Deloraine, Tasmania

Deloraine is a town on the Meander River, in the central north of Tasmania, Australia.  It is 50 km west of Launceston and 52 km south of Devonport along the Bass Highway. It is part of the Meander Valley Council. There were 2,848 people living there in the .

History
The region was explored in 1821 by Captain Roland, who was searching for farm land. Land was granted to new settlers, and the town is now a major farming centre. There are a large number of farms of all types in the area.
Deloraine Post Office opened on 29 October 1836.

Economy and Infrastructure
The town won the State Tidy Towns award in 1992, 1993 and 1995, and the Australian Community of the Year award in 1997.

The town is a cultural centre and is home to the largest craft fair in the Southern Hemisphere. About 40,000 people come to the annual fair which has 13 venues and over 200 stalls around the town.

The town was bypassed by the new Bass Highway in the early 1990s.  However the town is still a popular resting place for travellers.  It also serves as a base to explore areas such as Cradle Mountain, the Great Western Tiers, Mole Creek and the Central Highlands.

Deloraine is the educational centre for the region with both primary (Deloraine Primary School and Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School) and high schools (Deloraine High School). Students from other towns come to Deloraine's schools by bus.

Deloraine is served by ABC Television, SBS Television, Tasmanian Digital Television, Southern Cross Tasmania, WIN Television, 91.7 ABC Northern Tasmania and other ABC radio networks, commercial stations 89.3 LAFM and 90.1 Chilli FM and community station 96.9 Meander Valley FM.

Sister cities
Deloraine has one sister city:

 Hokitika, New Zealand

References