Huon Valley | |
---|---|
Apple Valley, Huon | |
Huon River in summer, located on the valley floor. | |
Location of the Huon Valley in Tasmania | |
Area | 5,500 km2 (2,100 sq mi) |
Geography | |
Location | Tasmania, Australia |
Population centers | Huonville, Geeveston, Franklin, Cygnet, Southport |
Coordinates | 43°07′S147°10′E / 43.12°S 147.16°E |
Rivers | Huon River, Arve River |
The Huon Valley, or simply the Huon, [1] is a valley and geographic area located in southern Tasmania, Australia. The largest town is Huonville, with other smaller towns spread across the area. It includes Australia's most southern permanent settlement at Southport. The Huon Valley Council area had a population of 15,140 in 2011. [2] Famed for its apple growing, the Valley was first settled by British colonists in the 1820s; [3] prior to settlement the Huon Valley area was inhabited by the Mouheneenner, Nuenonne, Mellukerdee and Lyluequonny people. [4]
The area it is sometimes combined as the Huon-Channel area with the areas around D'Entrecasteaux Channel. [1]
The Huon Valley, along with its local government authority, several towns, the Huon River and the Huon Pine, were named after Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec. [5]
The Huon is both a major agricultural area, particularly famous for growing apples (83% of Tasmanian apples originate in the Valley), [6] but also producing cherries, berries and stone fruit, and is home to many commuter workers who work in Hobart or Kingston and prefer to live in a more rural setting. [7] It is also a major source of seafood; the Valley hosts the headquarters of Huon Aquaculture and the major processing plants for Tassal. [8] The Valley had a gross regional product of $0.71 billion in 2020; the largest employers are agriculture, forestry and aquaculture, followed by healthcare and retail. [9] Tourism is a growing industry in the Huon Valley, and the valley attracts around 25% of Tasmania's tourist visitors. [10]
The area was first settled by Europeans in the early 1820s. In 1843 Thomas Judd planted the first apple trees, founding the industry that made the Huon famous. He was followed by Silas Parsons, founder of Grove and then Wm. Barnett, Wm. Cuthbert and then William Geeves, namesake of Geeveston. [11]
The valley falls entirely into the Commonwealth Division of Franklin and the Tasmanian House of Assembly State Division of Franklin. [12] The Huon Valley Council is the local government authority. It was previously divided among the Municipalities of Port Cygnet, Esperance and Huon, which merged in 1993 to form the Huon Valley Council. [13]
Localities in the local government area of the Huon Valley include: [14]
Postcode | Locality |
---|---|
7109 | Brooks Bay |
7109 | Cairns Bay |
7109 | Crabtree |
7109 | Cradoc |
7109 | Glaziers Bay |
7109 | Glen Huon |
7109 | Glendevie |
7109 | Grove |
7109 | Hastings |
7109 | Huonville |
7109 | Ida Bay |
7109 | Judbury |
7109 | Lonnavale |
7109 | Lower Longley |
7109 | Lucaston |
7109 | Lune River |
7109 | Lymington |
7109 | Mountain River |
7109 | Raminea |
7109 | Ranelagh |
7109 | Recherche |
7109 | Strathblane |
7109 | Wattle Grove |
7109 | Woodstock |
7112 | Charlotte Cove |
7112 | Cygnet |
7112 | Deep Bay |
7112 | Eggs and Bacon Bay |
7112 | Garden Island Creek |
7112 | Garden Island Sands |
7112 | Gardners Bay |
7112 | Golden Valley |
7112 | Lower Wattle Grove |
7112 | Nicholls Rivulet |
7112 | Petcheys Bay |
7112 | Randalls Bay |
7112 | Verona Sands |
7113 | Franklin |
7116 | Barretts Bay |
7116 | Castle Forbes Bay |
7116 | Geeveston |
7116 | Police Point |
7116 | Port Huon |
7116 | Surges Bay |
7116 | Surveyors Bay |
7117 | Dover |
7150 | Pelverata |
7150 | Upper Woodstock |
The Huon Valley hosts the Huon News, a weekly local newspaper, and the Cygnet & Channel Classifieds, a small local newsletter. Pulse FM Kingborough and Huon is the local youth radio station, [15] and Geeveston is the headquarters of Huon & Kingston FM, a community radio station. It was historically served by the Huon Times , which closed in 1942.
Councils of Tasmania are the 29 administrative districts of the Australian state of Tasmania. Local government areas (LGAs), more generally known as councils, are the tier of government responsible for the management of local duties such as road maintenance, town planning and waste management.
Huon Valley Council is a local government body in Tasmania, covering most of the south of the state. Huon Valley is classified as a rural local government area and has a population of 17,219, towns and localities of the region include Cygnet, Dover, Franklin, Geeveston, Southport and the largest principal town, Huonville.
Central Highlands Council is a local government body in Tasmania, encompassing the Central Highlands region of the state. Central Highlands is classified as a rural local government area and has a population of 2,144, the two largest towns are Bothwell and Hamilton.
The Electoral division of Huon is one of the 15 electoral divisions in the Tasmanian Legislative Council. It was created in 1999, however similar electorates of this name have existed since 1900, and members of the Tasmanian upper house for this region appear to have been elected since 1856.
Cygnet is a town in the Huon Valley, south of Huonville, Tasmania.
Brighton Council is a local government body in Tasmania, situated in the south-east of the state, north of Hobart. The Brighton local government area is classified as urban and has a population of 18,995, it is based in the town of Brighton but also covers the far northern Hobart suburbs of Bridgewater, Gagebrook, Honeywood and Old Beach.
Devonport City Council is a local government body located in the city and surrounds of Devonport in northern Tasmania. The Devonport local government area is classified as urban and has a population of 25,415, which also encompasses Lillico, Tugrah and part of Spreyton.
Cradoc is a rural residential locality in the local government area of Huon Valley in the South-east region of Tasmania. It is located about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) south-west of the town of Huonville. The 2016 census has a population of 445 for the state suburb of Cradoc.
Geeveston is a small town in the south of Tasmania in Australia near the Huon River, 62 km (39 mi) south west of Hobart, making it Australia's most southerly administrative centre. The town takes its name from William Geeves, an English settler who was given a land grant by Lady Jane Franklin in the area then known as Lightwood Bottom. The settlement Geeves set up was renamed Geeves Town in 1861, and the name eventually became Geeveston. Geeveston is for local government purposes included in the area of the Huon Valley Council and is part of the division of Franklin for both Australian House of Representatives and Tasmanian House of Assembly electoral purposes.
For other places with the same name, see Surveyor Bay (disambiguation)
Lower Longley is a rural locality situated on the borders of the Kingborough and Huon Valley local government areas, which straddles the Huon Highway and is made up primarily of acreage properties. Lower Longley had 131 inhabitants as of the 2011 Australian Census. Despite being called Lower Longley, the suburb is physically higher than neighbouring Longley.
Henry Hunter (1832–1892) was a prominent architect and civil servant in Tasmania and Queensland, Australia. He is best known for his work on churches. During his life was also at various times a state magistrate of Tasmania, a member of the Tasmanian State Board of Education, the Hobart Board of Health, a Commissioner for the New Norfolk Insane Asylum and President of the Queensland Institute of Architects.
Pelverata is a rural locality in the local government areas (LGA) of Huon Valley and Kingborough in the South-east and Hobart LGA regions of Tasmania. The locality is about 22 kilometres (14 mi) south-west of the town of Kingston. The 2016 census recorded a population of 206 for the state suburb of Pelverata. It is a town in Tasmania, Australia, to the east of Huonville. It is mainly in the Huon Valley Council area, with about 4% in the Kingborough Council LGA.
Former Local government areas (LGAs) in the Australian state of Tasmania are amalgamated or cancelled areas.
Police Point is a rural locality in the local government area of Huon Valley in the South-east region of Tasmania. It is located about 37 kilometres (23 mi) south of the town of Huonville. The 2016 census has a population of 83 for the state suburb of Police Point.
Surges Bay is a rural locality and body of water in the local government area of Huon Valley in the South-east region of Tasmania. It is located about 31 kilometres (19 mi) south-west of the town of Huonville. The 2016 census has a population of 127 for the state suburb of Surges Bay.
Lower Wattle Grove is a rural locality in the local government area of Huon Valley in the South-east region of Tasmania. It is located about 19 kilometres (12 mi) south-west of the town of Huonville. The 2016 census has a population of 89 for the state suburb of Lower Wattle Grove.
Lymington is a rural residential locality in the local government area of Huon Valley in the South-east region of Tasmania. It is located about 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of the town of Huonville. The 2016 census has a population of 283 for the state suburb of Lymington.
Nicholls Rivulet is a rural locality in the local government area (LGA) of Huon Valley in the South-east LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about 26 kilometres (16 mi) south-east of the town of Huonville. The 2016 census recorded a population of 311 for the state suburb of Nicholls Rivulet.
Periodic elections for the Tasmanian Legislative Council were held on 7 May 2022. Two seats were up for a regularly scheduled vote; Elwick and McIntyre. Simultaneously a by-election was held in the seat of Huon, following the resignation of the incumbent member Bastian Seidel.