DRAWING THE LINE: Macquarie's 42nd parallel

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Browsing the Internet for information on the 42nd Parallel in Tasmania the Minutes of the Ross Local District Committee of July 26 2011 there was a presentation of a proposal to DRAW THE LINE (42° South) ... " Presentation—42nd Parallel of Latitude—“Drawing the Line" ... Mr Beverage addressed the committee on issues associated with the project. He mentioned that the purpose of the community project was to commemorate and celebrate the historical significance of the line of latitude of 42 degrees South in early European settlement of Van Diemen’s Land. Images for various components of the project were displayed.

Mr Beveridge mentioned that the “Drawing the Line” aimed to capture and communicate important historical and current aspects of Tasmania’s geography, social, political and scientific history including aspects of the history of surveying in Tasmania, the role and impact of political boundaries and the history of the Ross township and the local region.

The project outcomes will be:-

• An artistic installation alongside the Midlands Highway, near the site where 42 degrees south crosses the highway.
• Landscaping, artwork and interpretive material to be located adjacent to the Ross Town Hall-eastern side.
• Educational support material that provides richness to the two commemorative sites.

It was RESOLVED that the appreciation be expressed to Mr Beveridge for his presentation."

This 'line' has figured in so many 'Tasmanian Imaginations'. Somewhat more than jokingly it determined what beer should be drunk north and south of the line and likewise which newspaper had 'THE NEWS' for Northerners and Southerners. The 42° S line is imagined as "the middle" but actually and interestingly it is simultaneously 'the edge' of both 'The North' an 'The South'.

Watch this space for developments. Also if you are reading this, and you have information, stories or  images relevant to 42° S, please email The Launcestonian  Postcolonalists and The Historic Protection Society ... Click here