Scottsdale
Postcode: 7260
Scottsdale is a town in the north-east of Tasmania, Australia. It lies on the Tasman Highway, around 63 km north-east of Launceston and 22 km south-east of the coastal town of Bridport . It is part of the Dorset Council.
The area was first surveyed in 1855 and was described as, “the best soil on the island … well watered, with a mild climate” by surveyor James Scott, for whom the town is named. This rings true today as the town, as well as being the regional centre for other north-east towns, is a major agricultural centre.
Potato farming, dairy farming, pine plantations, poppy cultivation and mining are all major industries in the area. Hops were previously an important crop, however large hop farms have over the last few years been sold and/or turned into dairy farms and eucalypt and pine plantations.
The setting of the town, surrounded by green fields and blue mountains, as well as increasing infrastructure and improved promotion for visitors, is giving the local tourism industry a boost. The Barnbougle Dunes Golf Links and the Bridestowe Estate Lavender Farm are key local attractions.
The Forest EcoCentre, operated by Forestry Tasmania, was built in Scottsdale in the late 1990s, as an educational visitor centre designed to inform the public about the forestry industry in Tasmania.
Scottsdale is an important service centre for North-East Tasmania, with shops catering for most residents’ needs, however the town’s retail sector has recently suffered a decline, with increasing vacancies in the town’s main street of King Street. The town has also suffered from the closure of the North-East Tasmania Rail Line, which increased the number of trucks on local roads. The complete removal of rails on major sections of the line halted the possibility of the rail line operating as a tourist route, despite it running through spectacular scenery. Ironically, the rails removed were used for the Abt Wilderness Railway on Tasmania’s west coast.