Wynyard from Table Cape Lookout

Wynyard
Important service centre on the Tasmanian North Coast
Located 16 km west of Burnie and 171 km north-west of Launceston, Wynyard is an attractive and interesting rural service centre at the mouth of the Inglis River.

Table Cape, an intensely beautiful headland with views back to Wynyard, was originally named by Bass and Flinders who sailed along the coast in 1798. When Captain Henry Hellyer, a surveyor for the Van Diemens Land Company, explored the coastline in 1827 he named the Inglis River.

It wasn't until 1841 that John King looked at the heavily wooded coast (a notion which is difficult to grasp these days) and decided to settle on land which now includes the Wynyard golf course.

The first town in the area developed north of Table Cape bridge when Joseph Alexander built a hotel at a place known as Alexandria. It was not successful. By the 1850s paling splitters (they were selling their timber to Victoria) had named another settlement Wynyard after Lieutenant-General Edward Buckle Wynyard of the New South Wales Corps.

The town grew rapidly. A store, a wharf and a timber mill were built in quick succession. They were followed by a hotel, a blacksmith's store and a tramway. The goldrush in Victoria saw demand for local timber boom.

An onion field near the Table Cape Light Station

For the next 50 years Wynyard was the most important port on Tasmania's north-west coast. The area was cleared of timber. Dairy and potato farmers (later onion farmers) quickly realised the richness and fertility of the soils. In 1892 Wynyard saw the opening of Tasmania's first butter factory. By 1900 the town had a population of 800.

In 1913 the railway reached Wynyard and by 1936 it had its own airport.

Today Wynyard has one of the widest ranging displays of elegant timber homes in Tasmania. It is a charming town on a particularly beautiful stretch coastline. The rural area around Wynyard is very English characterised by rolling hills and a patchwork quilt of fields. This is an area of mixed agriculture with sheep, fresians, potatoes, onions, and even some beef cattle.

Things to see:  

Fossil Bluff
Located just west of Wynyard, Fossil Bluff not only offers excellent views but is the location where the oldest Australian fossil of a marsupial (it was a giant marsupial) was discovered. It is an unusual geological structure comprising glacial Permian Tillite, sandstone and basalt. There is a small beach and the rocks at either end of the beach are characterised by shells which have been caught and fossilised.

The Table Cape Light Station

Table Cape Lookout
It is possible to get amazing views up and down the coast from Table Cape Lookout which is perched above the ocean. The cape is actually a volcanic plug which rises to about 190 metres above sea level.

The Table Cape Light Station is part of a network of navigational aids. The lighthouse was established in 1888. The original source was an oil wick lamp which was converted to acetylene operation and in 1979 converted to mains electric power. It can be seen 16 nautical miles on the red range and 19 nautical miles on the white range. It is elevated 190 metres above sea level and the tower height is 25 metres.

Fishing
The area is excellent for fishing. The Inglis and Flowerdale rivers are ideal for trout fishing and there is good ocean fishing as well.

	Tourist Information
	Wynyard Visitor Information Centre Cnr Goldie & Hogg St Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 4143
	Motels
	Inglis River Motel/Hotel 10 Goldie St Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 2344 Rating: **
	Wynyard Waterfront Motor Inn 1 Goldie St Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 2351 Facsimile: (03) 6442 3749 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Federal Hotel 82 Goldie St Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 2056 Rating: **
	Rocky Cape Tavern Detention Rd Rocky Cape Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6443 4110 Rating: **
	Wynyard Hotel 1 Inglis St Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 2048
	Wynyard Mower Inn 45 Goldie St Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 4081 or 0419 503 820
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Alexandria Bed & Breakfast 1 Table Cape Rd Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 4411 Rating: ****
	Cape Cedars Bed & Breakfast RSD 30 Tollymore Rd Table Cape Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 4144 Rating: ***
	Seaward Bed & Breakfast 31 Old Bass Hwy Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 2657 Rating: ****1/2
	Tanfield Gardens Bed & Breakfast RSD 8150 Montumana Rd Rocky Cape Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6443 4310 or 1800 005 677 Rating: ****
	Apartments
	Alcheringa Holiday Apt RSD 62A Flowerdale Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6445 4255 Rating: ****
	Gutteridge Court Apt 4/5 22 Goldie St Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 2886 Rating: ***
	Leisure Ville Holiday Apts 145 Scenic Dve Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 2291 Rating: ****
	Seaward Apartment 31 Old Bass Hwy Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 2657 Web site: http://www.seawardbb.com Rating: ****1/2
	Caravan Parks
	Leisure Ville Caravan Park 145 Old Bass Hwy Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 2291 Rating: ***
	Wynyard Municipal Caravan Park The Esplanade Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 1998 Rating: ***
	Camping & Other
	Wynyard Youth Hostel 36 Dodgin St Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 2013
	Restaurants
	Federal Hotel 82 Goldie St Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 2056
	Mamma Rosa's Pizza Restaurant 8 Inglis St Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 1755
	Noah's Coffee Lounge & Takeaway 13 Goldie St Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 2426
	The Gumnut Gallery Restaurant 43 Jackson St Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 1177
	The Waterfront Restaurant 1 Goldie St Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 2351
	Toysun Chinese Restaurant 25 Goldie St Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 1101
	Wynyard Hotel 1 Inglis St Wynyard TAS 7325 Telephone: (03) 6442 2048