Located in the heart of Tasmania’s northeast, Scottsdale is the largest town between Launceston and the East Coast. It has a long-established agricultural and forestry history, including potato and dairy farming, poppy cultivation and both eucalypt and pine plantations.
Scottsdale’s centre clusters around the intersection of the Tasman Highway and George Street and is home to numerous heritage-listed buildings. The historic buildings include Anabel’s of Scottsdale, a National Trust Building that dates to the 1890s and now boasts a restaurant, boutique accommodation and magnificent gardens. Just nearby lies historic St Barnabas Church, as well as the Old Post Office, built in the 1880s and now serving as the town’s folk museum. Mount Stronach dominates the landscape to the east of Scottsdale, and it’s a 2.5 hour walk to its summit which boasts panoramic views of the town and its surrounding landscapes. With its picturesque rural surrounds and a good choice of accommodation, including the popular campground in Northeast Park, Scottsdale makes an ideal base for exploring everything Tasmania’s north-east has to offer. The surrounding attractions include the Bridestowe Estate Lavender Farm which ignites at the beginning of the year when the lavender is in full bloom, together with the world renowned Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm Golf Links which are situated just to the north near the beachside town of Bridport.
Scottsdale is connected to Launceston and other towns across Tasmania’s north-east by a local bus company, although most opt to visit by private vehicle as part of a more extensive tour of the region. The town itself is very compact and easily explored on foot or by bicycle.
When the region around Scottsdale was surveyed in 1855, it was described as having “the best soil on the island” by James Scott and flourished as an agricultural centre. Initially named Ellesmere, its post office opened in 1865, before being renamed Scottsdale for its original surveyor in 1893.