Swansea is a small town in the east of the Australian state of Tasmania . The city on the east coast is in the northwest of Great Oyster Bay , across from Freycinet National Park . Swansea was the first urban settlement to emerge in Australia after the establishment of Sydney and Hobart . At the 2016 census there were 645 residents. The Tasman Highway (A3) runs through the city.
The first European to explore the area around what is now Swansea was Captain John Henry Cox (1750–1791) when he sailed from England to Sydney. He went up the Tasmanian east coast in his ship Mercury . On July 3, 1789, having heard of large seal colonies in the area, he sailed along the west coast of Maria Island to a sea area he called Oyster Bay .
Schouten House in Swansea
Swansea was not settled until 1821 when George Meredith arrived in Wales with his family and some workers from Pembrokeshire . Meredith received a land grant from Governor William Sorell to build a farm on Oyster Bay. He cultivated the land, planted crops and grazed cattle. A tannery and flour mill were built on the Meredith River . In addition, whaling stations were set up on neighboring islands so that whale oil could be exported. Swansea was originally called Great Swanport and Meredith built the house there for his family, Cambria , which is still privately owned today. But there are also other important historical buildings in the city, such as E.g. the Morris' General Store , which was operated by the Morris family for over 100 years. The Lohmühle in Swansea, the Gerberlohe processed, is now a museum. The Schouten House is a beautiful colonial Victorian style, which was created in 1844 and now serves as a hotel.
