Location : Island Off The South East Coast Of Mainland Australia.

Capital City : Hobart.

Size : 68,331 Square Kilometres (26,383 Square Miles).

Length Of Coastline : 3,200 Kilometres (1,998 Miles)

Highest Point : Mount Ossa (1,617 Metres or  5,305 Feet)

Average Annual Temperatures - Hobart :

January:- Maximum - 21.5 Degrees Celsius or  70.7 Degrees Fahrenheit.
July:- Maximum - 11.5 Degrees Celsius or 52.7 Degrees Fahrenheit.

Average Annual Rainfall - Hobart : 627 Millimetres or 25.1 Inches.

Originally known as Van Diemen's Land, and the site of the second settlement in Australia by the British, when they set up a Penal Colony at Port Arthur.  The name of the island was later changed to Tasmania after Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer who had sailed the waters surrounding the area.  Between Tasmania and the mainland of Australia is Bass Strait, a very rough and unpredictable area of ocean.  To the South and West is the Great Southern Ocean, and to the East is the Tasman Sea.  The State of Tasmania also includes a number of islands situated in Bass Strait.  One of those islands, King Island is very famous for its dairy products, especially the cheeses produced.

Tasmania is well known for its timber production, although in recent years there has been a concerted move to phase out all forms of timber cutting and preservation of the old growth forests.  Much of Western Tasmania is already gazetted as National Park and logging is forbidden.  Tasmania is also home to the famous Huon Pine Tree, which is unique in its capability to withstand water damage and was once very highly sought after for ship building.  Huon Pine is now a protected species and the milling or cutting of that timber is prohibited.  It remains to be seen what the immediate future holds in regards to the Tasmanian timber industry.

Tasmania is also well known for its fruit growing especially apples, and has become known as "The Apple Isle".   Other farming is mainly livestock.

There were some rich tin deposits within the State, but like all mineral areas, they eventually lose their worth as the minerals are taken, although there still remains small pockets of tin mining.  There are also other minerals mined, but none on any great commercial scale.

Tasmania has a well based fishing industry, and some of the world's best Cray fish (Lobsters) come from Tasmanian waters (although you will probably get an argument about that from Western Australians).  Most of these are destined for export.  The major fishing ports are located on Tasmania's Eastern coast.

Bass Strait is Australia's main oilfield, and most of the oil used in Australia comes from that oilfield.

The capital city of Tasmania, Hobart is basically the starting point for all Australian expeditions to the Australian Antarctic Territory.

Tourism is booming, as it is in all States, and Tasmania has a unique history that seems to draw visitors from all over to view the old Convict ruins and the various buildings and bridges built by the Convicts that are still standing today.   As with Western Australia, the fact that the cost of taking a tour to Tasmania has come down, it has increased the numbers of people who visit annually.  Many of these tourists take the day trip from Hobart to the old Penal Colony ruins at Port Arthur, which sadly was to have disastrous consequences on one day in April 1996.

On Sunday 28th April 1996, just after 1.00 pm a single person, armed with a number of military style weapons drove into the Port Arthur Penal Colony ruins, entered the cafe, and began randomly shooting at customers.  He continued his shooting outside, and again near the gate that marked the entrance to the ruins.  He took two people captive and moved into a farmhouse not far away, and stayed there overnight.  The next day the house caught fire, and the gunman emerged, burnt but alive.  The two captives and the two occupants of the farmhouse were found deceased.  In total he killed thirty five people and injured another twenty two.  It is not a record to be proud of, but it is the worst recorded case of  mass murder at one time by one person in the world during peace time.  He has since been sentenced to life imprisonment, without opportunity for parole.

This event led to a great debate about Australia's gun laws, and eventually the Federal government basically passed laws that banned all military style and automatic or semi automatic weapons from private ownership.  Any who had them at that time were able to sell them back to the government.  A total of approximately 320 Billion Dollars was spent in buying back the now illegal firearms, which were then destroyed.  The actions of one person, caused the Australian taxpayer to pay the sum needed to fund this buy back.  It is not Tasmania's fault in any way, as the event could have occurred anywhere.  However it is part of Tasmania's (and especially Port Arthur's) terrible history.

Those I know that have visited Tasmania have always returned with much praise for the island, and I do not doubt that a trip to "The Apple Isle" would be well worthwhile.