Pontville, Tasmania

Pontville
Tasmania
Pontville
Coordinates 42°41′4″S 147°15′59″E / 42.68444°S 147.26639°E / -42.68444; 147.26639Coordinates: 42°41′4″S 147°15′59″E / 42.68444°S 147.26639°E / -42.68444; 147.26639
Population 2,166 (2006 census)[1]
Postcode(s) 7030
Location
LGA(s) Brighton Council
State electorate(s) Lyons
Federal Division(s) Lyons

Pontville is a small rural community 28 kilometres (17 mi) north of Hobart, in the south-east of Tasmania, Australia. At the 2006 census, Pontville had a population of 2,166.[1]

History

Pontville was sited by Governor Lachlan Macquarie, in 1821, and was an early garrison town, where convicts built the bridge over the Jordan River. During World Wars I and II the area had a major army camp.

There is an old sandstone bridge in Pontville that lies on the Jordan River. The bridge is part of the Midland Highway.

A railway line connected the town with Hobart from 1891 until 1947. Additional excursion trains operated from Hobart, bringing riflemen to the nearby range.[2]

Brighton Post Office opened on 1 June 1832, was renamed Pontville in 1895, and closed in 1973.[3]

Immigration detention centre

The Federal Government announced in April 2011 that it would spend $15 million on converting the army rifle range to an asylum-seeker detention centre, housing 400 people, mainly single adult men. Although the 'Pontville Immigration Detention Centre' was also used to house under-age males.[4] In February 2012 it was announced by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship that the centre would be closed,[5] which it did in September 2013.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Pontville (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  2. ↑ A Short History of the Apsley Branch Line Stokes, H.J.W. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, July, 1971 pp. 152-160
  3. ↑ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  4. ↑ Cooper, Mex (5 April 2011). "Tasmanian solution for asylum seekers". The Age. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  5. ↑ http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/pontville-experience-showcases-our-better-natures-20120220-1tirp.html
  6. ↑ Ireland, Judith (14 January 2014). "Scott Morrison announces closure of four immigration detention centres". Sydney Morning Herald. AAP. Retrieved 30 July 2015.


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