Dorset covers 3,200 square kilometres of North East Tasmania, with a population of around 7,300 people scattered throughout this largely rural municipality. The main service centre for the region is Scottsdale, located approximately one hour’s drive from the northern regional ‘capital’ of Launceston – your closest point of entry if coming from mainland Australia (via the Launceston Airport).
Scottsdale is the heart of Dorset, and gateway to a range of wonderful tourism attractions with the popular Scottsdale Visitor Information Centre to be found at 4 Alfred Street and staffed by a dedicated team of friendly volunteers.
The nearby coastal town of Bridport is a popular holiday destination, and other towns in Dorset include Branxholm, Derby, Winnaleah, Ringarooma, Legerwood, Gladstone, Herrick, Tomahawk and Pioneer.
Derby is home of the exciting new mountain bike development, the Blue Derby Trails – make sure to check these out when you visit! Key historical elements have been incorporated in the design route of the mountain bike trails in Derby, with gold and tin mining the basis of local industry in the early part of last century. This resulted in a large influx of Chinese immigrants, predominantly working as tribute miners.
Tasmania’s North East has a rich and ancient history, incorporating over 40,000 years of continuous habitation and significant Aboriginal Heritage. The Tebrakunna Visitor Centre near Little Musselroe Bay provides informative displays about the traditional owners, as well as details about the Musselroe Wind Farm (on which this centre is located) and the agricultural history of the Cape Portland Farm still in operation beneath the turbines.
Early European settlement saw the emergence of the timber and farming industries in our region. Although both sectors are now in transition, they are likely to remain important sectors of our local economy.
In fact our district is well endowed with natural resources, including large areas of volcanic soils of extraordinarily high fertility, native and plantation forests, abundant water, and significant coastal resources. The spectacular diversity of landforms and ecosystems that can be seen here, including coastal geomorphology with extensive complex dunes, rolling rural landscapes, precipitous mountains, World Heritage coastal wetlands and a broad range of forest types, make our region a visually stunning and interesting place to visit – or settle!
For more information on our beautiful region – you can visit the Dorset Council Website or download the Dorset Prospectus if you’re interested in some of the exciting investment and development opportunities available in Dorset.
We look forward to welcoming you to our region soon!
While elsewhere in Tasmania people are tucking up by the fire and going into winter hibernation, North East Tasmania comes alive to celebrate and showcase local arts and crafts annually on the June long weekend.
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