Sorell, Tasmania

Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox Australian place Sorell is a town in Tasmania, Australia, north-east of Hobart. It is located on the Tasman Highway at the junction with the Arthur Highway. Sorell is one of Tasmania's oldest towns, being first settled in 1808 as a small farming community and becoming an official township in 1821.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the Template:CensusAU, Sorell had a population of 1,546,<ref name=Census2006Y>Template:Census 2006 AUS</ref> and at the 2011 census, a population of 2,476.<ref name=Census2011Y>Template:Census 2011 AUS</ref> and at the 2016 census, a population of 2,907.<ref name=Census2016Y>Template:Census 2016 AUS</ref>

History

Pre-contact

The Mumirimina People of the Oyster Bay Tribe traditionally lived in the Sorell area.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

Post-contact

Sorell was first explored by Europeans by a party from Risdon Cove in 1803.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> This first exploration was done by Lieutenant Governor Collins, who originally named the area Pitt Water after the current Chancellor of the Exchequer.<ref name=":0" /> Sorell was later renamed after Lieutenant Governor William Sorell by Governor Lachlan Macquarie on a tour.<ref name=":0" /> Fertile land was discovered,<ref name=":1" /> and it was first settled in 1808, but remained an isolated farming community until 1821 when the town was established.<ref name=":0" /> Th Sorell Post Office opened on 1 June 1832.<ref name="Post Office">Template:Cite web</ref> Historically, it was a granary for the colony,<ref name=":0" /> and became known as the "granary of Australia."<ref name=":1" /> It was known as a major town on the route from Hobart to Port Arthur on the Tasman Peninsula.Template:Citation needed It was the centre of an agricultural area and an important market town.Template:Citation needed It is now a dormitory town of Hobart,Template:Citation needed as well as the seat of the Sorell Council, which was established in 1862.<ref name=":0" />

Telegraph service was introduced in 1876, a railway in 1892, a water supply in 1916, and electricity in 1930. In 1872 the Sorell Causeway was opened across Pitt Water, considerably shortening the route to Hobart, which otherwise relied on ferries or a route through Richmond.<ref name=":0" />

Infrastructure

Sorell is served by Sorell School, the oldest continually operating public school in Australia, opened in 1821.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is a co-educational primary and secondary school, serving years K–12. Sorell is served by a Libraries Tasmania library, a Service Tasmania office, and Australia Post Office.

Sorell Plaza shopping centre, built in the mid 2000s, provides a supermarket and other major retail outlets. It was purchased by SCA Property Group, a subsidiary of Woolworths, in 2019.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Gateway Shopping Center includes a competing supermarket and small retail.

Sorell falls within the Anglican Parish of South East Tasmania, based at St George's Church, and the Parish of Richmond, with services at St Thomas's Church. Historically, it was also served by the Presbyterian Scots Church, designed by James Blackburn, which is now a private residence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sorell has a number of historic buildings, including the Sorell Barracks, constructed to house soldiers during the Black War. These and other historic buildings - including the railway house, the old Sorell Library (now an antiques centre), and the Gordon Highlander Hotel, form a heritage walk.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The area also has a local historical society<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as well as a Freemasons Lodge (Lodge Pembroke).<ref>https://www.facebook.com/masoniclodgepembroke/ Template:User-generated source</ref>

Climate

Sorell has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), with very mild summers and cool winters. Average maxima vary from Template:Convert in January to Template:Convert in July while average minima fluctuate between Template:Convert in January and Template:Convert in July. Mean average annual precipitation is rather low, Template:Convert, but is rather frequent (spread across 139.5 precipitation days above the Template:Convert threshold). The town is not very sunny, experiencing 44.8 clear days and 169.1 cloudy days per annum. Extreme temperatures have ranged from Template:Convert on 31 January 2020 to Template:Convert on 23 June 1972.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> All climate data was sourced from Hobart Airport, which is Template:Convert southeast of Sorell.