Aboriginal Culture

Aboriginal Culture

Tens of thousands of years ago, the first Tasmanians crossed a land bridge from mainland Australia.

When sea levels rose after the last Ice Age, Tasmanian Aboriginal people were isolated for 10,000 years until Europeans arrived and settled in the beginning of the 19th century.
Today's Tasmanian Aboriginal community retains strong links to the land. In Tasmania's river valleys, forests, coastlines and offshore islands, important cultural sites are a physical and spiritual connection linking Aboriginal people of the past, the present and the future.

On many Tasmanian coasts there are Aboriginal midden sites, where generations of people cooked shellfish meals - please respect these special places and leave them undisturbed.

Animals and Plants
Tasmania's isolation from mainland Australia has ensured the survival of many plants, animals and birds that are rare, or even extinct, elsewhere in the country. Visitors are often surprised at how accessible Tasmania's native wildlife is. In many areas on even a short bushwalk you can come across a pademelon, echidna, wombat or wallaby.
You will see the one of our most endangered birds, the 40-spotted pardalote - Maria and Bruny islands are their preferred environments. Of the many birds that make Tasmania their home 12 are endemic..
Many of the animals are nocturnal, so your best chance of spotting one is in the evening. Because many of the animals are active at night, we ask all visitors to take particular care when driving at dusk or after dark. Watch out for the signs where special care is needed.

Facts and Figures

Tasmanian Economy
Tasmanians have a capacity for inventiveness that was founded in the early years of settlement, well before today's convenient air and sea connections. Earlier generations adopted a resourcefulness that thrives today in Tasmania's traditional industries and particularly in nine industry sectors that have gained a competitive edge through world-breaking developments and fresh ideas.
The sectors are: tourism, gourmet food and wine, the arts, aquaculture, non-food agriculture, marine manufacturing, forestry and timber products, mining technology and minerals, and Antarctic and Southern Ocean Science.

Tasmania's Agricultural Restrictions and Quarantine

Tasmania has some of the world's most stringent quarantine regulations. It is the only Australian state free from fruit fly, potato cyst nematode and tobacco blue mould. Like the rest of Australia, Tasmania is also free from many serious diseases of animals such as foot and mouth disease, mad cow disease, rabies and rinderpest. We plan to keep it that way so our quarantine laws are strict.