Parattah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ParattahTasmania |
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 Parattah
Location in Tasmania
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| Population | 147 (2021 census) | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 7120 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 431 m (1,414 ft) | ||||||||
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| LGA(s) | Southern Midlands Council | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Lyons | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Lyons | ||||||||
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Parattah is a small town in Tasmania, Australia. It's about 6 kilometres (4 miles) southeast of Oatlands. In 2021, about 147 people lived here.
Parattah is home to around 100 families. It has many old buildings with interesting stories. For example, a farmhouse here was once lived in by Hudson Fysh. He was one of the people who started Qantas, a famous airline! The main street has lovely old houses from when the town was very busy. Some of these homes are being fixed up to look new again. You can still find the old general store, the grand Tudor-style Parattah Hotel, and several historic churches.
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The Story of Parattah's Post Office
The first post office in Parattah opened on June 1, 1879. It was first called Oatlands Station. Later, on January 1, 1882, its name changed to Parattah. The post office was at the railway station until January 8, 1914.
A lady named Mary Fisher was the postmistress from 1946 to 1966. Her daughter, Vera Fisher, took over and worked until March 1977. People say Vera was related to Sir Rowland Hill, who helped create modern postal services! Parattah also had a public telephone. It was taken away in July 2009. But after many people complained, it was put back just one month later!
Parattah's Railway History
Parattah was once known as Parattah Junction. This was because the old Oatlands railway line branched off from here towards Oatlands. Today, no passenger trains stop at the railway station. The last passenger visits were in the early 2000s, during special heritage train tours.
A Busy Railway Station
The railway in Parattah was a very important spot on the main line. This line ran from Hobart to Launceston. Parattah was the halfway point for the famous Tasman Limited train. It was also the end stop for local and regional passenger trains.
Train schedules showed Parattah as a place where you could buy food and drinks. You could also arrange connections to other trains, taxis, or even planes! Because so many trains came through, the station had special areas. These included a place to add coal and water to steam trains. There was also a "wye" (a Y-shaped track) to turn locomotives around. Plus, there were extra tracks and a loading crane for moving goods and freight. Even though they are not used today, you can still see the old tracks and the loading crane.
The Restored Station Building
The station building itself has been fixed up. It now has a small museum inside. The building is next to a public picnic area, which is a nice spot to relax. Parattah Junction is still the highest railway station on Tasmania's train network. It was also where the town's post office was located until 1914.
