Longford

JS PRout, 'Longford', 1844 (ALMFA, SLT)

Longford, a small rural town in northern Tasmania, is the centre of a large farming district. Prior to European settlement the Panninher Band of the North Midlands Tribe of Aborigines frequented the area. The district was first known as Norfolk Plains (after the settlers who arrived from Norfolk Island in 1808), Latour (after Colonel Peter Augustus Latour of the Cressy Establishment), and finally, in 1833, Longford. Newman Williatt has been credited as the founder of Longford, building the Longford Hotel (now Jessen Lodge) in 1829. Lying at the convergence of the Macquarie and South Esk Rivers, Longford is prone to flooding. In 1929 floodwaters rose to 56 feet above normal height, causing much stock loss and property damage and leaving two hundred people homeless. Between 1958 and 1968 the Longford Motor Racing Association conducted an annual round of the Grand Prix. Today Longford has a variety of small industries, and tourism contributes to the town's economy, with many historic buildings in and around Longford to delight visitors.

Further reading: 'Destruction by storms and floods in Tasmania ', Illustrated Tasmanian Mail, 17 April 1929; Let's talk about Longford, 1972, TL; K von Stieglitz, Longford past and present, Launceston, [1947].

Margaret Harman