George Town, named for King George III is one of the older European settlements in Australia, first settled in 1804 by Colonel William Paterson two years before the nearby city of Launceston 50 kilometres to the South. George Town Post Office opened on 11 December 1822.
had proposed a pulp mill to be built in the area in 2006, however Gunns entered receivership in 2013, with large debt and the mill did not proceed as the company assets were sold.
Mountain Bike Trail
George Town Council is developing 80km of purpose built mountain bike trails over two separate networks - one on the flanks of Mount George near the town centre and the second in the Tippogoree Hills, five-kilometres south of the township. The project is anticipated to be completed by October 2021.
Attractions
"The Grove" Georgian home built in 1829 attracts many visitors, as does the 1805 convict built pilot station at Low Head. George Town is also a popular seaside destination for swimming, surfing, and fishing and boating enthusiasts. George Town is home to a Little Penguin colony at the nearby beach at Low Head. The George Town Football Club, George Town Bowls Club and the George Town Cricket Club are notable among its clubs and associations. The Bass and Flinders Centre has a collection of historical boats including a replica of the 1798 sloop Norfolk. The Watch House in Macquarie street built in 1843 was the town gaol. The building was refurbished and reopened in 2004 as a gallery and local history museum. It features a scale model of the town as it was in the early nineteenth century. George Town is home to a vibrant arts community. The Lighthouse Regional Arts group hold a yearly art show, have local and interstate travelling displays at the Watch House and have permanent displays of art at the Bass and Flinders centre, the Low Head pilot station and the Jim Mooney Gallery. The George Town RSL Military Museum/display in Macquarie Street is one of Tasmania's more diverse Military Museums and has a large static display from conflicts ranging from the 1880s to present day. The collection covers both Australian and overseas militaria and history as well as possibly the only collection of Third Reich artifacts on display in the state.
Media
George Town has a local radio station – Tamar FM 95.3 which is a community radio station generally playing music and advertising local businesses.
Events
Some main events that happen annually in George Town include:
The Tamar Valley Folk Festival, which takes place on the third full weekend in January and features performances from local, interstate and sometimes even international musicians, as well as workshops, sessions and other festive events.
Targa Tasmania Prologue
Steampunk Tasmania Festival
Notable people
Notable people from or who have lived in George Town include:
