Elizabeth Town, Tasmania

{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}

{{Infobox Australian place | type = town

| name = Elizabeth Town

| state = tas

| image = ETC cafe rear, Elizabeth Town.JPG

| caption = ETC cafe and bakery on Bass Highway

| coordinates = {{coord|41|27|S|146|34|E|display=inline,title}}

| pushpin_label_position = top

| lga = Meander Valley Council

| postcode = 7304

| est =

| pop = 502

| pop_year = {{CensusAU|2006}}

| pop_footnotes =

| elevation=

| maxtemp =

| mintemp =

| rainfall =

| stategov = Lyons

| fedgov = Lyons

| dist1 = 213

| dir1 = N

| location1= Hobart

| dist2 = 57

| dir2 = W

| location2= Launceston

| dist3 = 9

| dir3 = NW

| location3= Deloraine

}}

Elizabeth Town is a populated rural area in Meander Valley, Tasmania bisected by the Bass Highway, midway between Devonport and Launceston.

The area is largely a farming district. Significant agricultural enterprises include organic dairy producer Elgaar Farm, berry producer Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm and the Ashgrove Cheese Farm.{{cite web|url=https://agriculturalcompetitiveness.dpmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/public-submissions/ip363_regional_development_australia_-_tasmania_1.pdf |page=33 |publisher=Regional Development Australia - Tasmania |accessdate=3 April 2015 |author=Perkins, Craig |author2=Brindley, Mike |title=Understanding Agricultural Competitiveness in Regional Tasmania |date=16 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327231159/http://agriculturalcompetitiveness.dpmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/public-submissions/ip363_regional_development_australia_-_tasmania_1.pdf |archivedate=27 March 2015 }}

Land grants began in the area from the 1820s, and later a town was laid out based on {{convert|10|acre|ha}} allotments. Until the 1970s, when some land was further subdivided on the east side of what is now the Bass Highway, the town area had only three houses and had not become a population centre. Consequent to the subdivision more dwellings were built and there were more than forty by 2002. At the 2006 census, the Elizabeth Town area had a population of 502.{{Census 2006 AUS |id=SSC65361 |name=Elizabeth Town (State Suburb) |accessdate=2007-08-24 |quick=on}} John Spicer built and opened a hotel on the road from Deloraine north to Devonport in the 1850s. Just prior to 1900 the then owner, Charles Slater, demolished the building replaced it with the current structure. Slater had used money from a lottery win to build the new hotel. The hotel, which sits by the Bass Highway, is now run as ETC—the Elizabeth Town café.{{cite web |title=ETC (Elizabeth Town Cafe), Tasmania |url=http://travelinsider.qantas.com.au/etc_elizabeth_town_cafe_tasmania.htm |last=Simpson |first=Willie |accessdate=3 April 2015 |date=August 2008 |publisher=Qantas |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140614092733/http://travelinsider.qantas.com.au/etc_elizabeth_town_cafe_tasmania.htm |archivedate=14 June 2014 }}

Elizabeth once had a school, tennis courts, a Catholic church, an Anglican church, post office and a hall. Of these only two church buildings remain converted to houses.Greenhill, p.66 A post office opened on in September 1860, with a resident post master,{{cite news|title=Official Notices|date=6 September 1860|work=The Launceston Examiner|page=3}} and closed in 1969.{{Cite web | last = Premier Postal History | title = Post Office List | publisher = Premier Postal Auctions | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=Tas&country= | accessdate = 16 June 2012}}

The Tasmanian Archdiocese extended Roman Catholic services to cover Elizabeth Town in 1924. A new church was built and first held services 22 January 1939. It was a contemporary style {{convert|45|by|20|ft|m|adj=on}} brick building with a tiled roof, concrete slab foundation, Tasmanian hardwood ceiling and coloured leadlight windows. The church's land had been donated by Mr T Clearly, then owner of the hotel. The Church of Our Lady Help of Christians was designed to hold 100 parishioners.{{cite news|title=New church is dedicated for Elizabeth Town worshippers|date=23 January 1939 |page=8 | work=The Examiner | location = Launceston}}{{cite news| title=New church opening ceremony at Elizabeth Town|date=23 January 1939 |work = The Mercury |location = Hobart | page=3}} Anglican services were first held in the Elizabeth Town state school. The foundation stone for the Anglican Holy Cross church was laid in January 1892 and it opened for services in January 1893.Henslowe, p.23 This church was replaced in the 1950s and a five sided apsidal sanctuary was built in 1955 and dedicated in August of the same year. The building was remodelled and had a vestry added in 1966.Stephens, p.129 The church celebrated its 60th anniversary in December 1952,{{cite news|title=Diamond Jubilee|date=6 December 1952|work=The Advocate|location=Burnie|page=6}} but by was only used for Christmas services.{{cite web | url=http://www.anglicantas.org.au/index.php?item=file&target=parish_profile_del | title=Anglican Parish of Deloraine, Parish Profile | page=4 | accessdate=2 May 2014 | date=September 2009 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512215425/http://www.anglicantas.org.au/index.php?item=file&target=parish_profile_del | archivedate=12 May 2014 }} The church closed and a decision to sell it made in 2011 by the Parish of Deloraine to sell this in 2011.{{cite web | url = http://www.anglicantas.org.au/index.php?item=file&target=pb_mins_may11 | title = DIOCESE OF TASMANIA MINUTES OF MEETING OF THE PROPERTY BOARD | publisher = Diocese of Tasmania | accessdate = 2 May 2014 | date = 10 May 2011 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140321035002/http://www.anglicantas.org.au/index.php?item=file&target=pb_mins_may11 | archivedate = 21 March 2014 }}