Cygnet

Cygnet is a town in the Huon Valley, south of Huonville, Tasmania.HistoryThe Nuenonne were the original land-owning group of a large territory in South East Tasmania, including Cygnet, Hobart and Bruny Island. Tasmanian leader & elder, Wooraddy, came from Bruny Island.The bay on which Cygnet sits was named Port des Cygnes by French navigator Bruni D'Entrecasteaux in 1793, because he observed a large number of black swans in the area.The first European settler in the district was William Nichols in 1834. Nichols received a grant for three hundred and twenty acres of land on the north side of Port Cygnet in 1829. After the land had been cleared and accommodation built, Nichols moved his family to this property. At the time the property was only accessible by a walking track from Browns River or up the river by boat.His grandson, John Wilson, established a shipbuilding business at what was now known as Port Cygnet. Until the end of the 1850s, timber was the main source of income as land was cleared. Timber was exported from the area for firewood, house building and fence palings.In 1840 the township of Port Cygnet was surveyed. Land was advertised for sale to the public in 1848. The Post Office opened on 1 January 1854. The town was known as Port Cygnet until 1895, Lovett until 1915 and then Cygnet.The town todayThere are three pubs, one RSL club, two petrol stations, a Commonwealth Bank, Bendigo Bank, Catholic and Anglican churches, three cafe/restaurants, a hardware store, three doctor's clinics, a couple of backpackers hostels, a public golf course, a bookshop, newsagent, two hairdressing salons, two butchers, take away food shop, organic grocer and various other clothing and special interest stores including a local cider makers bar and cellar door. There are also several art studios,a furniture & homewares artisan-Phoenix Creations, a print workshop with an old printing press, a library linked to the collection of the State Library of Tasmania, a children's toy library and a museum.