Dorset Land District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids DorsetTasmania |
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Location in Tasmania
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Dorset Land District is a special area in the northeast part of Tasmania, an island state in Australia. It's like a historical map division, used to help organize land. It was once known as one of the 18 counties of Tasmania. This district is part of the larger system called the Cadastral divisions of Tasmania, which helps manage land ownership and boundaries.
Contents
Exploring Dorset Land District
Where is Dorset Land District?
Dorset Land District is located at the very top-right corner of Tasmania. It's bordered by the Tamar River to the west. To the southeast, you'll find the George River. The North Esk River forms part of its southern border.
This district includes several towns you might know. These are Bridport, George Town, and Scottsdale. It also covers some northern parts of the city of Launceston. The local government area called the Dorset Council covers a very similar region.
How Dorset Got Its Name
The Dorset Land District was named after the county of Dorset in England. Many towns in this Tasmanian district were also given names from towns in that English county. This was a common practice when new areas were being settled.
Early Days: How Dorset Was Defined
On January 15, 1836, George Arthur was the Lieutenant Governor of the island, which was then called Van Diemen's Land. He officially announced the first counties and parishes that would be surveyed. This announcement was made through a newspaper called The Hobart Town Courier.
The announcement described the boundaries of Dorset County:
The County of Dorset, bounded on the north by Bass's straits, on the east by the Pacific ocean; on the south by the river North Esk, and a line connecting that river with George's river, and on the west by the Tamar. This county to include Waterhouse island, Swan island and all other islands situate between the mouth of the river Tamar and the mouth of George's river, and whose distance from the coast does not exceed 10 British statute miles.
At that time, no smaller divisions like "hundreds" or "parishes" were announced for Dorset County. These smaller divisions would come later.
