Unspoilt Beauty At The Front Door
Newcastle Herald
Friday January 2, 2009
HISTORIANS argue the point about whether Launceston is Australia's second or third oldest city.
It matters little to the tourists. Founded in 1806, Launceston is nestled between the Tamar River and scenic Cataract Gorge at the beginning of Tasmania's Tamar Valley, a renowned wine-growing region. The city has managed to retain much of its heritage, architecture and streetscapes dating from early colonial and convict times to Georgian and Victorian eras. Called Patersonia for a short time after Lieutenant Colonel Paterson, the founder and first commandant, the settlement's name was changed to Launceston in honour of Governor Philip King whose birthplace was the Cornish township of Launceston. Today Launceston City Council promotes the city as a place "where the living is easy". The city offers a laid-back lifestyle far from the gridlock of city congestion with the ambience of a cosmopolitan European city. The freshest air, the healthiest climate and the wildest places are on the city's doorstep. North-eastern Tasmania is fast becoming known as a haven from the harshest impacts of global climate change. Launceston's council is promoting the city as a perfect place to build a business, find your dream job, progress your career, unleash your creativity and raise a family. With a climate similar to that experienced in the south of France, Launceston and surrounds has won a reputation as a wine lover's and foodie's paradise. With a population of 98,000, Launceston is both compact and easy to navigate. At the same time it offers facilities that match anything in much larger cities but it lacks the queues or the traffic snarls. It's been estimated that 60 per cent of the population gets to work or school in less than 20 minutes. And Launceston and the Tamar Valley offers visitors an inspiring range of places to stay.
© 2009 Newcastle Herald
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