Tasmania

Tasmania is an island state of Australia. It is located 240 kilometers (150 mi) to the south of the Australian mainland, separated by the Bass Strait. 

Topography of Tasmania. By Zamonin - 

The island was joined to the Australian mainland until the end of the most recent ice age approximately 10,000 years ago.

On November 24, 1642, the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman made the first European sighting of Tasmania. He discovered Tasmania and New Zealand on his first Pacific voyage while missing the entire continent of Australia.

Routes taken by Tasman in the Australasian region, on his first and second voyages.

Tasman named the island Anthoonij van Diemenslandt, after his sponsor, the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. The British shortened the name to Van Diemen's Land. It was officially renamed Tasmania on January 1, 1856.

Until late in the 18th century only the south-east of Van Diemen's Land was explored. It was not confirmed to be an island until 1798.

In the 19th century Tasmania was the British Empire's prime penal colony with around 75,000 convicts sent there. The island was permanently settled in 1803 as a penal settlement to prevent claims to the land by the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars.

Mount Wellington and Hobart from Kangaroo Point, c. 1834

In all Tasmania accounted for 40 per cent of all convicts sent to Australia. Transportation ceased in 1853 and the last penal settlement on the island closed in 1877.

The Black War was a period of violent conflict that occurred in Tasmania (then known as Van Diemen's Land) from the early 1800s to the mid-1830s. It was fought between the British colonizers and the Aboriginal Tasmanians, who were the Indigenous inhabitants of the island.

The conflict arose due to the encroachment of European settlers on Aboriginal lands, the seizure of resources, and the destruction of traditional ways of life. It was characterized by a series of clashes, massacres, and reprisals on both sides.

The Aboriginal Tasmanians fought to defend their land, resources, and cultural heritage, while the British colonial forces aimed to expand their settlements and assert control over the region. The conflict escalated as Aboriginal resistance grew and sporadic acts of violence occurred.

As the conflict progressed, the Aboriginal Tasmanian population declined rapidly due to violent encounters, introduced diseases, displacement, and the loss of traditional hunting and gathering grounds. The British colonial authorities implemented policies that aimed to remove or exterminate the Aboriginal population, exacerbating the severity of the conflict.

By the mid-1830s, the Aboriginal Tasmanians had been dispossessed of their lands, their communities were decimated, and their way of life was severely disrupted. The Black War represents a dark chapter in Australian history, highlighting the devastating impact of colonization on Indigenous populations and the lasting consequences of such conflicts.

The last of the Tasmanian aboriginals, Truganini died on May 8, 1876. The daughter of Mangana, Chief of the Bruny Island people, she was born about 1812. Truganini endured the impact of colonization, surviving the violent conflicts of the Black War. After suffering immense displacement and hardships, she became an advocate for her people. Truganini's passing marked a tragic milestone, highlighting the effects of colonization and the need to preserve Indigenous cultures and histories. She remains a symbol of resilience and the ongoing struggle for Indigenous rights.

Truganini in 1870.

Tasmania became part of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. At 68,401 km2 (26,410 sq mi), it is the smallest state in Australia.

The Tasmanian state comprises the main island of Tasmania and the surrounding 334 islands.

The main Tasmania island is the world's 26th largest island. 

The total population of Tasmania is 519,100 as of June 2016, just over forty percent of which resides in the Greater Hobart precinct, which forms the metropolitan area of the state capital and largest city, Hobart. 

About 2,500 kilometres (1,500 ml) south of Tasmania island lies Antarctica, which is nearer than areas in the northern Australian mainland.

Tasmania is said to have the cleanest air in the world.

The Tasmanian Devil, which is only found in Tasmania, is the largest carnivorous marsupial.

The Tasmanian devil has the most powerful bite relative to their body mass of any carnivore on Earth, according to a 2005 study.

Tasmanian devil. By JJ Harrison (jjharrison89@facebook.com)

The actor Errol Flynn was born in Tasmania where his father was a university biology professor.

Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, the wife of Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, was born in Hobart, Tasmania. The couple met at the Slip Inn, a pub in Sydney when the prince was visiting Australia during the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Source Daily Express