Bridport - North East, Tasmania.
Bridport is Tasmania’s answer to the Gold Coast or Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
Just 85 kilometres north-east of Launceston and set on the broad sweeping arc of Anderson Bay, this very popular holiday spot on State’s north-east coast is one of those places which can see the local population, in this case about 1300, treble overnight at the height of the summer season.
This part of the Apple Isle’s coast was first explored by Bass and Flinders in 1798 but Bridport didn‘t become established until 1830. Some of the regions early pioneers included Chinese tin miners and it was also a prominent port for the export of local timber.
Though not a gold mining town as such, Bridport did share the prosperity generated by gold strikes in the region. Just to the west of Bridport lies Waterhouse, a virtual ghost town amid the sand dunes. Waterhouse had a brief moment of glory when gold was discovered there. At the peak of the rush it boasted four pubs, a police station and its very own gold commissioner. Unfortunately when the gold petered out so did the town.
Today commercial fishing boats operate from Bridport and a ferry service runs to Flinders Island and Port Welshpool in Victoria.
Local wines, seafood and other produce together with attractions such as Barnbougle Dunes golf course, designed in the traditional links style and ranked among the world’s top fifty golf courses, act as magnets to travelers seeking a unique, relaxed but none the less invigorating experience.
And it’s unique in more ways than one. Take for instance Bridports street naming convention which sees streets in the northern half of town assigned male names and those in the southern half female names.
This Tassie Local snapshot was produced by Footloose Photographic & Media Solutions
Things to see around - Bridport
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The Team behind Tassie Local have been travelling around Tasmania over the last 2 years collecting information and taking photos for inclusion on these pages.
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Bridport - North East, Tasmania
