Smithton

Smithton

Smithton, town, northwestern Tasmania, Australia, at the mouth of the Duck River on Duck Bay. It is a commercial centre for the northwest coastal region.

The site was included in a grant made to the Van Diemen’s Land Company in 1825. Settlement by Europeans began in earnest in the 1850s, and from 1907 Smithton was the centre of Circular Head municipality.

Located on the Bass Highway and a rail line to Launceston (110 miles [175 km] southeast), the town serves a productive dairy-, beef-, and vegetable-farming region. Its industries include dairying (butter and cheese), meat processing, vegetable processing, and sawmilling. Aquaculture and commercial fishing are other significant economic activities. Nearby points of interest include the Tarkine Wilderness, Australia’s largest temperate rainforest. Pop. (2006) urban centre, 3,361; (2011) urban centre, 3,240.