Launcestion
The Division of Launceston is named after Tasmania’s 2nd oldest city, which is also the third oldest city in Australia.
The Europeans settled Launceston in 1805 after the settlement was moved along the Tamar River from the original settlement at George Town, which was settled in 1804.
Launceston is named after Launceston in Cornwall, England.
The division of Launceston’s boundaries extend to part of Hadspen, Blackstone Heights Kings Meadows, Youngtown and Norwood with the main focus of the division being the central business district.
Launceston has been used as a division name previously with the change to its former name of Paterson only occurring in 1999.
It was decided to return to the name of Launceston because of the significance of the city in Tasmania and Australia’s history and also because the name has been used for the division for all but its nine years as Paterson.
Another reason for the use of Launceston was that Paterson did not connote a well-known geographical feature.
As well as being the third oldest city in Australia, Launceston is also the site of the first anaesthetic use in the Southern Hemisphere and the first Australian city to have both underground sewers and hydro-electricity.
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