Somerset, Tasmania

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Somerset
Tasmania
Shops-Somerset-Tasmania-20070423-001.jpg
Shops in Somerset
Australia Tasmania location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Somerset
Coordinates 41°02′S145°50′E / 41.033°S 145.833°E / -41.033; 145.833
Population4,067 (SAL 2021) [1]
Postcode(s) 7322
Location
LGA(s) Waratah-Wynyard Council
State electorate(s) Braddon
Federal division(s) Braddon
Mean max tempMean min tempAnnual rainfall
16.7 °C
62 °F		6.9 °C
44 °F		998.3 mm
39.3 in
The beach at Somerset Beach-Somerset-Tasmania-20070423-004.jpg
The beach at Somerset
The beach at Somerset Beach-Somerset-Tasmania-20070423-005.jpg
The beach at Somerset

Somerset is a small township to the west of Burnie, Tasmania, Australia, which shares its name with the County of Somerset, England, UK. Today the city of Burnie encompasses the entire Burnie-Somerset urban area; however, the town is part of the Waratah/Wynyard municipal area.

Contents

History

Somerset River Cam Post Office opened on 5 November 1864. It was renamed Somerset Cam around 1934 and Somerset in 1963. [2]

Geography

Somerset is located on estuary on the western bank of the Cam River midway between the township of Wynyard and the city of Burnie. The Cam River is the borderline of where the Waratah-Wynyard Council meets the City of Burnie. A beach stretches along the full length of the Somerset coastline from the Cam River to the far western outskirts. Somerset has three parks, each with a playground. These are ANZAC Park (Bells Parade), The Cam River Reserve (Bass Highway), and Plover Park (Ronald Crescent).

Climate

The temperature in summer ranges from 12.5 °C to 21 °C, with drier days as warm as 30 °C, and around 16 hours of sunlight per day. In winter, temperatures range from 6 °C to 13 °C, and only 8 hours of sunlight.

Demographics

At the 2021 census, Somerset had a population of 4,067. Of those, 47.5% are male, and 52.5% are female.

The median age of Somerset residents is 48 years old, exceeding both that of Tasmania (42) and Australia as a whole (38).

85.9% of Somerset residents are born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth are England (3.3%), New Zealand (0.6%), Scotland (0.4%), Germany (0.3%), and the Philippines (0.3%).

Economy

There are a number of small businesses in Somerset with almost all along the main street.

Notable industries in Somerset include: Gunns Veneers, which is one of only three production facilities in Australasia. Gunns Veneers is Australasia's largest producer of sliced veneers and the world's largest producer of Eucalypt veneers. The Burnie branch of William Adams. William Adams is a CAT Rental Dealer as well as a servicing department. They specialize in the repairing, maintenance and modifications of heavy machinery used for mining, forestry and agriculture.

Community

Coastal Pathway

The development of a coastal pathway will connect Somerset and Burnie to Wynyard and Latrobe as part of a State Government and Local Government Council initiative to upgrade infrastructure on the north-west coast of Tasmania. [3]

Media

The Advocate is the local newspaper for the region, with its press and mailroom located in Burnie.

Somerset has access to all major television stations, including: ABC, SBS, WIN and Southern Cross.

Sport

Somerset is home to five sporting venues: a football field, soccer field, tennis courts, a recreation centre and a surf lifesaving club.

Education

Somerset does not have a public high school or college.

There is one public primary school in Somerset, Somerset Primary School, located at the site of the old West Somerset Primary School, after the two schools merged.

There is one private school in Somerset, the Burnie branch of Australian Christian College, which is located on the outskirts of the town on Seabrook Road.

Transport

Somerset is connected to the surrounding areas by the Bass Highway which runs through the town following the coast. Somerset is also connected to the West Coast by the Murchison Highway which begins beside the Cam River.

The only public transport in the area is Metro Tasmania which offers bus services from Wynyard to Burnie.

The railway station closed to passenger trains with the ending of the Tasman Limited in 1978. The station building has been demolished but the platform and rail line are still in place.

The Burnie Airport is located in the township of Wynyard, a 15-minute drive away.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burnie</span> Port city in Tasmania, Australia

Burnie is a port city in Tasmania, Australia, located in Emu Bay on the north-west coast, 47 kilometres (29 mi) west from Devonport and 17 kilometres (11 mi) east from Wynyard. With an urban population of 19,550 in 2019, Burnie is the fourth largest city in Tasmania, serving as a major port for north-western agricultural and mining industries.

Waratah-Wynyard Council is a local government body in Tasmania, situated in the north-west of the state. Waratah-Wynyard is classified as a rural local government area and has a population of 13,800, the major towns and localities of the region include Savage River, Sisters Beach, Somerset, Waratah and the principal town of Wynyard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wynyard, Tasmania</span> Town in Tasmania, Australia

Wynyard (/ˈwɪnjɚd/) wi-nyuhd) is a rural town located on the North West coast of Tasmania, Australia. Wynyard is situated 17 kilometres (11 mi) west of Burnie. As of the 2021 census, Wynyard has an estimated population of 6,296. The town is a regional hub servicing the surrounding rural areas. The main council offices for the Waratah-Wynyard local government area are located in Wynyard.

Hellyer College is a government comprehensive senior secondary school located in Burnie in north-western Tasmania, Australia. Established in 1976, the college caters for approximately 630 students in Years 11 and 12 and is administered by the Tasmanian Department of Education. Hellyer College is situated on the same campus as the TAFE Tasmania and 250 metres (820 ft) from the Cradle Coast campus of the University of Tasmania, on Mooreville Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murchison Highway</span> Highway in Tasmania, Australia

The Murchison Highway is a highway located in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia. The 147-kilometre (91 mi) highway runs generally north–south, with Somerset, near Burnie, as its northern terminus and Zeehan as its southern terminus. The highway was opened on 13 December 1963. Part of the highway from Waratah to Burnie was known as the Waratah Highway until 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral division of Murchison</span> Tasmanian Legislative Council electoral division

The electoral division of Murchison is one of the fifteen electorates in the Tasmanian Legislative Council, situated in the western/north-west region of the state. It is the largest electorate in size, covering an area of 19,391 km² and includes the municipalities of Circular Head, King Island, Waratah-Wynyard, West Coast and part of Burnie City.

Guildford is a rural locality in the local government area (LGA) of Waratah–Wynyard in the North-west and west LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about 81 kilometres (50 mi) south of the town of Wynyard. The 2016 census has a population of nil for the state suburb of Guildford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Burnie</span> Local government area in Tasmania, Australia

Burnie City Council is a local government body in Tasmania, located in the city and surrounds of Burnie in the north-west of the state. The Burnie local government area is classified as urban and has a population of 19,348, which also encompasses Cooee, Hampshire, Natone and Ridgley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cooee, Tasmania</span> Suburb of City of Burnie, Tasmania, Australia

Cooee is a small town on the north-west coast of Tasmania immediately west of Burnie, to which it is in effect a dormitory suburb. At the 2011 census, Cooee had a population of 559.

Doctors Rocks is a rural locality in the local government area (LGA) of Waratah–Wynyard in the North-west and west LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) east of the town of Wynyard. The 2016 census has a population of 85 for the state suburb of Doctors Rocks.

Hampshire is a semi-rural locality in the local government areas (LGA) of Waratah Wynyard and Burnie in the North-west and west LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about 30 kilometres (19 mi) south-west of the town of Burnie. The 2016 census has a population of 51 for the state suburb of Hampshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boat Harbour Beach</span> Town in Tasmania, Australia

Boat Harbour Beach is a small seaside township located about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Wynyard on the north-west coast of Tasmania. "Boat Harbour" is the name of the locality which surrounds the township. In the 2011 census, Boat Harbour Beach, Boat Harbour and the nearby districts had a population of 429.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North West Tasmania</span> Region in Tasmania, Australia

North West Tasmania is one of the regions of Tasmania in Australia. The region comprises the whole of the north west, including the North West Coast and the northern reaches of the West Coast. It is usually accepted as extending as far south as the Pieman River and including the Savage River National Park within the Tarkine region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cam River (Tasmania)</span> River in Tasmania, Australia

The Cam River estuary is located in Somerset roughly halfway between the township of Wynyard and the city of Burnie on the North West Coast of Tasmania. The northern part of the Cam River forms part of the boundary between the City of Burnie and Waratah-Wynyard local government areas.

Camdale is a locality and small rural community in the local government area of Burnie, in the North West region of Tasmania. It is located about 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) west of the town of Burnie. The Cam River forms its western boundary, Bass Strait the northern boundary, and the Bass Highway follows the northern boundary. The 2016 census determined a population of 72 for the state suburb of Camdale.

Mount Hicks is a locality and small rural community in the local government area of Waratah-Wynyard in the North West region of Tasmania. It is located about 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) south of the town of Wynyard. The 2016 census determined a population of 351 people for the state suburb of Mount Hicks.

Oonah is a rural locality in the local government areas of Burnie and Waratah-Wynyard in the North West region of Tasmania. It is located about 38 kilometres (24 mi) south-west of the town of Burnie. The 2016 census determined a population of nil for the state suburb of Oonah.

Henrietta is a rural locality in the local government area of Waratah-Wynyard in the North West region of Tasmania. It is located about 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of the town of Wynyard. The 2016 census determined a population of 132 for the state suburb of Henrietta.

Elliott is a rural locality in the local government area of Waratah-Wynyard in the North West region of Tasmania. It is located about 21 kilometres (13 mi) south-east of the town of Wynyard. The 2016 census determined a population of 352 for the state suburb of Elliott.

Parrawe is a rural locality in the local government areas (LGA) of Burnie and Waratah–Wynyard in the North-west and west LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about 58 kilometres (36 mi) south-west of the town of Burnie. The 2016 census recorded a population of nil for the state suburb of Parrawe.

References

  1. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Somerset (Tas.) (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. ↑ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  3. ↑ carolynwp (12 August 2019). "COASTAL PATHWAY". Choose Cradle Coast. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
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