Devonport is a city in the north-west of Tasmania, Australia, at the mouth of the Mersey River. It, along with the slightly smaller city of Burnie, is the major regional centres of the north-west of the state. To visitors to Tasmania, it is primarily known as the port for the Spirit of Tasmania ferries - Spirit I and II travel to Melbourne, Victoria.

History

The area was first surveyed by Captain Charles Hardwicke in 1823. The area was originally known as Port Frederick., then Mersey River, the name of the river flowing through the town. Later it became two separate towns - Formby on the western side, and Torquay on the east (First Settled by Charles Oldaker.). The towns joined to become Devonport (named for Devonport in England) in 1890. Other settlements on the western shore of Wivenhoe and Appledore where encompassed by the new town. Another separate settlement at the time was the Don.

The eastern side is now called East Devonport. (Ambelside was an area on the East Side of the Mersey River)

Devonport was declared a city in 1981 by HRH Prince Charles. The Local Government Area is the City of Devonport.

Governance

Lyn Laycock was elected Mayor of the City of Devonport in 2005.There are 12 aldermen that govern the Devonport City Council.

Education

Primary Schools include Devonport Primary School, Miandetta Primary School, East Devonport Primary School, Nixon Street Primary School, Spreyton Primary School and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School.

Secondary schools include Devonport High School, Reece High School and St Brendan-Shaw College.

Senior Secondary Education (Years 11-12) is provided by The Don College and St Brendan-Shaw College.

Climate

Sports

The Devonport Football Club is an Australian Rules team competing in the Tasmanian Statewide League. The Devonport Rugby Club is a Rugby Union team competing in the Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide League. Devonport City Football Club is a football (soccer) club which represents Devonport in the Tasmanian Northern Premier League.

The Devonport Athletic Club hosts a leg of the Tasmaninan Cycling Christmas Carnival Series each year in December attended by local and international cyclists, other sports at the carnivals include athletics and woodchopping. Woodchopping events are also held at the Devonport Agricultural & Pastoral Society Spring Show in November.

Devonport Airport

Devonport Airport is located approximately 7 km to the east of the city of Devonport, about a 15 min drive by car. The airport is serviced by Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft, operated by QantasLink, with 4 daily services to Melbourne, Victoria.

Tasair Regional Airlines operate daily passenger and freight services from Devonport to King Island.

Notable people

Politics

• Dame Enid Lyons, Australia's First Female Member of the House of Representatives, resided in Devonport for many years and is buried near her husband.
• Joseph Lyons, former Tasmanian Premier and the only Tasmanian to have been Prime Minister of Australia, is buried at Mersey Vale Lawn Cemetery.

Sports

• Darrel Baldock, AFL player, (Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame Inducted 2005)
• Bill Berryman, AFL player, (Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame Inducted 2005)
• Grant Birchall, AFL player.
• John Bowe, motor racing driver.
• Matthew Febey, AFL player.
• Steven Febey, AFL player, (Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame Inducted 2005)
• David Foster, Woodchopping (World Champion)
• Jason Laycock, AFL player.
• Garry Lyon, media personality and former AFL player.
• Peter Marquis, AFL player, (Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame Inducted 2005)
• Brady Rawlings, AFL player.
• Jade Rawlings, AFL player.
• Matthew Richardson, AFL player, (Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame Inducted 2005)
• Jarrad Waite, AFL player.
• Graham Wright, AFL player, (Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame Inducted 2005)

Sister cities

The city of Devonport has a formal sister city agreement with Minamata City in Japan. This was ratified in 1996.

• Minamata, Japan (1996)

See also

• The Tasmanian Arboretum

References