Dorset | |||||||||||||
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 Location inTasmania | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Tasmania | ||||||||||||
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Dorset Land District is one of the twenty land districts ofTasmania which are part of theCadastral divisions of Tasmania. It was formerly one of the 18counties of Tasmania. It is located at the north-eastern tip of Tasmania. It is bordered by theTamar River to the west, theGeorge River to the south-east, and theNorth Esk River to the south. It includesBridport,George Town andScottsdale. It also includes some northern suburbs ofLaunceston. The local government area of theDorset Council is in a similar region. It is named after the county ofDorset inEngland, and towns in the area were named after towns in that county.[1]
On 15 January 1836 George Arthur, the Lieutenant Governor of the Island ofVan Diemen's Landproclaimed, viaThe Hobart Town Courier, the first counties and parishes to be surveyed in the colony.
The County of Dorset, bounded on the north by Bass's straits, on the east by the Pacific ocean; on the south by the river North Esk, and a line connecting that river with George's river, and on the west by the Tamar. This county to include Waterhouse island, Swan island and all other islands situate between the mouth of the river Tamar and the mouth of George's river, and whose distance from the coast does not exceed 10 British statute miles.
No hundreds and parishes were proclaimed for Dorset County at this time.