Franklin, Tasmania

Franklin is a small

Geeveston. At the 2021 census, Franklin had a population of 444.^[2]

It was named after

Port Davey to provide a direct link between the settlement at Hobart

Huon Post Office opened on 31 August 1848, was renamed Franklin-Huon in 1853 and Franklin in 1878.[3]

Originally used for mixed cropping, especially

potatoes and other vegetables, by the late 19th century Franklin and its immediate surrounds were a major apple

orcharding region. With the collapse of Tasmania's export fruit industry during the 1970s the region reverted to mixed farming.

Until the 1930s Franklin was the major town in the Huon Valley. It was thriving with the shipping that docked at its many jetties. Franklin boasted its own Court House (now a gourmet café), several hotels, banks and a Town Hall (now the restored Palais Theatre). It even had its own hydroelectric power station, driven by a local creek. With the establishment of a better road across the Sleeping Beauty Range mountains and the growth of the nearby town Huonville, Franklin went into decline over the next few decades. However, it has recently had a resurgence as a popular tourist town and has had an influx of interstate "seachangers" (urban dwellers from large Australian cities such as Sydney looking for a slower pace and place to raise their children) who have revitalised the town. Much of old Franklin remains.

References

^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Franklin (Urban Centre Locality)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Franklin (Urban Centre Locality)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 16 June 2012.

References

See also