Following early contacts
with the Dutch in 1642 and
the French over 150 years later, Aborigines in Tasmania experienced
massive changes when the British commenced their dispossession of
Tasmanian Aboriginal land in 1803. At that time there were up to
10,000 Aboriginal people living in eight language groups on the
island.Today,
the Aboriginal community is made up of a similar sized population.
The impact of colonisation has been resisted with successful
campaigns for the return of lands, revitalisation of language and
the continuation of traditional cultural practices including
muttonbirding and shell necklace making. Cultural sites provide a
rich heritage of over 2,000 generations of Aboriginal life and
include some of the world’s most significant records of early human
culture and rock art.
Tasmania might be
well-known for its convict heritage, which ceased with the end of
transportation in 1853, but the island’s Aboriginal culture lives
on. Tasmania is the smallest and most southerly of Australia’s six
States, separated from mainland Australia by the Bass Strait.
Comparatively, Tasmania is about the same size as the Republic of
Ireland, a little larger than West Virginia and one and a half times
the size of Switzerland. It has an island population of just under
500,000.
Tasmania has a mild
maritime climate. Statistically, the capital city, Hobart has
half the rain of Sydney, more sun than Melbourne and it is warmer
than Madrid. Hobart is an intriguing blend of heritage and
lifestyle, scenery and vibrant culture. The Tasmanian Wilderness
World Heritage Area (WHA) is one of the largest conservation
reserves in Australia, covering 1.38 million hectares. It
conserves a diverse array of both natural and cultural features of
outstanding global significance. The region provides pristine
habitats for a range of endemic plants and animals, including
many rare and endangered species.
Surrounding the State’s
numerous National Parks are farmlands and coastal waters from which
are sourced some of the world’s most soughtafter gourmet produce. We
invite you to share all that Tasmania has to offer while you are
visiting for this conference. You won’t be disappointed! |
