Penguin, Tasmania
Encyclopedia
Penguin is a town in the north-west coast of Tasmania
, Australia
. It is located in the Central Coast Council Local Government Area on the Bass Highway, between Burnie
and Ulverstone
. At the 2006 census
, Penguin had a population of 2,943.
Penguin was first settled in 1861 as a timber town, and proclaimed on 25 October 1875. The area's dense bushland and easy access to the sea led to Penguin becoming a significant port town, with large quantities of timber shipped across Bass Strait
to Victoria
, where the 1850s gold rush
es were taking place. The town was named by the botanist Ronald Campbell Gunn
for the Fairy Penguin rookeries that are common along the less populated areas of the coast.
Penguin is also a great place for fishing. There are Trout
in the Penguin creek and many different types of fish in the surrounding sea.
There are also sandy beaches that are a good place to swim at high-tide.
Mt Montgomery is also in the penguin area.
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is located in the Central Coast Council Local Government Area on the Bass Highway, between Burnie
Burnie, Tasmania
- Sport :Australian rules football is popular in Burnie. The city's team is the Burnie Dockers Football Club in the Tasmanian State League.Rugby union is also played in Burnie. The local club is the Burnie Rugby Union Club. They are the current Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide Division Two Premiers...
and Ulverstone
Ulverstone, Tasmania
Ulverstone is a town on the northwest coast of Tasmania, Australia. It lies at the mouth of the Leven River, on Bass Strait. It is on the Bass Highway, west of Devonport and east of Penguin....
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Penguin had a population of 2,943.
Penguin was first settled in 1861 as a timber town, and proclaimed on 25 October 1875. The area's dense bushland and easy access to the sea led to Penguin becoming a significant port town, with large quantities of timber shipped across Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
to Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, where the 1850s gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
es were taking place. The town was named by the botanist Ronald Campbell Gunn
Ronald Campbell Gunn
Ronald Campbell Gunn, FRS, was a South African-born Australian botanist and politician.-Early life:Gunn was born at Cape Town, Cape Colony, , the son of William Gunn, lieutenant in the 72nd Regiment, and his wife Margaret, née Wilson. Gunn accompanied his father to Mauritius, the West Indies, and...
for the Fairy Penguin rookeries that are common along the less populated areas of the coast.
Notable residents
- Fashion designer Alannah HillAlannah HillAlannah Hill is an Australian fashion designer, well known in Australia and internationally for her "girly chic" fashion label smexy and boutique chain....
lived in Penguin during her childhood, as her parents owned a milk barMilk barMilk bar is a term in some parts of Australia for suburban local shops or general stores. They are known as tuck shops, delicatessens or delis in South Australia and Western Australia, and as corner stores in Queensland and New South Wales...
in the town. - Trevor KaineTrevor KaineTrevor Thomas Kaine , an Australian politician, was Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory from 1989 to 1991, and was elected a multi-member single electorate first unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, from 1989 to 2001, initially as a member of the Liberal...
, the second Chief Minister of the Australian Capital TerritoryChief Minister of the Australian Capital TerritoryThe Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory is the head of government of the Australian Capital Territory. The leader of party with the largest representation of seats in the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly usually takes on the role...
, was born in Penguin. - Russell RobertsonRussell RobertsonRussell "Robbo" Robertson is a professional Australian rules footballer, who last played for the Melbourne Football Club....
, an Australian rules footballAustralian rules footballAustralian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er for the Melbourne DemonsMelbourne Football ClubThe Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
, attended Penguin High School from 1991 to 1994. - Leslie Lloyd Robson, (1931-1990) the prolific Australian historian, was born and raised in Penguin.
- Grant O'Brien the current CEO of Woolworths (supermarket) was raised in Penguin and attended Penguin High School.
Education
Penguin has one of only two 7th Day Adventist Schools in Tasmania, North West Christian School. (The other being Hilliard in Hobart.)Attractions
Penguin is home to the Big Penguin and all the bins have cement penguins along the sides.Penguin is also a great place for fishing. There are Trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
in the Penguin creek and many different types of fish in the surrounding sea.
There are also sandy beaches that are a good place to swim at high-tide.
Mt Montgomery is also in the penguin area.