Whitemark is a rural residential locality on Flinders Island in the local government area (LGA) of Flinders in the North-east LGA region of Tasmania. The 2021 census recorded a population of 308 for the state suburb of Whitemark.[1] It is the main settlement of Flinders Island.
| Whitemark Tasmania | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  Whitemark | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°07′17″S 148°00′58″E / 40.12139°S 148.01611°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 308 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 7255 | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Flinders Council | ||||||||||||||
| Region | North-east | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Bass | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Bass | ||||||||||||||
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Buildings
editWhitemark has a local pub, called the Flinders Island Interstate Hotel.[3] It also has a post office, a supermarket, a bakery, a petrol station, a mechanic, an Anglican Church and a library as well as small local produce businesses.[citation needed]
History
editWhitemark was gazetted as a locality in 1970. The name may be derived from a conspicuous white mark placed by an early surveyor.[4] Whitemark Post Office opened around 1902.[5]
The Hydro Tasmania developed power supply for the settlement in the 1980s.[6]
The local newspaper was the Island News from 1954 to 2004.[7]
Geography
editThe waters of Bass Strait form the western and south-western boundaries.[8]
Climate
editWhitemark has a oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), with tepid, somewhat dry summers summers and cool, wetter winters. Average maxima vary from 22.7 °C (72.9 °F) in February to 13.4 °C (56.1 °F) in July while average minima fluctuate between 13.8 °C (56.8 °F) in February to 6.4 °C (43.5 °F) in July.[9] Mean average annual precipitation is moderate: 730.3 mm (28.75 in), spread between 158.8 precipitation days, and is concentrated in winter. Expectedly, the town is not very sunny: with 108.6 cloudy days and only 47.6 clear days per annum. Extreme temperatures have ranged from 41.5 °C (106.7 °F) on 29 January 2009 to −3.5 °C (25.7 °F) on 28 July 1976. Climate data was sourced from Flinders Island Airport, 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) northwest of Whitemark.
| Climate data for Whitemark (40º05'24"S, 148º00'00"E, 9 m AMSL) (1962-2024 normals and extremes, rainfall to 1942) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 41.5 (106.7) |
39.4 (102.9) |
35.6 (96.1) |
31.7 (89.1) |
27.4 (81.3) |
20.3 (68.5) |
21.4 (70.5) |
22.7 (72.9) |
29.5 (85.1) |
32.7 (90.9) |
35.9 (96.6) |
40.5 (104.9) |
41.5 (106.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 22.3 (72.1) |
22.7 (72.9) |
21.4 (70.5) |
18.8 (65.8) |
16.3 (61.3) |
14.1 (57.4) |
13.4 (56.1) |
13.8 (56.8) |
15.2 (59.4) |
16.9 (62.4) |
18.7 (65.7) |
20.4 (68.7) |
17.8 (64.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.6 (56.5) |
13.8 (56.8) |
12.7 (54.9) |
10.8 (51.4) |
9.0 (48.2) |
7.1 (44.8) |
6.4 (43.5) |
6.7 (44.1) |
7.7 (45.9) |
8.7 (47.7) |
10.3 (50.5) |
12.0 (53.6) |
9.9 (49.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 2.6 (36.7) |
4.0 (39.2) |
1.6 (34.9) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
0.5 (32.9) |
2.5 (36.5) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 46.4 (1.83) |
38.2 (1.50) |
49.5 (1.95) |
57.8 (2.28) |
76.9 (3.03) |
72.4 (2.85) |
79.8 (3.14) |
74.9 (2.95) |
61.4 (2.42) |
59.8 (2.35) |
54.5 (2.15) |
57.3 (2.26) |
730.3 (28.75) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 8.7 | 8.0 | 9.8 | 12.6 | 15.8 | 17.0 | 18.3 | 18.0 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 11.3 | 10.5 | 158.8 |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 61 | 62 | 63 | 67 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 71 | 70 | 67 | 65 | 64 | 68 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | 12.3 (54.1) |
13.1 (55.6) |
12.1 (53.8) |
10.6 (51.1) |
9.8 (49.6) |
8.2 (46.8) |
7.4 (45.3) |
7.1 (44.8) |
7.8 (46.0) |
8.7 (47.7) |
10.0 (50.0) |
11.2 (52.2) |
9.9 (49.8) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 238.7 | 220.4 | 220.1 | 183.0 | 148.8 | 117.0 | 142.6 | 192.2 | 192.0 | 223.2 | 228.0 | 244.9 | 2,350.9 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 53 | 57 | 58 | 55 | 48 | 42 | 48 | 59 | 54 | 55 | 53 | 53 | 53 |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology (1962-2024 normals and extremes, rainfall to 1942)[2] | |||||||||||||
Road infrastructure
editRoute B85 (Palana Road / Lady Barron Road) passes through from north-west to south.[4][10]
References
edit- ^ a b "2021 Whitemark, Census All persons QuickStats". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Flinders Island Airport Climate Statistics (1942-2024) (nearest AWS)". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ "Interstate Hotel". Interstate Hotel.
- ^ a b "Placenames Tasmania – Whitemark". Placenames Tasmania. Select "Search", enter "1310R", click "Search", select row, map is displayed, click "Details". Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
- ^ Tasmania. Hydro-Electric Commission (1983), Whitemark Power Station, Flinders Island : draft environmental impact statement, The Commission, retrieved 3 April 2015
- ^ Worsley, K. G (2004), Island news : 50 years serving the Furneaux Islands, 9th July 1954 to 9th July 2004, Committee of Island News, retrieved 3 April 2015
- ^ "Whitemark, Tasmania" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 16 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "Flinders Island Airport Climate (1942-2024)". FarmOnline Weather. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ "Tasmanian Road Route Codes" (PDF). Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment. May 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2021.