Adventure Bay, Tasmania

Coordinates: 43°22′S 147°20′E / 43.367°S 147.333°E / -43.367; 147.333
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Adventure Bay
Federal division(s)
Franklin

Adventure Bay is the name of a locality, a township and a geographical feature on the eastern side of Bruny Island, Tasmania. At the 2021 census, Adventure Bay had a population of 218.[1]

Early history

The first European to sight the bay was explorer

Terra Australis Incognita.[2]

Furneaux's log made clear the bay was an excellent anchorage for resupplying vessels:

To the SW of the first watering place there is a large lagoon which I believe has plenty of fish in it for one of our Gentlemen caught upwards of 2 dozen trout, and shot a possum which was the only animal we saw. There are a great many gum trees and of a vast thickness and height, one of which measured in circumference 26 feet and the height under the branches was 20 feet."[3]

Others among Furneaux's crew spotted evidence of what they believed were small deer but were more likely kangaroos.[3] Furneaux also noted signs of an Aboriginal settlement in the form of "several huts or wigwams on shore, with several bags of grass in which they carry their shellfish."[3] - but the branches of which the huts were made were "split and torn" and there was "not the least appearance of any people."[3]

Reliably mapped and offering an abundance of fresh water and game, Adventure Bay quickly became a popular anchorage for European explorers. Cook's Resolution watered there in 1777, followed by

Norfolk
in 1798. That same year Adventure Bay became the site of whaling & timber stations.

European Settlement

Adventure Bay Store

British whalers were reported in Adventure Bay by 1804.[4] Shore-based whaling stations operated in the bay from 1826 at four separate locations.[5] During the 19th and 20th century Adventure Bay was used by the timber industry. Sheltered from all but strong north-easterly winds, the township of Adventure Bay at the southern end of the bay itself was the site of both extensive timber mills and a long jetty from where seagoing vessels could load timber. Dangerously exposed to north-easterly gales, several ships were driven ashore and wrecked there, the largest being the 241-ton barque Natal Queen in 1909.

Adventure Bay Post Office opened on 1 December 1890 and closed in 1974.[6]

Adventure Bay is now largely a tourist destination. Facilities in town include a general store that sells petrol and a cafe. It is also the location for cruises around the island.

Notes

Footnotes

Derwent River estuary
.

References

  1. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Adventure Bay". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 July 2022. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ .
  3. ^ .
  4. .
  5. .
  6. ^ Phoenix Auctions History. "Post Office List". Phoenix Auctions. Retrieved 21 March 2021.

Further reading