Tasmania hits the news for the wrong reasons / myLot

Rockingham, Australia

June 17, 2025 8:13pm CST

A few days ago a policeman was shot dead in Tasmania. This is significant as it is the first police officer to be shot there since 1922, over a century ago. I wonder how many other countries can say that. Tasmania is an Australian state. It’s the world’s 26th largest island and was once often left off of Australian maps. It is separated from the mainland by Bass Strait and is about 240 kilometres (150 miles) south of the mainland. Population is just over half a million which really surprised me. Around 40% of the populace lives in the Greater Hobart region. Hobart is the capital. Abel Tasman was the first to discover the island but it was first called Van Diemen’s Land after Tasman’s patron. It is sometimes known as the ‘Apple Isle’ due to its shape and the fact that apples are one of its agricultural exports. It is also popular as an eco-tourism destination, with its stunning scenery. It was also the first country in the world to found an environmental political party.

22 people like this

18 responses

marguicha

@marguicha (227466)

• Chile

17h

I have seen Tasmania in channels that show nature (animals and plants). It is a pity that now news have changed to violence.

7 people like this

snowy

@snowy22315 (191184)

• United States

18h

Thanks, for the info.

5 people like this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (356254)

• Rockingham, Australia

You're welcome.

1 person likes this

Four Walls

@FourWalls (75789)

• United States

16h

I’m so sorry that happened. I wish we could go a 103 hours without a cop being shot (or shot at) in America, never mind 103 years. I’ve been watching things on Tasmania since we discussed the Tasmanian Devil (real versus the cartoon character) a few days ago.

3 people like this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (356254)

• Rockingham, Australia

We toured there with our caravan back in 2018. I did a lot of discussions on it at the time. The country reminded me of England and Ireland - very verdant and lush.

3 people like this

Lenore Plassman

@sallypup (64830)

• Centralia, Washington

18h

Fascinating. You should be a tour guide. You have me itching to go tour Tasmania.

5 people like this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (356254)

• Rockingham, Australia

We toured Tasmania with a caravan. It is a beautiful country with some very lovely scenery and interesting towns.

2 people like this

Steve Marshall

@innertalks (22875)

• Australia

17h

The Police officer was 57, and had worked 25 years on the job. It was a senseless killing, and let's hope the perpetrator is punished to the full extent of the law, and not just bailed quickly, as most criminals are here.

4 people like this

criminal

murder

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (356254)

• Rockingham, Australia

At least they know who did it. I hope he gets properly punished too.

2 people like this

Kandase

@Kandae11 (56523)

•

17h

It looks beautiful in that picture. Condolences to the policeman's family, friends and colleagues.

3 people like this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (356254)

• Rockingham, Australia

Thanks. It's very sad. His family would have been expecting him home after his shift.

1 person likes this

rebelann1949

@rebelann (114145)

• El Paso, Texas

16h

It's beautiful. I love the rugged mountains

2 people like this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (356254)

• Rockingham, Australia

They are very rugged indeed. It's not the type of country we're used to.

2 people like this

Anna

@LadyDuck (476547)

• Italy

11h

I do not know how many other countries can say they never had a policeman killed. The only one I know is Monte Carlo.

2 people like this

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Anna

@LadyDuck (476547)

• Italy

@JudyEv And in some countries policemen also receive a poor salary.

1 person likes this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (356254)

• Rockingham, Australia

It is a shame that it is such a rare thing. The police take their lives in their hands every day.

2 people like this

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Fleur

@Fleura (31805)

• United Kingdom

I hadn't realised it was quite so far away from the mainland. I guess it looks closer on maps because the rest of Australia is so big that the scale has to be small! I hadn't heard about the policeman, how sad. The news here is all full of the Middle East and Trump.

1 person likes this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (356254)

• Rockingham, Australia

That's dominating our news too. We're further away from it all but it's still very worrying.

1 person likes this

Loretta

@noni1959 (10400)

• United States

14h

That's so awful for the killing. Very interesting article and love the photo.

2 people like this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (356254)

• Rockingham, Australia

I'm glad you enjoyed it. We really enjoyed touring Tasmania.

1 person likes this

Xavier Bage

@franxav (14159)

• India

11h

Sad we have to see such sad things in the world . In our country India, this goes as a common news. There are gangsters in every city and policemen are their natural enemies.

2 people like this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (356254)

• Rockingham, Australia

With such large populations, it wouldn't be unusual for policemen to lose their lives.

1 person likes this

LindaOH

@LindaOHio (191505)

• United States

Such a pity that the policeman was shot. Thank you for the information about the "state".

2 people like this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (356254)

• Rockingham, Australia

There wouldn't be too many countries who hadn't had a policeman shot in the last 100 years.

M Cheung

@Beestring (15496)

• Hong Kong

13h

I'm sorry for the incident. It is such a beautiful place.

2 people like this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (356254)

• Rockingham, Australia

It's a very sad situation but at least they have the killer.

2 people like this

Emmanuel Adelakun

@ogbenishyna44 (181)

•

Wow, I do hope peace is restored. Australia is such a beautiful and relatively quiet country.

2 people like this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (356254)

• Rockingham, Australia

I'm sure it was just a one-off thing. Yes, we are lucky in Australia to not have a lot of unrest.

2 people like this

Heather Echola

@GardenGerty (164230)

• United States

That is sad and so totally unusual. Do they know who did it and why?

Eva James

@wolfgirl569 (117738)

• Marion, Ohio

That is not a good reason. Especially after going that long.

Baconstripsxxx

@BACONSTRIPSXXX (15133)

• Torrington, Connecticut

Looks scenic and peaceful

Shiva

@Shiva49 (27321)

• Singapore

People are the same everywhere but why kill when everything looks so pristine and favorable for a peaceful life? It is a huge estate for me and I may even feel like a fish out of water there as the silence could be deafening after having lived in crowded cities.