Bishopsbourne
Postcode: 7301
Bishopsbourne is a farming community in northern Tasmania. It has a population of less than 200. It has a church, graveyard and recreation ground. Nearby towns include Carrick, Bracknell and Longford. Almost all the houses and farms are located on Bishopsbourne Road and there are a few back roads.
There has been increased activity of development in recent years, though none of it has been commercial.
Bishopsbourne is a picturesque and productive farming area 16kms west of Longford. The village was built on land belonging to Tasmania’s first Anglican bishop, Bishop Nixon, who arrived in the colony in 1833. The charming Anglican Church in Bishopsbourne was built in 1844, and was opened for divine service on 25 April 1845 by Bishop Nixon. The Church today still has its first church bell.
Tasmania’s original Christ College (also known as Bishopsbourne College) was opened in Bishopsbourne in 1846 with the hope that it would develop along the lines of an Oxbridge-style college, and provide the basis for university education in Tasmania. It was also intended to prepare men for the priesthood. The College’s first ten years were at Bishopsbourne, and there is still a sign pointing to “The College”. However, it never really developed as its founder’s hoped, and a depression in the colony, the remote site, and financial problems led to its closure in 1856. The College re-opened in Hobart in 1879, and officially became part of the University of Tasmania in 1991.