Northern Tasmania: Launceston, Devonport, and the Island's Other City

Launceston, Tasmania's second city and the commercial heart of the island's north, provides an urban centre of genuine quality whose heritage architecture, the Cataract Gorge, and the Tamar Valley wine country combine with a city centre that has been revitalised through significant private and public investment. The city's relationship with Hobart is characterised by the friendly rivalry between Tasmania's two significant urban centres, each with distinct character and loyal residents who prefer their city's attributes to those of its competitor.

Cataract Gorge, within walking distance of Launceston's city centre, is one of the most dramatic natural features accessible within an Australian city. The First Basin, with its swimming pool, peacocks, walking tracks, and the chairlift that provides aerial views of the gorge, provides a recreation destination that Launceston residents use year-round and that visitors from Tasmania and the mainland consistently identify as the most surprising and impressive element of a Launceston visit.

Devonport, the arrival point for the Spirit of Tasmania ferry service, is the gateway city that many visitors to Tasmania experience first. The city's character, shaped by its role as a regional service centre and transport hub, differs from both Hobart and Launceston in ways that reflect its more practical economic base. The Devonport Regional Gallery and the MADE (Museum and Art Gallery, Design and Entertainment) facility provide cultural infrastructure that serves the northwest coast population.

The northwest coast's agricultural economy, including vegetable growing on the fertile coastal plains, dairy farming in the interior, and the bulb and cool-climate cropping that the region's climate favours, provides the economic base for towns from Devonport to Burnie that are relatively less dependent on tourism than the south and east of the island. The food processing industries that add value to agricultural production provide the manufacturing employment that sustains these communities.

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