Travellers Rest, Tasmania

Travellers Rest is a rural/residential locality in the local government areas (LGA) of Meander Valley (98%) and Northern Midlands (2%) in the Launceston and Central LGA regions of Tasmania. The locality is about 24 kilometres (15 mi) east of the town of Westbury. The 2016 census recorded a population of 305 for the state suburb of Travellers Rest.^[1] It is a settled semi-rural area at the edge of Greater Launceston.^[2]

Travellers Rest Tasmania
Travellers Rest
Coordinates	41°29′59″S 147°05′56″E
Population	305 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)	7250
Location	24 km (15 mi) E of Westbury
LGA(s)	Meander Valley, Northern Midlands
Region	Launceston, Central
State electorate(s)	Lyons
Federal division(s)	Lyons
Suburbs around Travellers Rest: Westwood Blackstone Heights Prospect Vale Hadspen Travellers Rest Prospect Vale Longford Longford Longford

History

Travellers Rest is a confirmed locality.^[3] In the 19th century the area was largely uninhabited. At the junction where the road from Launceston branches — the branches lead now and led then to Longford and Hadspen — a hotel was built in 1833^[4] by G & T Burnett. The hotel was initially called the Travellers Rest Hotel. It burned down in March 1930 due to a hotel employee's accident; he was filling a motorcycle with petrol while holding a lit storm lantern.^[5] By 1941 only the front wall remained, a state that led to a call for its demolition.^[6] The remaining ruins were finally removed in 1990 when the site was covered by construction of the Bass Highway.^[7]

Geography

The South Esk River forms the north-western boundary.^[8]

Road infrastructure

National Route 1 (Bass Highway) runs through from east to west.^[3][9]