Turners Beach - North Coast, Tasmania.
Turners Beach is a popular coastal holiday resort on Tasmania’s north coast and located midway between Devonport and Ulverstone. Its main claims to fame, apart from the serenity to be found in so many of Tassie’s idyllic coastal villages, are the fishing to be had in the Forth River and a two kilometer expanse of pristine beach.
The beach was originally known as Scott’s Beach, named after the Scott family who operated a flour mill on Claytons Rivulet.
Nearby is the Gables Park with The Gables house, now a private residence next to it on the river bank. Built in 1850 it was originally an Inn known as The Sailors Return but was de-licensed in 1860. During its short but colourful history The Sailors Return was robbed by two escapee bushrangers, Dalton and Kelly, who stole the landlords whale-boat and sailed across Bass Strait to Victoria. Subsequently recaptured, they were returned to Tasmania, tried and executed.
One school of thought suggests that Turners Beach was named after the Turner family who lived in The Gables in the 1920’s.
Turner’s Beach, along with nearby Leith is a satellite of the larger township of Forth, originally known as Hamilton-On-Forth, one of the earliest of north-coast settlements and even pre-dating the much larger Devonport.
A young Irishman named James Fenton arrived on the Forth estuary in 1839 looking for farm land. Returning in 1840 he was followed by the Risby family and others who formed the basis of a permanent settlement.
This Tassie Local snapshot was produced by Footloose Photographic & Media Solutions
Things to see around - Turners Beach
Turners Beach - North Coast, Tasmania
