| Perth Tasmania |
|
 Main Street of Perth, Tasmania |
|
| Population: | 1984 (2001)[1] |
| Postcode: | 7300 |
| Location: |
|
| LGA: | Northern Midlands Council |
| State District: | Lyons |
| Federal Division: | Lyons |
Perth is a town in the north-east of Tasmania, Australia. It lies 20 km south of Launceston, on the Midland Highway. The town has a population of 1,984 and is averaging a 1% increase per year (2001 census [1]. Perth is part of the Northern Midlands Council. Federal Lyons MHR Dick Adams also has an office in the town.
It is the first major town out of Launceston on the route to Hobart, and also serves as a major junction for people bypassing Launceston on the route from Hobart to the north west of the state.
Like nearby Longford, Perth is a historic town with many buildings dating back to the early 1800s.
Historical event of note
In 1837, five years after the practice ceased in England, the body of John McKay was gibbetted on a tree near the spot where he murdered Joseph Wilson near Perth.[2] There was great outcry, but the body was not removed until an acquaintance of Wilson passed the spot and horrified by the spectacle of McKay's rotting corpse, pleaded with the authorities to remove it. The place where this occurred was just to the right (when travelling towards Launceston) of the Midlands Highway on the northern side of Perth, and is marked by a sign which reads "Gibbet Hill". Though the place is not visible from the present road, the tree upon which McKay was hanged still stands. Local legend maintains that animals will not pass the tree and dogs raise their hackles and growl[citation needed].
It was the last case of gibbeting in a British colony.
References
- ^ a b "Population distribution". Government of Tasmania Department of Justice. 2006-12-14. http://soer.justice.tas.gov.au/2003/indicator/55/index.php. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
- ^ Pedder C.J., Rex v. McKay and Lamb (Supreme Court of Van Diemen's Land), originally published Hobart Town Courier, 5 May 1837, republished by the Division of Law, Macquarie University and the School of History and Classics, University of Tasmania in Decisions of the Nineteenth Century Tasmanian Superior Courts. Accessed 19 December 2007.
External links
- Map showing Perth's location and that of Gibbet Hill (maps.google.com.au)
Coordinates: 41°34′23″S 147°10′17″E / 41.57306°S 147.17139°E
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