St Helens, Tasmania
| St Helens Tasmania |
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 St Helens
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| Population: | 2049[1] |
| Postcode: | 7216 |
| Coordinates: | 41°19′S 148°14′E / 41.317°S 148.233°ECoordinates: 41°19′S 148°14′E / 41.317°S 148.233°E |
| Location: |
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| LGA: | Break O'Day Council |
| State electorate: | Lyons |
| Federal Division: | Lyons |
St Helens is the largest town on the north-east coast of Tasmania, Australia, on Georges Bay. It is known as the game fishing capital of Tasmania and is also known to produce and provide oysters (as some other areas of Tasmania) that are renowned throughout the world. It is located on the Tasman Highway, about 160 km east of Tasmania's second largest city, Launceston. In the early 2000s, the town was one of the fastest growing areas of Tasmania, and reached a population of 2049 at the 2006 census. St Helens is part of the Break O'Day Council; a council that includes the surrounding town Binalong Bay.
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[edit] History
St Helens was first used as a whaling base in the early 19th century. When tin was discovered in the surrounding area in the 1870s, St Helens became the shipping port for the mines. This was the first time a coach service had been introduced to the town; previous access had only been by sea. The town became named after St Helens, Isle of Wight. Today the town is a popular resort for fishing, swimming and other aquatic activities. Its economy is based largely on tourism, fishing and timber.
[edit] Environment
[edit] Important Bird Area
The town is adjacent to the St Helens Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance as a breeding site for seabirds and waders.[2]
[edit] Climate
St Helens has a mild temperate climate, with four distinct seasons. Summers are warm and sunny and winters are quite cool. Rainfall throughout the year is very consistent, with an average of 54.2mm in February and 76.2mm in June. Being on the East Coast, St Helens winter temperatures are warmer than most parts of Tasmania. Summer temperatures however are not as warm as inland areas, although they are still warmer than Tasmania's capital, Hobart.
| Climate data for St Helens | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 22.9 (73.2) |
23.1 (73.6) |
21.8 (71.2) |
19.3 (66.7) |
16.6 (61.9) |
14.4 (57.9) |
13.8 (56.8) |
14.6 (58.3) |
16.1 (61.0) |
18.2 (64.8) |
19.7 (67.5) |
21.3 (70.3) |
18.5 (65.3) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 11.9 (53.4) |
12.0 (53.6) |
10.5 (50.9) |
7.8 (46.0) |
5.8 (42.4) |
3.7 (38.7) |
2.5 (36.5) |
3.6 (38.5) |
5.1 (41.2) |
6.8 (44.2) |
8.9 (48.0) |
10.5 (50.9) |
7.4 (45.3) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 55.9 (2.201) |
54.2 (2.134) |
67.2 (2.646) |
63.2 (2.488) |
64.5 (2.539) |
76.2 (3) |
70.9 (2.791) |
67.5 (2.657) |
60.9 (2.398) |
68.1 (2.681) |
60.1 (2.366) |
66.7 (2.626) |
775.1 (30.516) |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology[3] | |||||||||||||
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ 2006 Census, QuickStats Data, St Helens-Stieglitz (Urban Centre/Locality)
- ^ "IBA: St Helens (Tasmania)". Birdata. Birds Australia. http://www.birdata.com.au/iba.vm. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
- ^ "Climate Data". Bureau of Meteorology. http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_092033.shtml. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
