Population Characteristics
The population of the Break O'Day area is 6,037 (2004).
St Marys, with a population of about 600 people, is situated in the Eastern Highlands at the head of the Break O'Day Plains in the Fingal Valley and provides essential services to the coal mining, forestry and pastoral industries in the region. It is located 130km from Launceston and 220km from Hobart and is easily accessible by road from both the north and south of Tasmania.
St Patricks Head is a striking geological feature of the area and was named by Captain Tobias Furneaux, from the sea, on St Patricks Day in 1773, thirty years before the European settlement of Tasmania. The mountain peak offers spectacular bushwalking opportunities with panoramic views of the rugged East Coast.
St Marys is about 37km from St Helens, the largest town on the East Coast. St Helens has a thriving deep-sea scale fishing industry which operates out of Georges Bay, and has a reputation for fantastic fishing and seafood.
St Marys is within easy travelling distance to the Freycinet Peninsula, the Douglas-Apsley National Park and the world-famous beaches of Wine Glass Bay and the Bay of Fires. It is a popular site for both students and health professionals as it offers the lifestyle, quality medical services and professional staff to ensure that rural health research and learning is an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
Regional Health Indicators
Break O’Day
High proportion of population aged 65 and over (14.8%)
Low proportion of children aged 0 – 4 years
High level of socio-economic disadvantage (924)
High proportion of families on low income
High unemployment rates
Relatively High death rates from accidents, poisonings and violence
Relatively High hospital admissions for lung cancer, circulatory system diseases, bronchitis, emphysema or asthma
and respiratory system diseases
Glamorgan/Spring Bay
High proportion of population aged 65 and over (15.2%)
High death rate from accidents, poisonings and violence
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