Ringarooma

Ringarooma Tasmania
Area surrounding Ringarooma which is right of centre
Ringarooma
Coordinates	41°14′S 147°40′E
Population	338 (2016 census)[1]
Established	1882
Postcode(s)	7263
Elevation	283 m (928 ft)
Location	89 km (55 mi) NE of Launceston 61 km (38 mi) W of St Helens
LGA(s)	Dorset Council
State electorate(s)	Bass
Federal division(s)	Bass

Ringarooma is a small town in north-eastern Tasmania. It is located just east of the Ringarooma River and is about 12 km (7.5 mi) south-west from Derby and 55 km (34 mi) east-northeast from Launceston. The area around Ringarooma is known for dairy farming and timber harvesting. The locality is in the Dorset Council local government area, except for about 2.5% which is in the Break O'Day Council area.

History

The district was opened up to farming in the 1860s, and the town itself was founded in 1882 when a rural property was subdivided into lots by landowner Christopher Krushka. It was initially known as Krushka Town before being renamed Ringarooma in November 1888, taking on the name of a coastal town near Bridport, which was renamed Boobyalla.^[2][3] Ringarooma is believed to be an Aboriginal word meaning happy hunting ground.^[4]

Ringarooma Post Office opened on 1 October 1874.^[5]

Primarily a dairy town, in 2017 Ringarooma was named the "Legendairy Capital of Tasmania".^[6]

Present day

Today, Ringarooma is a small town surrounded by dairy farming and timber harvesting country^[4] near mountains such as Mount Victoria and Ben Lomond.

The Mount Victoria Forest Reserve that contains Ralphs Falls^[7] and Cash Gorge/Falls^[8] is about 15 km (9.3 mi) to the SouthEast of Ringarooma, while the St Columba Falls is a further 10 km (6.2 mi) away (70 km [43 mi] by road).^[9][10]

Notable people

• Bartlett Adamson, journalist, poet, author and political activist was born here.^[11]
• Alfred Gaby, recipient of the Victoria Cross was born at Springfield near here.^[12]
• Alan Lindsay Wardlaw, pastoralist, soldier and parliamentarian, managed a farm nearby.
• Samuel Hawkes was the first Member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly for Ringarooma.

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Ringarooma (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
2. Beswick, Dorothy (1988). As The River Flows, Mount Victoria to Boobyalla. Ringarooma Council. ISBN 0-7316-1966-8.
3. "NS2809 – The E R Pretyman Index: NS2809-1–16(Ria – San)". stors.tas.gov.au. Libraries Tasmania. p. 20. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
4. Alison Andrews (11 March 2009). "Ringarooma: A'happy hunting ground'". The Examiner. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
5. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
6. "Industry News: Ringarooma: little town, big heart". The Australian Dairyfarmer. Fairfax Agricultural Media. 24 July 2017. Archived from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
7. "Ralphs Falls". parks.tas.gov.au. Parks & Wildlife Service Tasmania. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
8. "Ringarooma, Ralph Falls & Cash's Gorge". northeasttasmania.com.au. North East Tasmania Tourism. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
9. "St. Columba Falls". parks.tas.gov.au. Parks & Wildlife Service Tasmania. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
10. "Ringarooma, Tasmania 7263 Saint Columba Falls State Reserve, Pyengana Tas 7216". google.com. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
11. Robert Darby. "Adamson, George Ernest Bartlett (1884–1951)". adb.anu.edu.au. National Centre of Biography. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
12. D. Elliot. "Gaby, Alfred Edward (1892–1918)". adb.anu.edu.au. National Centre of Biography. Retrieved 26 September 2018.

Further reading

• Tasmania's North-East: A Comprehensive History (No. 13): Ringarooma, Hon. A. W. Loone in The Examiner (14 Jan 1928)

External links

• Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011 Census Quickstats of Ringarooma area