Smithton is a town of 3,275 people on the northwest coast of the island of Tasmania , a state of Australia , 86 kilometers from Burnie and 53 kilometers from Devonport .
The Smithton area was first explored by Europeans through George Bass and Matthew Flinders when they sailed the Bass Strait between Australia and Tasmania by ship in 1793 . The place was founded around 1850 and developed through the clearing of the forests, whose wood was needed for mining in the gold rush on the Australian continent in Victoria .
today
Smithton is located in a region that is characterized by agriculture and yet has scenic beauty through the forest, the Black Forest. This forest is essential to Smithton's lumbering and forestry industry. Agriculture through cattle and dairy farming is important for the place, with the meat industry being of supraregional importance and individual companies delivering meat products of excellent quality to Japan. The Van Diemen's Land Company , Australia's largest dairy farm, is headquartered in Smithton . The climate of the place is temperate and especially shaped by the adjacent lake and thus favors the cultivation of vegetables. The fishing industry and tourism are also very important to Smithton . There is a port in the village.
For recreational activities and tourism, surfing or fishing and boating can be enjoyed off the coast or on the Duck River. In the Blackwood (Black Forest) you can hike and experience the Tasmanian flora and fauna. Smithton offers tourist accommodation in hotels and motels, as well as restaurants and pubs. There is a regional airport 2 ½ kilometers from the town.
There is a state and Christian school and a kindergarten in the village. Smithton can be reached from Burnie Airport in Wynyard in about 50 minutes by car on the Bass Highway .
