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Perth

Towns & Destinations

Northern Midlands Council TAS, PO Box 156, Perth, TAS 7300
03 6397 7303

Description

Perth is a town in the Australian state of Tasmania.

Perth is a town in the Australian state of Tasmania.It lies 20 km (12 mi) south of Launceston, on the Midland Highway.The town had a population of 2,965 at the 2016 census, and is part of the Northern Midlands Council.

Like nearby Longford, Perth is a historic town with many buildings dating back to the early 19th century. It is the first major town out of Launceston on the route to Hobart, and also serves as a major junction for people bypassing Launceston on the route from Hobart to the northwest of the state.

History

Perth was established in 1821 by Governor Lachlan Macquarie. He was staying nearby with the pastoralist David Gibson and named it after Gibson's hometown of Perth, Scotland. It was proclaimed as a township in 1836.

John Skinner Prout painted a view of the town in 1845, with various parts of the inland mountains showing in the painting.Edward Paxham Brandard engraved the picture in 1874.

Weather
Things to do
Baptist church

The Perth Baptist church, opened in 1862, is notable, due to its history, size and architecture.

Gibbet Hill

In 1837, five years after the practice ceased in England, the body of John McKay was gibbetted near the spot where he murdered Joseph Wilson near Perth. There was great outcry, but the body was not removed until an acquaintance of Wilson passed the spot and, horrified by the spectacle of McKay's rotting corpse, pleaded with the authorities to remove it.

The location is still marked by a sign reading, "Gibbet Hill" on the right when heading to Launceston.

This was the last case of gibbeting in a British colony.

Details

Type: Towns

Population: 1,001 - 10,000

Time zone: UTC +11:00

Area: 72.202 km2

Elevation: 51 to 200 metres

Town elevation: 169 m

Population number: 2,965

Local Government Area: Northern Midlands Council

Location

Northern Midlands Council TAS, PO Box 156, Perth, TAS 7300

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Attribution

This article contains content imported from the English Wikipedia article on Perth, Tasmania