Oatlands, Tasmania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids OatlandsTasmania |
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View of Callington mill.
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Oatlands Coach House, typical sandstone building
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 Oatlands
Location in Tasmania
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| Population | 728 (2021 census) | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 7120 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 406 m (1,332 ft) | ||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Southern Midlands Council | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Lyons | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Lyons | ||||||||
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Oatlands is a historic village in the middle of Tasmania, Australia. It sits by the beautiful Lake Dulverton. Oatlands is about 84 kilometres north of Hobart and 115 kilometres south of Launceston. You can find it along the Midland Highway. In 2021, about 728 people lived here.
Oatlands is famous for having the most colonial sandstone buildings in Australia. Many of these old buildings were built by convicts. It is the biggest town in the Southern Midlands Council area. The land around Oatlands is very good for farming.
Contents
History of Oatlands: A Tasmanian Story
Oatlands is one of Tasmania's oldest towns. Governor Macquarie named it in 1821 after a town in England. It was chosen as a military base to manage convicts. This was because it was located right between Hobart and Launceston. Convicts worked on farms nearby. They also helped build public buildings, roads, and bridges.
The Oatlands Post Office opened its doors on June 1, 1832.
Key Landmarks and People
Many important events happened in the areas around Oatlands. The Callington Mill is one special landmark. It was built in 1837. The mill was fixed up and started working again in 2010. St Pauls' Catholic Church was designed by Augustus Welby Pugin. He was famous for his Gothic Revival style of architecture.
After 1848, the Irish leader Kevin Izod O'Doherty lived in Oatlands for a while. His stone cottage is still there today. The Oatlands railway line used to connect Oatlands to Parattah. This railway opened in 1885 and closed in 1949.
Modern Times and Growth
The Midland Highway used to go right through the town. But a new bypass opened in 1985. This meant traffic no longer passed through Oatlands.
In the 1990s, Tasmania's economy slowed down. The highway bypass and a long dry period also affected Oatlands. The town became much quieter. Today, people in Oatlands are working to make it a peaceful place. They want to attract tourists and help the town grow again.
Historic Buildings in Oatlands
Oatlands has the largest collection of sandstone buildings in an Australian village. There are 87 original sandstone buildings along the main street. The stone for these buildings came from quarries near Lake Dulverton.
Some important buildings include:
- The Oatlands gaol (built in 1835)
- The Commissariat’s store and watch house (from the 1830s)
- The officers’ quarters (also from the 1830s)
The Oatlands Court House is a very old Georgian building. Convicts built it in 1829. It is the oldest supreme court house in rural Australia. It is also the oldest building in Oatlands. This building was first a chapel and a police office. The National Trust bought it in 1977 to protect it.
The Callington Mill (1837) is special. It is the only working Lincolnshire windmill in Australia.
Climate in Oatlands
| Climate data for Oatlands Post Office | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 37.0 (98.6) |
39.0 (102.2) |
34.0 (93.2) |
25.7 (78.3) |
22.8 (73.0) |
17.2 (63.0) |
16.4 (61.5) |
19.5 (67.1) |
28.3 (82.9) |
28.6 (83.5) |
32.2 (90.0) |
35.6 (96.1) |
39.0 (102.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.7 (71.1) |
21.8 (71.2) |
19.5 (67.1) |
16.0 (60.8) |
12.5 (54.5) |
10.1 (50.2) |
9.4 (48.9) |
10.6 (51.1) |
12.8 (55.0) |
15.2 (59.4) |
17.5 (63.5) |
19.5 (67.1) |
15.5 (59.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 8.7 (47.7) |
8.6 (47.5) |
7.5 (45.5) |
5.6 (42.1) |
3.4 (38.1) |
1.6 (34.9) |
1.1 (34.0) |
1.8 (35.2) |
3.1 (37.6) |
4.5 (40.1) |
6.1 (43.0) |
7.7 (45.9) |
5.0 (41.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −1.5 (29.3) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−7.1 (19.2) |
−11.7 (10.9) |
−7.4 (18.7) |
−7.4 (18.7) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−11.7 (10.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 42.9 (1.69) |
38.1 (1.50) |
39.3 (1.55) |
45.2 (1.78) |
43.0 (1.69) |
48.3 (1.90) |
42.8 (1.69) |
45.3 (1.78) |
42.5 (1.67) |
53.3 (2.10) |
50.4 (1.98) |
54.1 (2.13) |
547.8 (21.57) |
| Average precipitation days | 8.8 | 8.3 | 10.0 | 12.0 | 14.5 | 15.3 | 16.9 | 16.9 | 14.7 | 14.2 | 12.6 | 11.2 | 155.4 |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 46 | 47 | 51 | 60 | 69 | 71 | 72 | 66 | 62 | 57 | 55 | 53 | 59 |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology | |||||||||||||
