Cadbury, formerly Cadbury's and Cadbury Schweppes, is a British multinational corporation, multinational confectionery company owned by Mondelez International (spun off from Kraft Foods, Inc., Kraft Foods) since 2010. It is the second-largest c ...

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 The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

begins * 1929: Legislation creates

Hydro-Electric Commission Hydro Tasmania, formerly the Hydro-Electric Commission (HEC), is a Tasmanian Government Government-owned corporation, business enterprise which is the main electricity generator in Tasmania, Australia. Originally oriented towards hydro-electric ...

, replacing government department

1930–1939

* 1931: Tasmanian Harold Gatty and American

Wiley Post Wiley Hardeman Post (November 22, 1898 – August 15, 1935) was an American aviator during the Aviation between the World Wars, interwar period and the first aviator, pilot to fly solo around the world. Known for his work in high-altitude flyi ...

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 B28 Anthony Road. Name The name is derived fro ...

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

prime minister A prime minister 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. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

, 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 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 Bass Strait () is a strait separating the island state of Tasmania from the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland (more specifically the coast of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, with the exception of the land border across Boundary Islet). The ...

while towing tanker, 31 die * 1936: ABC forms orchestra * 1936 (7 September): Last known Tasmanian tiger (

thylacine The thylacine (; binomial name ''Thylacinus cynocephalus''), also commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger or Tasmanian wolf, was a carnivorous marsupial that was native to the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland and the islands of Tasmani ...

) 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 Hobart Bridge, floating arch bridge across Derwent in Hobart * 1939: World War II begins * 1939: Death in office of prime minister Joseph Lyons * 1939: Royal Hobart Hospital opens on present site

1940–1949

* 1940: Tasmanian soldiers leave for North African campaign with Australian 6th Division * 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 British Malaya, 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 introduced as wartime measure * 1942: Women 18 to 30 called up for war work * 1943: Floating-arch pontoon bridge Hobart Bridge opens * 1943: Enid Lyons (later Dame Enid), widow of Joseph Lyons, elected first woman member of Australian House of Representatives, House of Representatives, winning seat of Darwin (now Division of Braddon, Braddon). * 1944:

begins transfer to Sandy Bay, Tasmania, 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 June 1947 Tasmanian floods, flooding 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:

army camp gets first intake of national service trainees * 1951: Hartz Mountains National Park proclaimed * 1951: Tasmanian Historical Research Association commences * 1951: Serious bushfires * 1951: Italian and German migrants arrive to work under contract for the

* 1952: First woman elected to Hobart City Council * 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 fluoridation, fluoridated water * 1954: Queen Elizabeth II becomes first reigning monarch to visit state, accompanied by Prince Philip. 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 National Park (later extended to form Southwest National Park). * 1955: First ingot poured at Bell Bay aluminium refinery * 1955: Labor Party's federal conference in Hobart brings Australian Labor Party split over industrial groups to head, leading to formation of Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist), later Democratic Labor Party (Australia, 1955), 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 (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

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 states to two, Tasmania and Western Australia

1960–1969

* 1960: Severe floods in Derwent Valley Council, Derwent Valley and Hobart, with business basements under water and houses washed away * 1960: Television stations ABT-2 ( ABC) and TVT-6 (now WIN Television, WIN) start programs from Mount Wellington transmitters * 1960: New jail opens at Risdon, Tasmania, Risdon * 1960: Hobart trams cease, succeeded by electric trolley buses * 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: Bell_Bay,_Tasmania#Industry, TEMCO's Bell Bay ferro-manganese plant begins production * 1962: Government subsidises municipal fluoridation schemes * 1963: University of Tasmania completes move to Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Sandy Bay site; Universities Commission recommends medical school * 1964: Tasman Bridge opens for traffic, old pontoon bridge towed away * 1964: Hobart's water supply fluoridated * 1964: Glenorchy, Tasmania, Glenorchy proclaimed city * 1965: First Tasmanians leave for Vietnam War under national service scheme * 1965: Ferry ''MS Empress of Australia, Empress of Australia'' makes first Sydney–Hobart voyage * 1965: Official opening of Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music * 1965: Bass Strait oil drilling begins * 1966: Huge copper reserves found in Mount Lyell area * 1966: Savage River, Tasmania, Savage River iron ore agreements involving $62 million signed * 1967 (February): 1967 Tasmanian fires, 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 Lake Pedder in South-West * 1967:

and breathalyser 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 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 open * 1970: Electrolytic Zinc Company opens $6 million residue treatment plant * 1971: First woodchipping, woodchip shipment leaves Tasmanian Pulp and Forest Holdings' mill at Triabunna * 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 Lake Pedder 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 opens at Wrest Point Hotel Casino * 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'' 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 begins operating * 1976: Members of Aboriginal community ritually cremate Truganini's remains, scatter ashes in

* 1976: Tasmanian Wilderness Society 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 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 River, Gordon, Franklin River, Franklin and King River, Tasmania, King 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 headquarters completed at Kingston, Tasmania, Kingston * 1980: Labor MHA Gillian James becomes first woman to become State Government minister * 1980: Australian Maritime College opens at Beauty Point, Tasmania, Beauty Point * 1980: Australian Heritage Commission includes Tasmania on National Estate register * 1981: Plebiscite on preferred new hydro-electric power development scheme shows 47% of voters favour Franklin Dam, 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, Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, including Southwest National Park, South-West, Franklin-Lower Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Franklin-Lower Gordon Wild Rivers and Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, 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 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 Charles, Prince of Wales, The Prince and Diana, Princess of Wales, Princess of Wales * 1984: Official opening of Bowen Bridge * 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 ''Abel Tasman (ship), Abel Tasman'' * 1985: Last Tasmanian drive-in theatres close in Hobart and Launceston * 1985: Municipal rationalisation advances with Launceston taking over St Leonards and Lilydale * 1986: Pope John Paul II holds mass (liturgy), mass for 32,000 people at Elwick racecourse during Hobart visit * 1986: Archeology, 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'' sinks off

* 1988: International fleet of about 200 sailing, cruise and naval ships from about 20 countries calls at Hobart as part of Australian Australian Bicentenary, Bicentennial celebrations; more than 150 leave on race to Sydney * 1988: City of Clarence, Clarence and Burnie proclaimed cities * 1988: Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame opens * 1989: State election ends with Labor-Tasmanian Greens, Green accord involving five independents; their no-confidence vote in Robin Gray (Australian politician), Robin Gray's minority Liberal government gives Labor's Michael Field (Australian politician), Michael Field premiership

1990–1999

* 1990: Sea Cat Tasmania, built in Hobart by Incat, begins summer crossings of Bass Strait * 1990: King Island scheelite mine closes * 1990: World Rowing Championships held on Lake Barrington (Tasmania), Lake Barrington, near Sheffield, Tasmania, Sheffield * 1991: Savings Bank of Tasmania and Tasmanian Bank amalgamate as Trust Bank of Tasmania, Trust Bank * 1991: Port Huon, Tasmania, Port Huon paper mill, Electrona, Tasmania, Electrona silicon smelter, Renison Bell, Renison tin mine and Devonport Ovaltine factory close * 1992: Aboriginal people occupy Risdon Cove, Tasmania, Risdon Cove in protest over land claims * 1992: Royal Hobart Hospital nursing school closes, ending hospital-based nursing training in Tasmania * 1992: Seven women ordained as

priests at St David's Cathedral * 1992: State's unemployment rate 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) becomes first female leader of a Tasmanian political party * 1993: ''Spirit of Tasmania (first ship), Spirit of Tasmania'' replaces ''

'' on Bass Strait ferry service * 1993: Tasmania's unemployment rate reaches 13.4% * 1993: State Government reduces total of Local Government Areas of Tasmania, municipalities 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, Tasmania, 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 Risdon Cove, Tasmania, Risdon Cove 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 kills 35 people and injures 20 more in Port Arthur massacre (Australia), 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: Royal Hobart Hospital 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 machines introduced into 55 Tasmanian hotels, clubs amid predictions of major social problems * 1998: Federal Government sells Hobart and Launceston airports * 1998: Subsidiary Kendell Airlines takes over Ansett's Tasmanian services * 1998: Parliament reduced from 54 members to 40–25 Members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly, House of Assembly and 15 Members of the Tasmanian Legislative Council, Legislative Council * 1998: Legislation passed to separate Hydro-Electric Commission into three bodies: Aurora Energy (Tasmania), Aurora Energy, Transend Networks and Hydro Tasmania. * 1998: Bushfires in Australia, Bushfires 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 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 housed at

military camp, renamed Tasmanian Peace Haven * 1999: Legislation passed to give Aboriginal community control of Wybalenna, Tasmania, Wybalenna, Flinders Island * 1999: Colonial State Bank 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, hailed as Tasmania's greatest premier, died in Hobart, aged 90 * 1999: Proclamation of Tasmanian Seamounts Marine Reserve, 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 * 2000: Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia visits Hobart * 2000: Tasmania hosts its first Sorry Day at Risdon Cove, Tasmania, Risdon Cove * 2000: Olympic Torch comes to Tasmania * 2000: New Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart, 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 Victorian Football League, VFL games * 2001: Tasmanian company Gunns clinches $335 million deal to become one of the giants of the Australian forestry industry * 2001: Impulse Airlines begins, cutting one way Hobart-Melbourne fares to $40, but is subsumed by

* 2001: 10 Days on 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 * 2001: New traffic laws 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 Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, ANZAC, Tasmania's Alec Campbell, aged 103. * 2002 (3 August): Tasmanian boxer Daniel Geale wins Tasmania's only gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England. * 2002: Virgin Australia, Virgin Blue begins operating in Tasmania offering introductory $66 one-way fares to Melbourne * 2002 (1 September): Tasmania's fast ferries ''MS Spirit of Tasmania I, Spirit of Tasmania I'' and ''MS Spirit of Tasmania II, II'' replace original MS Princess Seaways, Spirit of Tasmania on Bass Strait trade. * 2002 (12 October): Tasmanian Tim Hawkins killed in 2002 Bali bombings, 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, Tasmania, Queenstown to Regatta Point, Tasmania, Regatta Point railway line West Coast Wilderness Railway. () * 2003: Attempted hijack of a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Launceston * 2003: Federal Hotels gets exclusive control of state's gaming machines for 15 years with a further 5-year option * 2003: Richard Butler (diplomat), Richard Butler becomes Tasmania's new governor * 2003: Regina Bird wins reality-TV show ''Big Brother (Australian TV series), 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 Queen Mary of Denmark, Mary Donaldson to Denmark's Frederik X, Crown Prince Frederik * 2004 (13 January): ''Spirit of Tasmania, 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 Queen Mary of Denmark, Mary Donaldson to Denmark's Frederik X, Crown Prince Frederik in Copenhagen. * 2004 (20 May): Premier of Tasmania, Premier Jim Bacon (politician), Jim Bacon dies in

of lung cancer * 2004 (8 August):

n governor Richard Butler (diplomat), Richard Butler resigns at the request the premier, who agreed to pay "compensation" of $600,000 in lost salary * 2005 (15 October): Tasmanian Queen Mary of Denmark, Mary Donaldson and Frederik X, Crown Prince Frederik give birth to a male infant Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark, Prince Christian who will be in the line of succession to the Danish throne * 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, Spirit of Tasmania III'' from Sydney to Devonport * 2011 (22 January) : The Museum of Old and New Art (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.
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{{Australia topic, title=History of Australia, prefix=History of, VI=Victoria History of Tasmania, Articles containing video clips Tasmanian timelines