When a settlement was formed in northwest Van Diemen’s Land in 1827, the colony, adjacent river and bay were all called Emu after the large endemic bird. In 1842, the town was renamed Burnie in honor of William Burnie, the director of the Van Diemen’s Land Company. As Emu Bay grew as a commercial port, the city also prospered. Burnie now has a population of 20,000 people. This is small in comparison to most cities but qualifies it as Tasmania’s fourth largest. Locals believe this coastal community is the perfect place to live and raise their families.
