Whitemark

Whitemark is a rural residential locality on Flinders Island in the local government area (LGA) of Flinders in the North-east LGA region of Tasmania. The 2021 census recorded a population of 308 for the state suburb of Whitemark. It is the main settlement of Flinders Island.

Whitemark

Town

Whitemark

Coordinates: 40°07′17″S 148°00′58″E / 40.12139°S 148.01611°E

Country

Australia

State

Tasmania

Region

North-east

LGA

Flinders Council

Government

• State electorate

Bass

• Federal division

Bass

Population

• Total

308 (2021 census)

Postcode

7255

Mean max temp

17.8 °C (64.0 °F)

Mean min temp

9.9 °C (49.8 °F)

Annual rainfall

730.3 mm (28.75 in)

Localities around Whitemark
Blue Rocks	Memana	Memana
Bass Strait	Whitemark	Lackrana
Bass Strait	Ranga, Loccota	Ranga

Buildings

Whitemark has a local pub, called the Flinders Island Interstate Hotel. It also has a post office, a supermarket, a bakery, a petrol station, a mechanic, an Anglican church and a library as well as small local produce businesses.^{[citation needed]}

History

Whitemark was gazetted as a locality in 1970. The name may be derived from a conspicuous white mark placed by an early surveyor. Whitemark Post Office opened around 1902.

The Hydro Tasmania developed power supply for the settlement in the 1980s.

The local newspaper was the Island News from 1954 to 2004.

Geography

The waters of Bass Strait form the western and south-western boundaries.

Climate

Whitemark has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), with tepid, somewhat dry summers and cool, wetter winters. Average maxima vary from 22.7 °C (72.9 °F) in February to 13.4 °C (56.1 °F) in July while average minima fluctuate between 13.8 °C (56.8 °F) in February and 6.4 °C (43.5 °F) in July. Mean average annual rainfall is moderate, 730.3 mm (28.75 in) spread over 158.8 days, and concentrated in winter. The town is not very sunny, with 108.6 cloudy days and only 47.6 clear days per annum. Extreme temperatures have ranged from 41.5 °C (106.7 °F) on 29 January 2009 to −3.5 °C (25.7 °F) on 28 July 1976. Climate data was sourced from Flinders Island Airport, 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) northwest of Whitemark.

Climate data for Whitemark (40º05'24"S, 148º00'00"E, 9 metres or 30 feet AMSL; 1962–2024 normals and extremes, rainfall since 1942)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	41.5 (106.7)	39.4 (102.9)	35.6 (96.1)	31.7 (89.1)	27.4 (81.3)	20.3 (68.5)	21.4 (70.5)	22.7 (72.9)	29.5 (85.1)	32.7 (90.9)	35.9 (96.6)	40.5 (104.9)	41.5 (106.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	22.3 (72.1)	22.7 (72.9)	21.4 (70.5)	18.8 (65.8)	16.3 (61.3)	14.1 (57.4)	13.4 (56.1)	13.8 (56.8)	15.2 (59.4)	16.9 (62.4)	18.7 (65.7)	20.4 (68.7)	17.8 (64.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	13.6 (56.5)	13.8 (56.8)	12.7 (54.9)	10.8 (51.4)	9.0 (48.2)	7.1 (44.8)	6.4 (43.5)	6.7 (44.1)	7.7 (45.9)	8.7 (47.7)	10.3 (50.5)	12.0 (53.6)	9.9 (49.8)
Record low °C (°F)	2.6 (36.7)	4.0 (39.2)	1.6 (34.9)	−0.4 (31.3)	−1.7 (28.9)	−2.5 (27.5)	−3.5 (25.7)	−3.0 (26.6)	−2.5 (27.5)	−1.4 (29.5)	0.5 (32.9)	2.5 (36.5)	−3.5 (25.7)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	46.4 (1.83)	38.2 (1.50)	49.5 (1.95)	57.8 (2.28)	76.9 (3.03)	72.4 (2.85)	79.8 (3.14)	74.9 (2.95)	61.4 (2.42)	59.8 (2.35)	54.5 (2.15)	57.3 (2.26)	730.3 (28.75)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm)	8.7	8.0	9.8	12.6	15.8	17.0	18.3	18.0	14.9	13.9	11.3	10.5	158.8
Average afternoon relative humidity (%)	61	62	63	67	73	74	74	71	70	67	65	64	68
Average dew point °C (°F)	12.3 (54.1)	13.1 (55.6)	12.1 (53.8)	10.6 (51.1)	9.8 (49.6)	8.2 (46.8)	7.4 (45.3)	7.1 (44.8)	7.8 (46.0)	8.7 (47.7)	10.0 (50.0)	11.2 (52.2)	9.9 (49.8)
Mean monthly sunshine hours	238.7	220.4	220.1	183.0	148.8	117.0	142.6	192.2	192.0	223.2	228.0	244.9	2,350.9
Percentage possible sunshine	53	57	58	55	48	42	48	59	54	55	53	53	53
Source: Bureau of Meteorology (1962–2024 normals and extremes, rainfall since 1942)

Road infrastructure

Route B85 (Palana Road / Lady Barron Road) passes through from north-west to south.