View source for Burnie

{{Short description|Port city in Tasmania, Australia}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox Australian place
|type                = city
|name                = Burnie
|native_name         = {{nativename|xpv|Pataway}}
|state               = tas
|image               = View of Burnie from Upper Burnie lookout in Wilfred Campbell Memorial Reserve.jpg
|caption             = Burnie CBD and port
|image_alt           =
|coordinates         ={{coord|41|03|49|S|145|52|31|E|display=inline,title}}
|relief = 1
|pushpin_map_caption =
|pushpin_label_position =
|map_alt =
|pop                 = 19,918
|pop_year            = 2021
|pop_footnotes       = <ref name=ABSSUA>{{cite web|title=Burnie - 2021 Census All persons QuickStats|url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/LGA60610|website=Australian Bureau of Statistics|publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]]|date=28 June 2022|access-date=28 June 2022|archive-date=28 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628023011/https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/LGA60610|url-status=live}}</ref>
|poprank             =
|density             =
|density_footnotes   =
|established         = 1827
|abolished           =
|gazetted            = 1967
|postcode            = 7320
|elevation           = 19
|elevation_footnotes =
|area                =
|area_footnotes      =
|timezone            = [[Australian Eastern Standard Time|AEST]]
|utc                 = +10
|timezone-dst=[[Australian Eastern Daylight Time|AEDT]]
|utc-dst             = +11
|dist1               = 47
|dir1                =
|location1           = [[Devonport, Tasmania|Devonport]]
|dist2               = 134
|dir2                =
|location2           = [[Launceston, Tasmania|Launceston]]
|dist3               = 154
|dir3                =
|location3           = [[Queenstown, Tasmania|Queenstown]]
|dist4               = 296
|dir4                =
|location4           = [[Hobart]]
|lga                 = City of Burnie
|seat                =
|region              =
|county              =
|division            =
|stategov            = [[Division of Braddon (state)|Braddon]]
|fedgov              = [[Division of Braddon|Braddon]]
|url                 =
|maxtemp             = 16.9
|maxtemp_footnotes   = <ref name=climate>{{cite web 
|url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_091009_All.shtml
|title = Burnie (Round Hill) Climate Statistics (1944-2018)
|publisher = [[Bureau of Meteorology]]
|access-date = August 24, 2024}}
</ref>
|mintemp             = 9.3
|mintemp_footnotes   = <ref name=climate/>
|rainfall            = 947.4
|rainfall_footnotes  = <ref name=climate/>
|near                =
|near-n              =
|near-ne             =
|near-e              =
|near-se             =
|near-s              =
|near-sw             =
|near-w              =
|near-nw             =
|established_footnotes =
|visitation_num      =
|visitation_year     =
|visitation_footnotes =
|managing_authorities =
|footnotes =
}}
'''Burnie''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɜː|r|n|i|}} {{respell|BER|nee}};<ref>{{Cite book |title=Australian English Pronunciation and Transcription |last1=Cox |first1=Felicity |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2017 |isbn=9781316639269 |url=https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316995631 |last2=Fletcher |first2=Janet |doi=10.1017/9781316995631 }}</ref> [[Aboriginal Tasmanians#North|pirinilaplu]]/[[palawa kani]]: ''Pataway'')<ref name="milaythina-emu-bay">{{Cite web |url=http://palawa-places.org.au/milaythina-emu-bay |title=Burnie - Pataway (Pah-tah-why) |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=palawa-places.org.au |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026053917/http://palawa-places.org.au/milaythina-emu-bay |archive-date=2023-10-26}}</ref><ref name="friendly">{{cite book |last1=Plomley |first1=NJB |last2=Robinson |first2=George Augustus |title=Friendly Mission, the Tasmanian journals and papers of George Augustus Robinson |date=2008 |publisher=Quintus |location=Hobart |isbn=9780977557226}}</ref> is a [[port city]] on the [[North West Tasmania|north-west coast]] of [[Tasmania, Australia]]. It is the fourth largest city on the island, located approximately {{convert|325|km}} north-west of the state capital of [[Hobart]], {{convert|147|km}} north-west of [[Launceston, Tasmania|Launceston]], and {{convert|47|km}} west of [[Devonport, Tasmania|Devonport]]. Founded in 1827 as Emu Bay, the township was renamed in the early 1840s after William Burnie, a director of the [[Van Diemen's Land Company]],{{sfn|Burnie Chamber of Commerce|1949|p=4}} and proclaimed a city by [[Queen Elizabeth II]] on 26 April 1988.<ref name="y981">{{Cite web |url=https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/7905201/arise-burnie-new-title-for-old-town-delivered-in-royal-style-in-1988/ |title=Memories of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in Burnie and Devonport in 1988 |date=2022-09-19 |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=[[The Advocate (Tasmania)|The Advocate]] |last1=Woods |first1=Rodney |last2=Watson |first2=Chad |url-access=subscription}}</ref> As of the {{CensusAU|2021}}, Burnie has a population of 19,918, with a [[municipality]] area of {{convert|600|sqkm}}, administered by the [[City of Burnie]].{{sfn|Puustinen|2011|p=9}}

Burnie’s economy has historically been driven by heavy [[manufacturing]], [[mining]], [[forestry]], and [[farming]]. The city is located on the [[Emu Bay (Tasmanian geographic feature)|Emu Bay]] coastline, with its fortunes closely tied to its [[deep water port]]. The Port of Burnie handles over {{convert|5000000|tonnes}} of freight annually, including nearly half of Tasmania’s [[containerised freight]], and is the state’s key gateway for mineral and forestry exports. The Burnie Chip Export Terminal, often referred to as the "Pyramids of Burnie", surpassed {{convert|1500000|tonnes}} of annual woodchip exports in 2017.<ref name=pyramids>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/6909297/why-the-woodchip-pile-might-be-good-for-tourism/ |title=TasPorts on why Burnie's infamous woodchip pile might be good for the cruise ship industry |date=2020-09-04 |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=[[The Advocate (Tasmania)|The Advocate]] |last=Bennett |first=Lachlan |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite report |title=Terminal Appointment System Project (TASP): An analysis of Burnie Chip Export Terminal unloading operations and related industrial supply chains |date=2024-09-18 |url=https://hdl.handle.net/102.100.100/496321 |last1=Mihai |first1=Neagoe |access-date=2024-09-18 |last2=Taskhiri |first2=Mohammad Sadegh |publisher=[[University of Tasmania]] |language=English |last3=Turner |first3=Paul|hdl=102.100.100/496321 }}</ref>

Industrial decline in the late 20th century, culminating in the 2010 closure of the [[Associated Pulp and Paper Mill]], which had been one of Burnie’s largest employers, brought economic and social challenges to the city.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Barton |first=Ruth |date=2015 |title="Good Riddance to the Stinkin' Place": Deindustrialisation and Memory at Associated Pulp and Paper Mills in Burnie, Tasmania |journal=Labor History |publisher=University of Tasmania |type=Journal contribution |url=https://hdl.handle.net/102.100.100/557807 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Burnie Paperlinx mill to close |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-04-13/burnie-paperlinx-mill-to-close/393766 |work=ABC News |date=13 April 2010 |access-date=6 September 2025}}</ref>
In the 21st century, Burnie has pursued diversification, with growth in [[Education in Australia|education]], [[Health care in Australia|healthcare]], and [[Transport industry|logistics]], alongside proposals in [[Renewable energy in Australia|renewable energy]] and [[Manufacturing in Australia|advanced manufacturing]] that align with Tasmania’s aspiration to achieve 200% renewable electricity generation by 2040.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Burnie at centre of driving 200 per cent renewables target |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/tasmania/burnie-at-centre-of-driving-200-per-cent-renewables-target/news-story/fafa3575359191035302bc57d77af3bf |work=Herald Sun |date=17 February 2025 |access-date=6 September 2025 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==History==
===Early history (1827–1875)===
Burnie's history is closely tied to the establishment of the [[Van Diemen's Land Company]] (VDL Company) in the early 19th century. In 1824, a group of wool merchants, bankers, investors, and woollen mill owners gathered in London to explore the idea of creating a land company in Van Diemen's Land, following the model of the [[Australian Agricultural Company]] in the [[Colony of New South Wales]]. With backing from [[William Sorell]], a former lieutenant governor, and [[Edward Curr]], who had recently returned from the colony, they established the VDL Company, with William Burnie its inaugural Governor of Company. They applied to [[Lord Bathurst]] for a grant of {{convert|500000|acre}}, while Bathurst approved a smaller allotment of {{convert|250000|acre}}, the company received a [[Royal Charter]] in 1825, giving it broad authority to cultivate land, and build housing and wharves to support colonial development within a {{convert|250000|acre|adj=on}} area in North-West Tasmania.{{sfn|Haygarth|2018|p=93-96}}

Oakleigh Park, close to Burnie’s business centre, is the birthplace of Burnie and the cradle of the northwest coast. In 1827, chief surveyor of the VDL Company, [[Henry Hellyer]], camped beside Whalebone Creek there. With approval from the Company’s chief agent, Edward Curr, Hellyer selected Emu Bay as the port to service the Company’s inland holdings at [[Hampshire, Tasmania|Hampshire]] and Surrey Hills, located around {{convert|50|km}} inland. A year later, government surveyor [[John Helder Wedge]] recommended Emu Bay be reserved as an official township due to its strategic value for [[shipping]]. Still, the VDL Company was already occupying the area. At that time, the Emu Bay settlement consisted of a store, a small jetty, a sawpit, and a few huts. Hellyer also cut the Old Surrey Road through dense [[rainforest]], establishing the first road on the North West Coast, starting from the South Burnie beach.<ref name="a437">{{cite web | title=Burnie |first=Kerry |last=Pink |publisher=Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies | website=[[University of Tasmania]] | url=https://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/B/Burnie.htm | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref>

However, Burnie’s settlement wasn’t peaceful. Between 1828 and 1832, [[Tarenorerer]], a [[Tommeginne]] woman who had escaped from [[Seal hunting|sealers]], became the leader of the Emu Bay people (Plairhekehillerplue).<ref name="friendly" /><ref name="y802">{{cite web | last=Matson-Green | first=Vicki maikutena | title=Tarenorerer | website=Australian Dictionary of Biography | date=2005-01-01 | url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/tarenorerer-13212 | access-date=2024-09-20}}</ref> She led a resistance against settlers during the Black War, attacking VDL Company employees until she was eventually captured.<ref name="friendly" /><ref name="y802"/> Alexander Goldie, the first superintendent of the Company's land assets around Emu Bay, led armed attacks against the Plairhekehillerplue clan. In 1828, Goldie and his men massacred several people inland from the settlement and in August 1829 they murdered a native woman at Emu Bay by shooting her and cutting her neck with an axe. Goldie then kidnapped the woman's five-year-old daughter and another woman. After an investigation, Goldie resigned from his position.<ref name="friendly" /><ref name="h881">{{cite web | last=Pretyman | first=E. R. | title=Alexander Goldie | website=Australian Dictionary of Biography | date=1 January 1966 | url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/goldie-alexander-2104 | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref><ref name="o052">{{cite web | last=Faber | first=David | title=The Goldie incident revisited | website=Forty South | date=4 November 2021 | url=https://www.fortysouth.com.au/the-goldie-incident-revisited?amp=1 | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref><ref name="p780">{{cite web | title=Letters to the Editor: Dual naming? | website=[[The Advocate (Tasmania)|The Advocate]]| date=4 January 2018 | url=https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/5150622/letters-to-the-editor/ | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref><ref name="j213">{{cite web | last=Elliott | first=Imogen | title=Calls for renaming of Wynyard main street | website=The Advocate | date=28 December 2017 | url=https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/5142533/calls-for-renaming-of-wynyard-main-street/ | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref>
Meanwhile, the VDL Company faced difficulties. By 1833, sheep farming at Surrey Hills had failed due to cold conditions, resulting in the near abandonment of the area.<ref name="q585">{{cite web | title=Luke Etchell (1868-1948), Surrey Hills hunter, or the Van Diemen's Land Company as a fur farmer |first=Nic |last=Haygarth | website=Nic Haygarth – Author | date=20 December 2016 | url=https://nichaygarth.com/index.php/2016/12/20/luke-etchell-1868-1948-surrey-hills-hunter-or-the-van-diemens-land-company-as-a-fur-farmer/ | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref>

Throughout the 1840s, the VDL Company began leasing bush blocks to tenant farmers, although Burnie’s growth remained slow. In 1843, the town was surveyed by Nathaniel Kentish and renamed after William Burnie, then serving as one of eighteen directors of the VDL Company.<ref name="a437"/>
By 1853, Burnie had a population of approximately 200, with basic services such as a doctor and clergyman located in [[Port Sorell]], and a lawyer and banker in [[Launceston, Tasmania|Launceston]]. Transport and communication systems were rudimentary at this time, with no metal roads or established wharves. Nevertheless, the first official birth registrations in Burnie began that year.<ref name="x587">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69868019 |title=A century ago, Burnie had only 200 people |newspaper=[[The Advocate (Tasmania)|The Advocate]] |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=13 November 1954 |accessdate=20 September 2024 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Burnie’s first school was opened in 1862 by Mrs. Mary Morris in West Burnie, followed by the construction of the first government school on a rocky hill off Wilmot Street. In 1875, the VDL Company established its headquarters in Oakleigh (now Oakleigh Park), which remained in Burnie until the early 1950s. Burnie became the base for developing the region’s road and rail infrastructure.<ref name="a437"/>

===Mineral boom and industrial development (1876–1939)===
[[File:National Bank of Tasmania, Burnie Branch, 1901 (cropped).jpg|thumb|The National Bank of Tasmania branch in Burnie, {{circa|1905}}]]
In the late 1870s, modern communication systems arrived, with the telegraph and telephone reaching Burnie. A [[Horsecar|horse-drawn tramway]] on wooden rails was established to connect Burnie to [[Waratah, Tasmania|Waratah]]. The VDL Company later upgraded this tramway to iron and steam, facilitating the transport of tin from the [[Mount Bischoff]] mine, which commenced Burnie’s role as the west coast’s export gateway for minerals. By the 1880s, Burnie's fortunes had dramatically improved as west coast mineral deposits were discovered.{{sfn|Haygarth|2018|p=94-96}} The [[Emu Bay Railway Company]] extended the railway to [[Zeehan]] by 1900,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35382373 |title=Emu Bay Railway: First Through Train to Zeehan |newspaper=[[The Examiner (Tasmania)]] |volume=LX |issue=302 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=19 December 1900 |accessdate=20 September 2024 |page=6 (DAILY) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> propelling the town's population to over 1,500.{{sfn|Haygarth|2018|p=102}}<ref>{{cite web | title=Burnie | website=University of Tasmania | url=https://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/B/Burnie.htm | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref>

During this time, Burnie’s business district rapidly grew, thanks to improved port facilities and the expansion of the town's infrastructure.{{sfn|Haygarth|2018|p=94-96}} By 1900, T. Wiseman's motor coach service was operating between Burnie and Stanley, reflecting Burnie's growing importance as a regional transport hub.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35577248 |title=First Motor Bus in Tasmania |newspaper=[[The Examiner (Tasmania)]] |volume=LXIII |issue=309 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=29 December 1903 |accessdate=20 September 2024 |page=7 (Daily.) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
[[File:Burnie, Tasmania (1919) (13415397133) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Burnie township, {{circa|1919}}]]
A major turning point occurred in 1936 with the development of the [[pulp and paper mill]] in South Burnie. Constructed by [[Associated Pulp and Paper Mills]] (APPM), by 1939 the mill produced {{convert|15000|tonnes}} of fine paper annually, the first time in the world that paper was made entirely from [[Eucalyptus#Pulpwood|eucalypt pulp]]. This industrial expansion caused a surge in employment and population growth, setting Burnie on the path to becoming an industrial powerhouse.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article126385938 |title=New Australian Industry |newspaper=[[The Maitland Daily Mercury]] |issue=21,146 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=23 January 1939 |accessdate=20 September 2024 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article234632766 |title=Millions Invested in Paper Making |newspaper=[[Smith's Weekly]] |volume=XXIX |issue=14 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=31 May 1947 |accessdate=20 September 2024 |page=30 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article250210280 |title=From giant forests, mountains of paper grow |newspaper=[[Papua New Guinea Post-courier]] |volume= |location=International, Australia |date=15 February 1972 |accessdate=20 September 2024 |page=43 (Australian Suppliment) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

===Post-war boom and industrial expansion (1940–1980s)===
The post-war era saw Burnie become synonymous with industry.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69310087 |title=Burnie Impresses as Wealthy Town |newspaper=[[The Advocate (Tasmania)|The Advocate]] |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=30 September 1950 |accessdate=24 September 2024 |page=5 (The Advocate Diamond Jubilee Suppliment 1890–1950) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68364003 |title=Plywood Factory being built near Burnie |newspaper=[[The Advocate (Tasmania)|The Advocate]] |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=4 December 1941 |accessdate=24 September 2024 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, APPM expanded its workforce to around 3,500 employees,<ref>{{cite web | title=APPM Collection | website=Home BurnieArts | url=https://www.burniearts.net/Collections/APPM-Collection | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref> while other secondary industries, including pigment producer [[Tioxide]] and [[North West Acid]], were established.<ref>{{Citation |title=The bulletin.  | orig-year=1880  | section=105 volumes : illustrations (chiefly coloured), portraits (chiefly coloured) ; 30-40 cm. | issn=0007-4039 | series=John Ryan Comic Collection (Specific issues).  | volume=091 |issue= 4643 |date= 8 March 1969 | location=Sydney, N.S.W | publisher=John Haynes and J.F. Archibald | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1413143394 | id=nla.obj-1413143394 | access-date=20 September 2024 | via=Trove}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article279491063 |title=Titanium Pigment Factory opened in Burnie |newspaper=[[The Sun News-pictorial]] |issue=8204 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=12 January 1949 |accessdate=24 September 2024 |page=15 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
This industrial boom led to Burnie’s official recognition as a city in 1988.<ref name="y981"/> At its peak in the mid 1980s, Burnie had a population exceeding 20,500, thriving as a bustling industrial centre.<ref name="g928">{{cite web | title=Census counts for Small Areas: Tasmania, 1991 Census of Population and Housing |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] |page=30 | first=Ian |last=Castles |date=14 January 1993 |url=https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/DC3A0D68F6822B5FCA2574BE0083C058/$File/27306_1991_160_Census_Counts_for_Small_Areas_-_%20Tasmania.pdf | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref>

However, the town's success came with environmental consequences.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article259565234 |title=Tasmania: who wants a pulp mill? |newspaper=[[Tribune (Australian newspaper)|Tribune]] |issue=2539 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=2 November 1988 |accessdate=20 September 2024 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> During the 1970s, the production of [[titanium dioxide]] by Tioxide led to heavy pollution, turning the sea rust-red from effluent.<ref>{{Citation | author1=Dames & Moore | author2=Tasmania. Dept. of Environment and Planning | author3=Tioxide Australia Pty Ltd | title=Environmental management plan : Tioxide Australia Pty. Ltd. Burnie plant | publication-date=1993 | publisher=Dept. of Environment and Planning] | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/11217128 | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | author1=Hanson, DJ | author2=Steen, JT | author3=Liesch, PW | title=Reluctance to Innovate: A Case Study of the Titanium Dioxide Industry | publication-date=1997-01-01 | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/172051476 | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | author1=Steedman | title=Iron acid waste dispersion : Burnie coastal waters, Tasmania | publication-date=1900 | publisher=Steedman | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/7673256 | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref>
Burnie also developed a reputation as one of Tasmania’s most polluted towns,<ref name="b098"/> a situation highlighted by the Australian band [[Midnight Oil]] in their song “[[Place without a Postcard|Burnie]],” which criticised the town’s environmental issues.<ref>{{cite web | last=Heazlewood | first=Justin | title='When I hear about the hole in the sky / Saltwater wells in my eyes' | website=The Monthly | date=1 March 2024 | url=https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2024/march/justin-heazlewood/when-i-hear-about-hole-sky-saltwater-wells-my-eyes#mtr | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref>

===Challenges and reinvention (1980s–present)===
[[File:Seabourn-Odyssey-Burnie-20160208-003.jpg|thumb|Cruise ship [[MS Mitsui Ocean Fuji|MS ''Seabourn Odyssey'']] and woodchip stockpile, {{circa|2016}} ]]

The rationalisation of Australian industry during the 1980s and 1990s dealt a severe blow to Burnie. APPM downgraded its operations and eventually closed the pulp mill in 2010, leading to significant job losses.<ref name="o537"/><ref name="h562"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article116474707 |title=Retrenchments at Burnie pulp, paper mill |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=57 |issue=17,178 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=9 October 1982 |accessdate=20 September 2024 |page=23 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article259561209 |title=Paper and mining lay-offs expose Tas economic ills |newspaper=[[Tribune (Australian newspaper)|Tribune]] |issue=2232 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=21 April 1982 |accessdate=20 September 2024 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}
</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Rise and Fall of an Industrial Cathedral | website=Thomas Ryan Photography | date=12 August 2020 | url=https://www.tryanphotos.com/tasmanian-modernism-blog/2020/8/7/burnie-paper-mill-rise-and-fall-of-an-industrial-cathedral | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref> Other closures followed, including the [[Caterpillar Inc.|Caterpillar]] [[mining machinery]] factory, triggering a period of economic uncertainty for the town.<ref>{{cite web | title=Mining equipment maker Caterpillar slashes 200 Burnie jobs | website=ABC News | date=4 November 2013 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-05/axe-falls-on-200-caterpillar-jobs-in-north-west/5069962 | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Caterpillar to cut 280 jobs from Burnie plant as the company moves partly offshore | website=ABC News | date=10 April 2015 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-10/caterpillar-to-cut-280-jobs-from-its-burnie-plant/6383074 | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref>

Despite these setbacks leading to unstable population and inconsistent investment,<ref>{{cite web | title=Tasmania's Population 1996 – 2006: What's Changed? |year=2008 |publisher=Demographic Change Advisory Council | url=https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital-Stream/d6bae449-49aa-4f73-9213-5c99a659eed1 |page=10 | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref> Burnie began to reinvent itself in the 1990s. The Lion cheese-making factory remained a major employer, and efforts were made to diversify the city’s economy.<ref>{{cite web | last=Blucher | first=Alex | title=Dairy processor Lion launches southern hemisphere's largest specialty cheese factory at Burnie, Tasmania | website=ABC News | date=20 May 2015 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2015-05-20/burnie-lion-cheese-factory-opens-northern-tasmania/6483870 | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref>
By the 2000s, Burnie shifted toward tourism and the arts. It became known for its clean beaches, inclusion on the annual cruise ship itinerary, and its growing community of artists and makers. In 2016, [[Elphinstone Group]], previously a designer and manufacturer for Caterpillar equipment in Australia, relaunched its original brand and developed the Haulmax 3900 series [[Off highway vehicle|off-highway]] [[haul truck]]. The company continues to be a major local employer, with a workforce of 2,500 people.<ref>{{cite web | last=Roberts | first=Peter | title=Elphinstone and Caterpillar | website=Australian Manufacturing Forum | date=29 September 2019 | url=https://www.aumanufacturing.com.au/profile-of-success-elphinstone-and-caterpillar | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref><ref name="p608">{{cite web | last=Mining | first=Australian | title=Elphinstone drives underground vehicle expertise deeper | website=Australian Mining | date=19 May 2021 | url=https://www.australianmining.com.au/elphinstone-drives-underground-vehicle-expertise-deeper/ | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref> Today, Burnie positions itself as the gateway to Tasmania’s northwest, including the [[Tarkine]] forest, and as a hub for new industries and outdoor recreation.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}

==Demographics==
{{See also|List of places in Tasmania by population}}
{{Historical populations
|type= Australia
|1853|200<ref name="x587"/>
|1933|6659<ref name="o559">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26408926 |title=Burnie's Population Higher by 3,500 |newspaper=[[The Mercury]] |volume=CLXVI |issue=23,937 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=29 August 1947 |accessdate=20 September 2024 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|1942|9150<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91753010 |title=Population of Burnie was 9,150 in 1942 |newspaper=[[The Advocate (Tasmania)|The Advocate]] |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=18 August 1944 |accessdate=20 September 2024 |page=5 (Daily) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|1947|10080<ref name="o559"/>
|1953|11500<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27175319 |title=Burnie — Hub of Industry |newspaper=[[The Mercury]] |volume=CLXXIII |issue=25,903 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=31 December 1953 |accessdate=24 September 2024 |page=10 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|1972|19954<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article264818933 |title=Slight Increase in Population |newspaper=[[King Island News]] |volume= |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=10 January 1973 |accessdate=20 September 2024 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|1973|20300<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article264881209 |title=Population still increasing |newspaper=[[King Island News]] |volume= |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=5 December 1973 |accessdate=20 September 2024 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|1986|20585<ref name="g928"/>
|1991|20482<ref name="g928"/>
|2001|18108<ref name="2001Census">{{cite web |title=Burnie: 2001 Census All persons QuickStats |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2001/LGA60610 |access-date=24 January 2024}}</ref>
|2006|19057<ref name="2006Census">{{cite web |title=Burnie: 2006 Census All persons QuickStats |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2006/LGA60610 |access-date=24 January 2024}}</ref>
|2011|19329<ref name="2011Census">{{cite web |title=Burnie: 2011 Census All persons QuickStats |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2011/LGA60610 |access-date=24 January 2024}}</ref>
|2016|18895<ref name="2016Census">{{cite web |title=Burnie: 2016 Census All persons QuickStats |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2016/LGA60610 |access-date=24 January 2024}}</ref>
|2021|19918<ref name="2021Census">{{cite web |title=Burnie: 2021 Census All persons QuickStats |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/LGA60610 |access-date=24 January 2024}}</ref>
|2023|20463<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.treasury.tas.gov.au/Documents/TasPOPP%202024%20-%20Tasmanian%20and%20local%20government%20area%20population%20projections%202023%20to%202053%20-%20final%20report.pdf |title=TasPOPP 2024 Final Report |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=[[Tasmanian Government]] |publisher=Department of Treasury and Finance |orig-date=May 2024 |page=17}}</ref>
|source=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] census data.
}}
Burnie had a population of 19,918 according to the {{CensusAU|2021}}, making it one of the key [[urban centre]]s in [[North West Tasmania]]. Historically, Burnie has experienced periods of rapid growth, particularly in the late 19th and mid-20th centuries, followed by fluctuations in more recent decades, with some signs of stabilisation and recovery in the 21st century. While 2023 State Government growth estimates are positive, Burnie is yet to recover to population levels experienced in the mid 1980s. At the 2021 census, Burnie's population is slightly older compared to national averages, with a significant portion (around 19%) aged 65 and over. This reflects a trend of ageing populations common in regional areas.

Economically, Burnie is a working-class hub with a median household income of $1,148 per week, lower than the national median of $1,746. The city's unemployment rate was around 8.1%, higher than the national rate of 5.1%.<ref name="2021Census"/> These figures suggest some economic challenges in the area, although Burnie's role as a regional port and industrial centre still gives it economic significance within Tasmania.

Burnie also has a notable Indigenous population, with around 8.5% of residents identifying as [[Indigenous Australians|First Nations people]] or [[Torres Strait Islander]], higher than the national figure of 3.2%. This reflects Tasmania's broader demographics where Indigenous representation is above the national average.<ref name="2021Census"/>
The majority of residents (84.4%) were born in Australia, with smaller populations from [[England]] (2.4%), [[New Zealand]] (0.9%), [[India]] (0.8%), [[Nepal]] and the [[Philippines]] (0.4%), and [[mainland China]] (0.3%). English is the dominant language, spoken by 90.2% of residents at home, while 5.9% of households speak a non-English language.<ref name="2021Census"/>

In terms of religion, 53.4% of Burnie's population reported no religious affiliation, while 38.8% identified with a [[Christian]] denomination, including 11.4% as [[Catholic]] and 11.2% as [[Anglican]]. Other religious groups include [[Hinduism]] (0.9%), [[Buddhism]] (0.7%), [[Islam]] (0.6%), and [[Sikhism]] (0.2%).<ref name="2021Census"/>

== Climate ==

Burnie has an [[oceanic climate#Marine west coast (Cfb)|oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen:]] ''Cfb''), with mild, relatively dry summers and cool, rainy winters. Seasonal variation is low due to its seaside location along the [[Bass Strait]]. Average maxima range from {{convert|21.3|C}} in February to {{convert|12.8|C}} in July, while average minima from {{convert|13.3|C}} in February to {{convert|6.0|C}} in July.<ref>{{cite web 
|url = https://www.farmonlineweather.com.au/climate/station.jsp?lt=site&lc=91009 |title = Burnie (Round Hill) Climate (1944-2018) |website = FarmOnline Weather |access-date = August 24, 2024}}</ref>
Mean annual rainfall is moderate, averaging {{convert|947.4|mm|in|abbr=on}} spread on 158 days, and is concentrated in winter.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}

The town is fairly cloudy, with 141.1 cloudy days and only 51.7 clear days per annum. Extreme temperatures have ranged from {{convert|-2.0|C}} on 14 July 1967 to {{convert|33.8|C}} on 31 January 2009. Sunshine data were sourced from [[Elliott]], a rural locality {{convert|14.3|km|mi}} west-southwest of Burnie.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}

{{Weather box
| location = Burnie (41º04'12"S, 145º56'24"E, 8 m AMSL) (1944–2018, sunshine 1965–1993)
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
|humidity colour = green
| Jan record high C = 33.8
| Feb record high C = 31.0
| Mar record high C = 28.9
| Apr record high C = 26.2
| May record high C = 24.0
| Jun record high C = 18.9
| Jul record high C = 18.3
| Aug record high C = 18.9
| Sep record high C = 22.4
| Oct record high C = 27.6
| Nov record high C = 31.5
| Dec record high C = 31.2
| Jan high C = 21.1
| Feb high C = 21.3
| Mar high C = 20.1
| Apr high C = 17.8
| May high C = 15.3
| Jun high C = 13.5
| Jul high C = 12.8
| Aug high C = 13.2
| Sep high C = 14.4
| Oct high C = 16.0
| Nov high C = 17.9
| Dec high C = 19.5
| Jan low C = 12.7
| Feb low C = 13.3
| Mar low C = 12.1
| Apr low C = 10.1
| May low C = 8.4
| Jun low C = 6.8
| Jul low C = 6.0
| Aug low C = 6.1
| Sep low C = 6.8
| Oct low C = 8.1
| Nov low C = 9.8
| Dec low C = 11.2
| Jan record low C = 2.8
| Feb record low C = 3.9
| Mar record low C = 3.5
| Apr record low C = 0.5
| May record low C = 0.0
| Jun record low C = -1.1
| Jul record low C = -1.7
| Aug record low C = -2.0
| Sep record low C = 0.0
| Oct record low C = -0.8
| Nov record low C = 1.0
| Dec record low C = 2.9
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 44.9
| Feb precipitation mm = 43.2
| Mar precipitation mm = 51.6
| Apr precipitation mm = 73.0
| May precipitation mm = 94.5
| Jun precipitation mm = 101.4
| Jul precipitation mm = 123.8
| Aug precipitation mm = 110.2
| Sep precipitation mm = 88.7
| Oct precipitation mm = 84.4
| Nov precipitation mm = 68.5
| Dec precipitation mm = 63.2
| year precipitation mm = 947.4
| unit precipitation days = 0.2 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 9.3
| Feb precipitation days = 8.1
| Mar precipitation days = 9.8
| Apr precipitation days = 11.5
| May precipitation days = 14.7
| Jun precipitation days = 14.8
| Jul precipitation days = 17.8
| Aug precipitation days = 17.9
| Sep precipitation days = 15.8
| Oct precipitation days = 14.7
| Nov precipitation days = 12.6
| Dec precipitation days = 11.0
| year precipitation days = 158.0
| Jan afthumidity = 62
| Feb afthumidity = 64
| Mar afthumidity = 63
| Apr afthumidity = 66
| May afthumidity = 71
| Jun afthumidity = 72
| Jul afthumidity = 73
| Aug afthumidity = 71
| Sep afthumidity = 69
| Oct afthumidity = 65
| Nov afthumidity = 64
| Dec afthumidity = 62
| Jan dew point C = 11.6
| Feb dew point C = 12.6
| Mar dew point C = 11.4
| Apr dew point C = 10.0
| May dew point C = 8.9
| Jun dew point C = 7.3
| Jul dew point C = 6.8
| Aug dew point C = 6.8
| Sep dew point C = 7.2
| Oct dew point C = 7.7
| Nov dew point C = 9.3
| Dec dew point C = 10.3
| Jan sun = 254.2
| Feb sun = 217.5
| Mar sun = 192.2
| Apr sun = 159.0
| May sun = 127.1
| Jun sun = 120.0
| Jul sun = 127.1
| Aug sun = 139.5
| Sep sun = 159.0
| Oct sun = 210.8
| Nov sun = 219.0
| Dec sun = 232.5
| Jan percentsun = 56
| Feb percentsun = 56
| Mar percentsun = 50
| Apr percentsun = 48
| May percentsun = 42
| Jun percentsun = 43
| Jul percentsun = 43
| Aug percentsun = 43
| Sep percentsun = 45
| Oct percentsun = 51
| Nov percentsun = 51
| Dec percentsun = 50
| source 1 = [[Bureau of Meteorology]]<ref name=climate/><ref>{{cite web 
|url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_091030_All.shtml
|title = Elliott Research Station Climate Statistics (1914–2010) 
|publisher = [[Bureau of Meteorology]]
|access-date = August 24, 2024}}
</ref>
| source = 
}}

==Governance==
{{See also|City of Burnie}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Mayor
| body = Burnie
| incumbent = Teeny Brumby
| incumbentsince = 26 October 2022<ref name="l837">{{cite web | last=Flint | first=Jess | title=Kons out, Brumby in: Changing of the guard in Burnie | website=The Advocate | date=26 October 2022 | url=https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/7958222/kons-out-brumby-in-changing-of-the-guard-in-burnie/ | access-date=21 September 2024}}</ref>
| member_of = [[Burnie City Council]]
| style = Councillor
| formation = 1898
| first = [https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/jones-william-6881 Captain William Jones]
}}
There are nine [[councillor]]s that govern the [[Burnie City Council]], each serving four-year terms.<ref>{{cite web | title=About | website=Burnie City Council | url=https://www.burnie.tas.gov.au/Council/About | access-date=21 September 2024}}</ref> Teeny Brumby was elected [[mayor]] of the [[City of Burnie]] in 2022.<ref name="l837"/> The [[council]] oversees Burnie's infrastructure, community services, and local regulations. The council also plays a key role in fostering the arts and supporting projects like the Burnie Arts and Function Centre.
[[File:Burnie-City-Council-offices-20131114-005.jpg|thumb|left|Burnie City Council offices]]
Burnie’s political landscape is shaped by a mix of conservative and independent influences, reflecting broader trends in Tasmania’s evolving political dynamics.<ref name="a995">{{cite web | last=Cooper-Douglas | first=Erin | title=Voters in Tasmania's north-west seat of Braddon are a breed of their own | website=ABC News | date=24 April 2021 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-24/voters-in-north-west-a-breed-of-their-own/100087756 | access-date=25 September 2024}}</ref>
At the state level, Burnie falls within the [[Tasmanian House of Assembly]]’s electoral division of [[Division of Braddon (state)|Braddon]], a multi-member electorate that includes both [[Tasmanian Labor Party|Labor]] and [[Tasmanian Liberal Party|Liberal]] members.

Nationally, Burnie is located in the [[Electorates of the Australian House of Representatives|federal electorate]] of [[Division of Braddon|Braddon]], currently represented by [[Anne Urquhart]] of the [[Australian Labor Party]]. Braddon has traditionally been a marginal seat, with representation often alternating between the [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] and Liberal parties in federal elections.

In the [[Australian Senate]], Tasmania is represented by six senators, including [[Jacquie Lambie]], the leader and founder of the [[Jacqui Lambie Network]] (JLN). Lambie, a well-known political figure, resides in Burnie,<ref>{{cite web | last=Hooper | first=Chloe | title=Goddamn bloody adult: Jacqui Lambie | website=The Monthly | date=1 March 2022 | url=https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2022/march/chloe-hooper/goddamn-bloody-adult-jacqui-lambie | access-date=21 September 2024}}</ref> where she maintains significant support.

== Economy ==

Burnie's economy has long been shaped by heavy manufacturing, forestry, and farming, with the Port of Burnie playing a central role.<ref>{{Citation|author1=Burnie Port Authority|title=Port of Burnie, Tasmania : port information|year=1986|publication-date=1986|publisher=Burnie Port Authority|isbn=978-0-7246-1452-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.qube.com.au/ports-and-bulk/facilities/burnie-port-facility|title=Qube &#124; Burnie Port Facility|access-date=2013-04-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130410061737/http://www.qube.com.au/ports-and-bulk/facilities/burnie-port-facility|archive-date=10 April 2013}}</ref> 
Historically, the port became the main hub for exporting minerals from Tasmania's west coast after the [[Emu Bay Railway]] opened in 1897.{{sfn|Haygarth|2018|p=94-110}}

Agriculture, once prominent in the region, declined following the handover of the Surrey Hills and Hampshire Hills lots, paving the way for forestry to become Burnie’s dominant sector in the 20th century. The establishment of the [[Associated Pulp and Paper Mill]] (APPM) in 1938 marked a turning point, positioning the city as a key centre for paper production and woodchip exports.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68526632|title=Burnie Paper Mill Nearing Completion.|newspaper=[[The Advocate (Tasmania)|The Advocate]]|location=Burnie, Tas.|date=4 December 1937|access-date=7 April 2013|page=7|publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The closure of the APPM in 2010 ended a defining chapter in Burnie’s industrial history,<ref>{{Citation|title=Burnie paper mill to shut|journal=Australasian Business Intelligence|publication-date=2010-04-13|publisher=COMTEX News Network, Inc|issn=1320-6680}}</ref> although forestry continues through exports at the Burnie Chip Export Terminal.<ref name=pyramids/>  

From the 1970s Burnie grappled with pollution issues linked to [[titanium dioxide]] production,<ref name="b098">{{cite web | last=Eaves | first=Rick | title=Remembering the days of Tioxide Australia and working on Tasmania's north-west coast in the 1960s | website=ABC News | date=27 May 2020 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-27/remembering-the-north-west-coast-in-the-time-of-tioxide/12282242 | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref> and from the 1990s it underwent significant industrial decline following the closure of major manufacturing plants and its [[pulp and paper mill]].<ref name="o537">{{cite journal| title="Good Riddance to the Stinkin' Place": Deindustrialisation and Memory at Associated Pulp and Paper Mills in Burnie, Tasmania |first=Ruth |last=Barton |publisher=Labor History |issue=109 |date=November 2015 |website=[[Liverpool University Press]] | url=https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/10.3828/labourhistory.109.0149 | pages=149–167|doi=10.3828/labourhistory.109.0149 |doi-broken-date=1 July 2025 }}</ref><ref name="h562">{{cite web | title=Era ends at Burnie paper mill | website=ABC News | date=17 June 2010 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-06-17/era-ends-at-burnie-paper-mill/870688 | access-date=25 September 2024}}</ref> These changes contributed to population loss and long-term unemployment challenges.

=== Renewable energy and diversification ===
[[File:Wind turbine components, Burnie 20190310-001.jpg|thumb|right|Wind turbine components stored on the grounds of the former paper mill]]
In the 21st century, Burnie has sought to diversify its economy, with growth in [[education in Tasmania|education]], healthcare, and logistics. The city has also been identified as a strategic location for renewable energy projects, including proposals associated with the North West [[Renewable Energy Zones|Renewable Energy Zone]] and the planned [[Marinus Link]] power cable between Tasmania and Victoria.<ref name="k519">{{cite web | last=Petrova | first=Veselina | title=Tasmania seeks input on 1-GW renewables zone proposal | website=Renewablesnow.com | date=1 July 2024 | url=https://renewablesnow.com/news/tasmania-seeks-input-on-1-gw-renewables-zone-proposal-859032/ | access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref><ref name="j203">{{cite web | last=Holmes | first=Adam | title=Deal signed to fund Marinus Link power cable between Tasmania and Victoria | website=ABC News | date=2022-10-19 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-19/tasmania-victoria-federal-funding-deal-marinus-link-power-cable/101549876 | access-date=2024-09-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Marinus Link Project Update |first=Nick |last=Duigan | website=Premier of Tasmania | date=5 August 2024 | url=https://www.premier.tas.gov.au/latest-news/2024/august/marinus-link-project-update | access-date=21 September 2024}}</ref> Proposals under consideration include large-scale [[wind power|wind]] and [[solar power]] developments, as well as a synthetic [[electrofuel]] facility.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.renewableenergyzones.tas.gov.au/ |title=Renewable Energy Zones |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=renewableenergyzones.tas.gov.au |publisher=[[Tasmanian Government]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://research.csiro.au/hyresource/hif-tasmania-efuels-facility/ |title=HIF Tasmania eFuels Facility |date=2024-03-27 |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=[[CSIRO]]}}</ref>

====Marinus Link====
	
The [[Marinus Link]] is a proposed {{convert|255|km|adj=on}} [[high voltage direct current]] [[submarine power cable]] intended to connect [[Heybridge, Tasmania|Heybridge]] with [[Waratah Bay, Victoria]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Marinus Link launches largest underwater engineering survey of Bass Strait | website=RenewEconomy | date=2022-02-14 | url=https://reneweconomy.com.au/marinus-link-launches-largest-underwater-engineering-survey-of-bass-strait/ | access-date=2024-09-20}}</ref> Estimated in 2021 at $3.5 billion, the project is designed to transfer electricity generated from renewable sources in Tasmania to the Australian mainland. Associated infrastructure, including the North West Transmission Developments, has been proposed to support the link. Government announcements have suggested the project could create around 1,400 jobs and contribute up to $3 billion in investment, with construction expected to begin in 2026 and finish by 2030.<ref name="j203"/><ref>{{cite web | title=The Project Marinus Link | website=Marinus Link | url=https://www.marinuslink.com.au/project-timeline/ | access-date=21 September 2024}}</ref>

====E-fuels facility====
	
Burnie has been identified as the proposed site for what is described as Australia’s first commercial-scale [[e-fuel]]s facility, led by HIF Global.<ref name="x678">{{cite web | last=Djunisic | first=Sladjana | title=Aussie forestry manager Forico joins HIF's e-fuels project in Tasmania | website=Renewablesnow.com | date=20 September 2024 | url=https://renewablesnow.com/news/aussie-forestry-manager-forico-joins-hifs-e-fuels-project-in-tasmania-841566/ | access-date=21 September 2024}}</ref> The planned $1 billion development is intended to produce up to {{convert|100000000|litres}} of synthetic fuels per year using renewable electricity and biomass feedstocks, with applications in aviation, shipping, and heavy transport.<ref name="x678"/><ref name="u577">{{cite web | last=Macdonald-Smith | first=Angela | title=Green fuels: Porsche-backed HIF Global wants to build a plant in Tasmania but it needs government help with customers | website=Australian Financial Review | date=22 April 2024 | url=https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/green-fuels-are-not-the-future-they-re-just-about-here-20240314-p5fcbo | access-date=21 September 2024}}</ref> Reports indicate the facility could employ around 200 people once operational, with a target commissioning date of 2028.<ref name="x678"/>

====Wind farms====
	
Several wind farm projects have been proposed in the region south of Burnie, including the Guildford and Hellyer Wind Farms.<ref name="l695">{{cite web | title=North West energy projects | website=Choose Cradle Coast | date=20 May 2024 | url=https://www.cradlecoast.com/energy-hub/north-west-energy-projects/ | access-date=16 October 2024}}</ref> If developed, these projects would contribute to Tasmania’s goal of generating 200% of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2040.

Guildford Wind Farm has been proposed with a capacity ranging from 300 MW, per [[Environment Protection Authority (Tasmania)|Environment Protection Authority]] documents, up to 450 MW, according to developer Ark Energy.<ref>{{cite web | title=Guildford Wind Farm Pty Ltd, Guildford Wind Farm, North West Tasmania | website=EPA Tasmania | date=2024-03-25 | url=https://epa.tas.gov.au/business-industry/assessment/proposals-assessed-by-the-epa/guildford-wind-farm-pty-ltd-guildford-wind-farm-north-west-tasmania | access-date=2025-09-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Guildford Wind Farm | website=Ark Energy | date=2023-04-20 | url=https://arkenergy.com.au/wind/guildford/ | access-date=2025-09-06}}</ref>

Hellyer Wind Farm proposals similarly cite a capacity of 300 MW across 48 turbines, although some industry data sources estimate up to 384 MW based on turbine specifications.<ref>{{cite web | title=Hellyer Wind Farm Pty Ltd, Hellyer Wind Farm, Hampshire | website=EPA Tasmania | date=2024-03-25 | url=https://epa.tas.gov.au/business-industry/assessment/proposals-assessed-by-the-epa/hellyer-wind-farm-pty-ltd-hellyer-wind-farm-hampshire | access-date=2025-09-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Power plant profile: Hellyer Wind Farm, Australia | website=Power Technology | date=2023-04-25 | url=https://www.power-technology.com/data-insights/power-plant-profile-hellyer-wind-farm-australia/ | access-date=2025-09-06}}</ref>

== Cultural and educational institutions ==
[[File:Burnie-arts-centre-20151009-003.jpg|thumb|Burnie Arts & Function Centre with signwriters on a cherry picker]]
Burnie has long been a hub for cultural, educational, and health services in the northwest region of Tasmania. At the heart of its cultural precinct is the [https://www.burniearts.net/Home Burnie Arts & Function Centre], which replaced the old [[Burnie Theatre]] in 1965. Originally known as the Civic Centre, this multi-functional venue is an important space for the community, hosting performances, events, and exhibitions that attract visitors from across the region. The centre is also home to one of Australia's largest regional art galleries, which opened in 1978, and the [[Burnie Regional Museum]], designed by architects Leith and Bartlett, which houses the historic Federation Street—the first indoor streetscape of its kind in the country.<ref name=\"burniearts\">{{cite web | title=History | website=Home BurnieArts | url=https://www.burniearts.net/About/History | access-date=21 September 2024}}</ref>

In 2021, plans for a new $18m North West Museum and Art Gallery, designed by [[Gerard Reinmuth|Terrior Architects]],<ref name=\"architectureau\">{{cite web | title='Rugged, sculpted' museum and gallery for Tasmania's north west | website=[[Architecture Australia]] | date=30 April 2020 | url=https://architectureau.com/articles/north-west-museum-and-art-gallery/ | access-date=21 September 2024}}</ref>
were abandoned. Instead, the focus shifted toward enhancing and consolidating the region’s existing cultural facilities.<ref name=\"advocatearts\">{{cite web | last=Appleton | first=Molly | title=Grand designs dashed for new Coastal arts museum | website=The Advocate | date=12 April 2021 | url=https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/7205761/grand-designs-dashed-for-new-coastal-arts-museum/ | access-date=21 September 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Burnie Linc 20180122-001.jpg|thumb|Burnie Library, {{circa|2018}}]]
The Burnie Library (formerly known as the Hellyer Regional Library) is part of the [[Libraries Tasmania]] network, serving as a major community resource, offering public access to books, digital resources, and research materials. The library also plays an important role in Burnie’s educational and cultural landscape, providing services for children, [[secondary education]], [[technical college]] and other [[tertiary education|tertiary]] students. In late 2024, during the temporary closure of the Burnie Library, a pop-up library was operated within the Burnie Regional Museum to continue providing services to the community.<ref name=\"burnielibrary\">{{cite web | title=Burnie Library temporary relocation | website=Burnie City Council | url=https://www.burnie.tas.gov.au/Council/News/2024/Popup-Library-at-Burnie-Regional-Museum | access-date=21 February 2025}}</ref> This temporary arrangement highlighted the collaborative efforts between cultural institutions in Burnie.

In addition to these cultural landmarks, Burnie provides essential health services through the [[North West Regional Hospital]], located on Brickport Road. As the third-largest hospital in Tasmania, it offers a range of in-patient and out-patient services, including general medicine, surgery, orthopaedics, psychiatry, and paediatrics, playing a vital role in the well-being of the wider community.
[[File:Makers-Workshop-Burnie-20131114-002 (cropped).jpg|thumb|The UTAS Makers Technology and Innovation Hub]]
Burnie is also home to key educational institutions, including the [https://www.utas.edu.au/about/campuses/cradle-coast Cradle Coast campus] of the [[University of Tasmania]] (UTAS), where the Cuthbertson Research Laboratories are part of the [[Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research]]. The town also hosts campuses for the [[Tasmania Tomorrow#The Tasmanian Polytechnic|Tasmanian Polytechnic]] and [[Tasmania Tomorrow#The Tasmanian Academy|Tasmanian Academy]], ensuring a range of learning opportunities for students in the region. Alongside these, Burnie boasts numerous sporting and social organisations that contribute to the vibrant community life.

==Transport==
[[File:Burnie_Airport_2022_02_(cropped).jpg|thumb|left|[[Burnie Airport]], {{circa|2022}}]]
[[Burnie Airport]] is located in the adjacent town of [[Wynyard, Tasmania|Wynyard]], a 20-minute drive from the central business district.

Burnie Port, operated by [[TasPorts]], is Tasmania's largest general cargo port.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20241017035928/https://tasports.com.au/burnie-port-info Burnie Port Information] [[TasPorts]]</ref> It is the nearest Tasmanian port to [[Melbourne]] and [[Mainland Australia]]. The 1969 built [[shiploader]] was upgraded in 2024 doubling the ports capacity.<ref>[https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/c-king/media-release/port-burnie-shiploader-complete-doubling-capacity Port of Burnie shiploader complete, doubling capacity] [[Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development & Local Government]] 22 October 2024</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20241228210526/https://www.fullyloaded.com.au/port-of-burnie-doubles-shipping-capacity/ Port of Burnie doubles shipping capacity] [[Australasian Transport News]] 23 October 2024</ref>

Burnie is served by [[TasRail]] services on the [[Melba railway line|Melba]] and [[Western railway line, Tasmania|Western]] lines,<ref>[https://www.tasrail.com.au/network/ Network] [[TasRail]]</ref> Burnie was previously the terminus of the former [[Emu Bay Railway]]. Burnie had passenger rail services including the ''[[Tasman Limited]]'' until the mid-1970s. The rise of road transport and declining demand led to the discontinuation of passenger services.
[[File:Rail-Port-of-Burnie-20120812-004.jpg|thumb|Port of Burnie rail depot, {{circa|2012}}]]
Burnie is connected with [[Devonport, Tasmania|Devonport]] via the four-lane [[Bass Highway, Tasmania|Bass Highway]] and a rail link used for freight purposes. Burnie is also connected to the [[West Coast, Tasmania|West Coast]] by the [[Murchison Highway]].

[[Metro Tasmania]] operate local bus services around the city and its suburbs.<ref>[https://www.metrotas.com.au/timetables/burnie/ Burnie Network] [[Metro Tasmania]]</ref> [[Kinetic Tasmania]] operate a service to [[Smithton, Tasmania|Smithton]].<ref>[https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/307435/Smithton_to_Burnie_03_Oct_21.PDF Route 768 timetable] Transport Tasmania</ref> [[Tassielink Transit]] operate services to [[Strahan, Tasmania|Strahan]].<ref>[https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/263975/West_Coast_to_Burnie_timetable_20_April_20.pdf Routes 747 & 748 timetable] Transport Tasmania</ref>

==Coastal pathway==
In October 2024, a 13 kilometre coastal pathway between Burnie and [[Wynyard, Tasmania|Wynyard]] on the former [[Western railway line, Tasmania|Western railway line]] opened.<ref>[https://www.burnie.tas.gov.au/Council/Projects/2023/Burnie-Coastal-Pathway#:~:text=The%20Official%20Opening%20of,alongside%20track%20removal%20in%20Somerset. Burnie Coast Pathway] [[Burnie City Council]]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20241015162818/https://www.warwyn.tas.gov.au/projects/coastal-pathway-project/ Coastal Pathway Project: Wynyard to Burnie] [[Waratah Wynyard Council]]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20241124230629/https://pulsetasmania.com.au/news/former-rail-line-between-wynyard-and-burnie-transformed-into-stunning-coastal-pathway/ Former rail line between Wynayrd and Burnie transformed into stunning coastal pathway] ''[[Pulse Tasmania]]'' 25 January 2024</ref>

== Suburbs ==
{{main|City of Burnie}}The city of Burnie consists of a number of small suburbs including Parklands, Park Grove, Shorewell Park, Acton, Montello, Hillcrest, Terrylands, Upper Burnie, Romaine, Havenview, Emu Heights, South Burnie and Wivenhoe.

== Sport ==
[[File:Burnie-west-park-oval-20120203-003.jpg|thumb|West Park Oval, {{circa|2012}}]]
[[Australian rules football]] is popular in Burnie. The city's team is the [[Burnie Dockers Football Club]] in the [[Tasmanian Football League|Tasmanian State League]]. Their ground is [[West Park Oval]].

[[Rugby union]] is also played in Burnie. The local club is the [[Burnie Rugby Union Club]]. They are the current [[Tasmanian Rugby Union]] Statewide Division Two Premiers and were promoted to the Statewide First Division for the 2008 season.

[[Soccer]] is also represented in Burnie, with [[Burnie United FC]] having four teams compete in the northern premier league; the women's team, under 18 team, reserve team and division one team. They also have youth sides in the under 14 and under 16 competitions. Their ground is located in [[Montello, Tasmania]].

Burnie hosts an ATP Challenger Tour tennis event, the [[Burnie International]], during the week following the Australian Open.

Athletics events include the annual [[Burnie Gift]] and [[Burnie Ten]].

[[Archery]] is also represented in Burnie, with [[Burnie Bowmen Archery Club]]. They were founded in 1958 and have influenced the development of archery along the northwest coast of Tasmania. Its first target championship was held in 1959. In 1972 Burnie Bowmen Archery Club was given the honor of holding the first national championships to be held outside of a capital city. In 2017 Burnie Bowmen Archery club hosted Archery for the XVI Australian Masters Games. In 2020 and 2021 they were to host the National Youth Archery Championships and National Archery Championships, but due to COVID-19 these events were cancelled.  Presently, Target and Clout shoots are conducted at Parklands High School Oval in Romaine, Burnie. Indoor is conducted at the Upper Burnie Memorial Hall. Field is conducted at the Blythe Scout Camp at Heybridge.

== Media ==
''[[The Advocate (Tasmania)|The Advocate]]'' newspaper was established in 1890 servicing the North West region. The mailroom is located in Burnie whilst the local press operations ceased in mid-2008 and were relocated to Launceston.

Burnie has access to the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]], [[Special Broadcasting Service|SBS]], [[TVT (TV station)|WIN]], [[TNT (Australian TV station)|Seven Tasmania]] and [[TDT (TV station)|10]] stations as well as all new free to air television stations.

There are two commercial radio stations, [[7BU]] at 100.9&nbsp;MHz on the FM band and Sea FM on 101.7 on the FM band. Many Melbourne radio stations can be received in Burnie.

{{wide image|Burnie CBD and Port Panorama.jpg|1000px|Burnie CBD and Port from Wilfred Campbell Memorial Reserve}}

== Notable people ==
* Country music singer [[Jean Stafford (musician)|Jean Stafford OAM]] was a resident of Burnie in the 1960s and early 1970s when she was a young wife and mother at the beginning of her career. Her family still reside in the area.
* Zima Anderson – actress in ''[[Neighbours]]'' who played [[Roxy Willis]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/6443477/ive-found-where-i-belong-zima-andersons-life-on-ramsay-street/|title='I've found where I belong': Zima Anderson's life on Ramsay Street|date=17 October 2019|access-date=20 December 2021|archive-date=20 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220125637/https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/6443477/ive-found-where-i-belong-zima-andersons-life-on-ramsay-street/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Taran Armstrong]] – basketball player
* [[Cameron Baird]] – Australian soldier, posthumously awarded the VC for actions in Afghanistan
* [[Jamie Cox]] – cricketer
* [[Josh Earl (comedian)|Josh Earl]] – comedian and former host of [[Spicks and Specks (2014 TV series)|Spicks and Specks]]
* Dale Elphinstone – founder of [[Elphinstone Group]] and Tasmania's wealthiest person as of 2019<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ford|first=Sean|date=2019-05-30|title=Elphinstone tops Tassie wealth list, two more make national cut|url=https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/6190634/elphinstone-tops-tassie-wealth-list-two-more-make-national-cut/|access-date=2021-09-30|website=The Advocate|language=en-AU|archive-date=30 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930061123/https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/6190634/elphinstone-tops-tassie-wealth-list-two-more-make-national-cut/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Hannah Gadsby]] – Comedian
* [[Brendon Gale]] – AFL player – [[Richmond Football Club]]
* [[David Guest (field hockey)|David Guest]] – Australian field hockey player. 2008 Olympic bronze medalist
* [[Justin Heazlewood]] – Australian songwriter, author, actor and humorist also known as The Bedroom Philosopher
* [[Eddie Jones (rugby union)|Eddie Jones]] – current head coach of the Australian Wallabies National Rugby Team and former coach of the  English and Japanese rugby union football teams.
* [[Matthew Knight (basketball)|Matthew Knight]] – [[basketball player]], three-time [[List of NBL champions|NBL champion]] ([[2013–14 NBL season|2014]], [[2015–16 NBL season|2016]], [[2016–17 NBL season|2017]])
* [[Jon Kudelka]] – cartoonist
* [[Jacqui Lambie]] – Senator for Tasmania – [[Jacqui Lambie Network]]
* [[Marcus Marshall]] – Australian racing driver
* [[Brody Mihocek]] – AFL player – [[Collingwood Football Club]]
* [[Vicki O'Halloran]] – Administrator of the Northern Territory
* [[Eli Templeton]] – AFL player – [[St Kilda Football Club]]
* [[Lachie Weller]] – AFL player – [[Fremantle Football Club]] and [[Gold Coast Suns]]
* [[Maverick Weller]] – AFL player – [[Gold Coast Suns]] and [[St Kilda Football Club]]
* [[Shaun Young]] – cricketer

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{Cite book |title=Burnie, Tasmania : deep water port, rich agricultural district, tourist resort, industrial centre |publisher=Burnie Chamber of Commerce |year=1949 |hdl=10536/DRO/DU:30144990 |url=https://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30144990 |ref={{sfnref|Burnie Chamber of Commerce|1949}} }}
* {{Citation | title=Burnie City Heritage Project | last=Puustinen |first=J. | year=2011 | publisher=[[Burnie City Council]] | language=English | url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn8072236 | via=[[National Library of Australia]] |id=8072236}}
* {{Citation | author1=Mercer, Peter G. | title=Burnie : its history and development | year=1965 | section=55 p. : ill., maps ; 25 cm. | issue=mc N 1870 MCL HIST 740 | location=Burnie | publisher= | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3400036864 | id=nla.obj-3400036864}}
* {{Cite journal |title=Mining the Van Diemen's Land Company holdings 1851–1899: a case of bad luck and clever adaptation |journal=Journal of Australasian Mining History |url=https://www.mininghistory.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/6-HaygarthV16-compressed.pdf |last=Haygarth |first=Nic |date=October 2018 |volume=16 |pages=93–110 |publisher=[[University of Tasmania]] }}
* {{cite thesis | last=Stokes | first=HJW | title=The Settlement and Development of the Van Diemen's Land Company's grants in North-Western Van Diemen's Land, 1824-1860 | journal=University of Tasmania | date=2023 | doi=10.25959/23238782.V1 | url=https://figshare.utas.edu.au/articles/thesis/The_settlement_and_development_of_the_Van_Diemen_s_Land_Company_s_grants_in_North-western_Van_Diemen_s_Land_1824-1860/23238782/1 | access-date=22 September 2024 | page=}}

== External links ==
{{Wikivoyage|Burnie}}
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.burnie.tas.gov.au/ Burnie City Council]
* [http://www.nfsa.gov.au/blog/2012/09/28/tasmanian-time-capsule/ Watch historical footage of Burnie, Hobart, Launceston and the rest of Tasmania] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002005440/http://www.nfsa.gov.au/blog/2012/09/28/tasmanian-time-capsule/ |date=2 October 2013 }} from the [[National Film and Sound Archive]] of Australia's collection.

{{Burnie Suburbs}}
{{Tasmania}}
{{Cities of Australia}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Burnie, Tasmania| Burnie]]
[[Category:Cities in Tasmania]]