Located on Tasmania’s northwest coast, Latrobe is a municipality of diversity. It is a blend of old and new, urban and rural, boasting a rich history and maintaining the natural environment that has made it the ‘Platypus Capital of the World’.
 An aerial shot of Bells Parade. Photo courtesy of Eye in the Sky. |
Latrobe’s love of history is proudly on show. It is a true heritage town, where there are 75 Heritage listed buildings, six of which are on the National Estate Register.
The historically significant building, Sherwood Hall, is the former home of exconvict Thomas Johnson, and part Aboriginal Dolly Dalrymple. It is a great feature of the town’s history in the early 1850s.
World War II hero Edward ‘Teddy’ Sheean also grew up in Latrobe, and a local memorial and walking track pay tribute to his life and his final hours aboard HMAS Armidale.
Pioneer memorial sculptures feature in an area called ‘Settlers Wharf’ at Bells Parade on the banks of the Mersey River, which was once northern Tasmania’s second major trading port.
In the arts, Latrobe’s Federal Band, which was established in 1872, holds the mantle as Australia’s oldest continuous serving brass band.
Latrobe is also a proud sporting community and the birthplace of the sport of woodchopping, holding the world’s first competitive chop in 1891. The Australian Axeman’s Hall of Fame national museum celebrates this history.
Conservation is also a priority for the people of Latrobe and its surrounds, with many volunteer groups working hard to preserve the natural features of the area. A walk in the Warrawee Forest Reserve is a perfect example of this dedication. The reserve is home to the rare and wholly protected giant freshwater lobster, as well as a large community of platypus.
Just south of the Latrobe township is the Henry Somerset Orchid Reserve. This conservation area is unique for the pure terrestrial study of orchids. Some 43 species of orchid have been recorded in the reserve, some now listed as rare and endangered.
Across the way is the beautiful Narawntapu National Park, one of Tasmania’s most easily accessible and people friendly national parks.
The municipality’s rural and hospitable community boasts some of the best agricultural produce nationally, with cherries a feature, not to mention the House of Anvers chocolate factory.
All this diversity – so much on offer –
and just one hour from Melbourne.
You’ve just got to see it to believe it.
Vibrant array of community events
Latrobe’s commitment to its closeknit community is evident in its Community Development department. Its passionate staff are dedicated to coordinating a range of events throughout the year, effectively engaging the community and continuing to foster local pride.
As diverse as the Latrobe municipality is, so are the public events that grace its community calendar each year. Many events, such as chocolate celebrations, ferret races, seaside regattas and sports carnivals, enjoy a long history and are unique to the area.
‘Chocolate Winterfest, Latrobe’ in July is a fine example of making great use of and expanding on a unique local attraction. Multi award winning House of Anvers chocolate factory is home to arguably Australia’s best chocolate, and is also just one of the venues throughout the town of Latrobe at which the annual ‘wickedly indulgent’ celebration takes place.
With activities such as chocolate painting art, chocolate mousse mayhem, chocolates in rhyme and chocolate chess, to name just a few, it is popular with chocoholics young and old.
Every Australia Day, the banks of the Mersey River are a hive of activity for the traditional Henley on Mersey. This is one of the most popular events on Latrobe’s social calendar and features local food and wine, woodchopping events, ferret frolic and races, and aquatic activities including the Betta Boat (milk carton) Race.
The Port Sorell Regatta is a family day held every January and is famous for its clay wrestling competition, while each Boxing Day, the Latrobe Carnival is in full swing with professional cycling, running and woodchopping events.
The Latrobe Carnival is Australia’s longest running carnival and its Wheel Race is one of Australia’s most prestigious cycling events.
Latrobe’s rural community also gets into the thick of the action with the biannual Sassafras Heritage Farming weekend, which shows off the municipality’s rural roots.
For a community of approximately 9,000 people, Latrobe Council certainly contributes to the vibrancy of Tasmania and the northwest Coast.
Port Sorell: the best of nature
The seaside town of Port Sorell is providing some challenges for Latrobe, and Council is meeting them head on.
Just one hour’s flight from Melbourne, a ten minute drive from Devonport Airport and 15 minutes from the Spirit of Tasmania ferry terminal, Port Sorell is a sea change community with around 2,000 residents. Its popularity with those seeking a coastal lifestyle has seen it consistently maintain its position as one of Tasmania’s fastest growing areas.
This population boom has led to significant commercial and retail development since the strategic plan for future development was adopted by Council in 2004.
Latrobe recognised that a masterplan identifying civic and recreational facilities; public open space; pedestrian, cycle and vehicular pathways; and service infrastructure would give strategic direction to future development in the area.
To review the 2004 Strategic Plan, Council engaged Ecologically Sustainable Design Pty Ltd to conduct an ‘Enquiry by Design’ and prepare a masterplan for Port Sorell and its environs. This planning process was initiated at Port Sorell in March 2008 and public meetings engaged community, business and government agency stakeholders to collaborate and develop an achievable and widely supported vision. The process has produced visual concepts for future development that will provide a framework for partnerships to proactively assess, develop and stage action and
implementation plans.
This was no mean feat for Council, with key stakeholders, including developers and conservationists, each bringing to the table their passionate views and variety of opinions.
With Freers Beach, Tasmania’s 2008 Cleanest Beach, rolling farmland and the hills of the nearby Narawntapu National Park as its backdrop, Port Sorell shows off the best of nature.
The merging of the development requirements, while keeping much of the area’s natural state in tact, is a positive step in the right direction for the municipality.
Cats under control
Latrobe Council is leading the way in Tasmania with an initiative on the management of cats in the area. It is the first Council in the State to introduce a Cat Management Bylaw and it actively encourages the voluntary registration of cats by offering free registration for all
desexed cats.
Latrobe Mayor, Councillor Mike Gaffney, said the bylaw was introduced in 2004 as a result of concerns for the region’s biodiversity. Mayor Gaffney acknowledges that there is still a need for further statutory and practical support.
Latrobe Council continues to encourage other Councils to consider initiatives that can also decrease the number of feral and unwanted cats in municipalities.
