A view of the main street of Ulverstone, Tasmania
At the 2006 census, Ulverstone had a population of 9,760. Making it the state’s largest town as Kingston is a suburb of Hobart. The town is a part of the Central Coast Council.
It 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, 21 kilometres (13 mi) west of Devonport and 19 kilometres (12 mi) east of Penguin.
History
The present-day town area was first settled by Europeans in 1848, when Andrew Risby, his wife Louisa and their four young children arrived to settle and create farmland from, essentially, a thickly forested wilderness.
Andrew & Louisa arrived in Adelaide, South Australia in 1839 as a newly married couple from their ancestral town of Horsley, Gloucestershire in England. The first of their 5 children were born in Adelaide. Soon after the birth of their 2nd infant they moved to Tasmania. In 1841 they arrived at the Forth River where a young 19 year-old James Fenton had pioneered prior to their arrival. After clearing land and subsistence farming for a few years, they were evicted from their “patch” after a land dispute with a wealthy speculator and moved westward. The district was, at that time, known as ‘the Leven’ and recognised as a nice source of quality timber. When their 5th infant, Andrew Risby jnr. was 2 years elderly the Risby relatives moved and settled on a patch of land known as The Rises, at the south-eastern perimeter of the present day Ulverstone town boundary where they farmed for plenty of years. Descendants of this pioneering relatives still reside in the district.
Reliable rainfall and generally nice quality soils favoured the development of agricultural pursuits. The early pioneers of the district struggled against great odds to secure their sustenance and ultimately create an income from sale of their produce.
During the 1850s, the district received a few new settlers but was also frequented by transient timber getters. The timber found ready markets in Melbourne, which desperately necessary nice quality split timber during the Victorian gold rush. Up until June 1854, land releases in the district were often purchased under ‘pre-emptive rights legislation’ by distant purchasers whose purpose was to keep the land for later sale at an increased price. With the repeal of that legislation, the conditions for settlers to take up residence improved.
Ulverstone grew quickly during the 1890s.
The name Ulverstone is first known to have been used in 1854 when Hugh Ross McKay opened the Ulverstone store.
Ulverstone was declared a town on 22 February 1861 by Governor H.E. Fox-Young.
The town has become a centralised location between the northwest coast’s four cities, Burnie and Devonport. It is named after Ulverston in England. n.b. Ulverston, U.K. was spelled Ulverstone until late in the 19th Century.
From 1915 until 1955, a branch railway ran from Ulverstone to Nietta, mostly carrying timber for the Burnie Pulp Mill.
Apex Caravan Park
Apex Caravan Park offers campsites and powered sites at Ulverstone in Tasmania’s north west.Apex Caravan Park is situated right on the beachfront and has 24 campsites and 10 powered sites.In the evening you may see and hear the fairy penguins come ashore as the park is near their nesting area.Ulverstone has lots to offer, great seafood, restaurants, coffee shops, and its ideally located for day or half day drives to nearby waterfalls, canyons, and caves. For the gourmets you can go cheese tasting, honey sampling, wine tasting at some of the local vineyard, and chocolate tasting at Latrobe.
Bass and Flinders Motors Inn
The Bass and Flinders Motor Inn offers motel accommodation at Ulverstone on Tasmania’s north west coast. Ulverstone is 15 minutes west of Devonport (21 kilometres/13 miles) and 90 minutes west of Launceston (122 kilometres/76 miles).
The Bass and Flinders Motor Inn offers a choice of one, two and three bedroom ground floor units, some with kitchen facilities. All 15 units have en suites, direct dial phones, televisions and tea and coffee making facilities. There is a guest laundry, room service breakfast is available and you can also enjoy a meal in the Motel restaurant.
The Bass and Flinders Motor Inn is five minutes’ walk from sparkling beaches and leafy parks. Discover the history of the area at the Ulverstone Local History Museum, or visit other north west attractions including Gunns Plains Caves where you can see stunning limestone formations, and the Leven Canyon where you can bushwalk, enjoy a picnic or barbecue and admire views of the 250 metre/820 feet gorge.
Inn The Lighthouse, Ulverstone
Conveniently situated in Tasmania’s picturesque north-west coastal town of Ulverstone, The Lighthouse Hotel sets new standards in accommodation facilities, features and comfort, all at competitive rates. Architect designed, The Lighthouse shines in every aspect – superb food in The Lighthouse Bistro, comfortable public bars with an extensive selection of quality local and imported beers, intimate cocktail bar, Trade Winds and Mezzanine meeting and conference rooms, Gaming, Keno and Tote facilities, a guests gymnasium and even a sauna!
Beachway Motel Restaurant
Overlooking the beautiful landscaped gardens, the licensed restaurant at the Beachway offers an excellent menu. Whenever possible, we feature fresh local products including prime Tasmanian Beef and Lamb, and, when available, crayfish. Our chef will delight you with his offerings and there is a wine list to compliment your selection from our menu. A children’s menu is also available an we also offer an inexpensive Home Favourites selection. Beachway Motel Restaurant is located in Ulverstone, Tasmania.
Things to see:
Ulverstone Local History Museum
Located at 50 Main Street and open at different times from Tuesday to Sunday it has a fascinating collection of business facades including a blacksmith and wheelwright (Levi Titmus), a photographer (GP Taylor), a bootmaker (A. Wood) and a number of other businesses. Contact (03) 6425 3835 for opening times or visit the museum on the Net at http://www.tassie.net.au/~leven/ULHM.htm
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