The History of Tasmania
- Tasmania is a large island (about 26,000 square miles) located 150 miles from the coast of southeastern Australia. The island is mountainous and temperate, with rough terrain that has prohibited agriculture over large areas. As a result, a large portion of the island, 37 percent of the total land area, is preserved in a natural state.
- Tasmania's earliest inhabitants were Aboriginal people, separated from those on mainland Australia almost 12,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age. The island was first spotted by Europeans in 1642, when Abel Janszoon Tasman sailed past. European settlement began in 1803, with the island serving as both a colonial outpost and as a penal colony in the following decades.
- Tasmanian history can be divided into three main historical periods: the pre-historical period before European contact, the colonial period of the 19th century and the period of Australian statehood dating from 1901. The early period of statehood was marked by an increased exploitation of natural resources, especially hydroelectric power. The later 20th century brought about many responses to that earlier exploitation, with environmental politics prominent in the Tasmanian government.
- Tasmania's colonial period has many negative aspects. The Aboriginal population of the island dwindled from as many as 10,000 people in 1803 to only 300 by 1833. The population was decimated by wars with settlers, forced expulsion and especially by disease. The last Tasmanian Aborigines died before the end of the century. The earliest European settlers on the island were mainly convicts, sent to serve sentences and to build for agricultural development. As many as 5,000 convicts per year arrived on Tasmania. Still, the island managed to form towns and a government, with Hobart being designated a city in 1842 and the Tasmanian parliament founded in 1856. The transportation of convicts to the island ended in 1853.
- Recent history in Tasmania has been filled with change. The most pressing issues of the past few decades have been primarily environmental in nature, with bush fires, dam controversies and mining disasters commanding national and even international attention. The Tasmanian economy traditionally built on agriculture and land exploitation has been less reliable, and increased interest in the tourism industry has resulted.
