Risdon Vale, Tasmania

Risdon Vale is an outer suburb of Hobart, capital of Tasmania, Australia on the eastern shore of the River Derwent, and adjacent to Risdon Cove, which was the site of the first British settlement in Van Diemen's Land.HistoryRisdon Vale Post Office opened on 1 November 1960.TodayIt is the location of Tasmania's only maximum security prison, Risdon Prison and Risdon Women's Prison. Risdon Vale also is close to Risdon Brook Park and Dam which offers a pleasant walking track round the dam of 4 km, taking in views of Mount Wellington and its surrounds.Risdon Vale has a small population of around 3,000. Much of the area is surrounded by scrub and bush, which becomes particularly dry in the summer season and poses as a high fire risk. There has been a history of bushfires in the area. The Risdon Vale Volunteer Fire Brigade was established in September 1981 and the fire station, on Sugarloaf Road, was opened on 14 May 1982.The current community still reflects a standard of income below that of the average Australian weekly income with approximately three quarters of students in receipt of Student Assistance allowances.RoadsThe East Derwent Highway, connects Risdon Vale with Hobart CBD. Grasstree Hill Road connects Risdon Vale to the historical town of Richmond in the north.SchoolRisdon Vale Primary School was founded around 1960, along with most of the residential housing in the area. Despite several arson attempts, in the late 1980s, the school rebuilt and extended a number of classrooms. Vandalism and specifically damage to windows in the Early Childhood wing of the school continues to be of concern.