Devonport, Tasmania

Devonport is a city in northern Tasmania, Australia. It is situated at the mouth of the Mersey River. Devonport had an estimated urban population of 30,497 at June 2015. Along with the slightly smaller city of Burnie, Devonport is the major regional centre of the north-western part of the state.

History
During the 1850s the twin settlements of Formby and Torquay were established on opposite banks at the mouth of the Mersey River. Torquay on the eastern shore was the larger community with police, post, magistrate, at least three hotels, shipyards and stores. A river ferry service connected the two communities. Between 1870 and 1880 the shipping industry grew and work was undertaken to deepen the mouth of the river. When the mouth of the river could support a shipping industry the first regular steamer services commenced, operating directly between the Mersey and Melbourne.

In 1882 the Marine Board building was built and remains the oldest standing building in Devonport.

In 1889 the Bluff lighthouse was completed and the turn of the century saw the railway make a significant difference to the Formby community. It combined a railhead and port facilities in the one place. A wharf was created on the west bank, close to the railway and warehouses. The railway brought a building boom to Formby. In 1890 a public vote united Torquay and Formby, and the settlements became the town of Devonport.

The Victoria bridge was opened in 1902 which enabled a land transport link between Devonport and East Devonport.

Devonport was proclaimed a city by Prince Charles of Wales on 21 April 1981 in a ceremony connducted on the Devonport Oval.

The cross river ferry service was discontinued in 2014 after 160 years of continuous service when the vessel the "Torquay" was taken out of service. It has since resumed operating.

Suburbs
List of suburbs

Facilities and the arts
The main CBD is on the west side of the Mersey River and includes a pedestrian mall, cinema, speciality stores, chain stores such as IGA and hotels. There are several local restaurants and cafes.

Local theatre and Conventions are held at the Devonport Entertainment and Convention Centre in the city's CBD.

The Devonport Regional Gallery evolved from the inception of The Little Gallery, which was founded by Jean Thomas as a private enterprise in 1966. The Gallery presents an annual program of exhibitions, education and public programs including events and workshops. Another smaller gallery is the Blue Apple Gift Store & Gallery.

Tiagarra Aboriginal Culture Centre and Museum displays petroglyphs, designs in rock and exhibits that depict the traditional lifestyle of Tasmanian Aboriginal people.

The Bass Strait Maritime Centre housed in the former Harbour Master's House has objects, models and photographs that tells the stories of Bass Strait and Devonport.

A Railway Museum is situated at Don a suburb of Devonport called the Don River Railway.

The former Devonport Maternity Hospital is now being considered for transformation into over fifty apartments.

The Mersey Community Hospital at Latrobe serves the Devonport community for their health needs.

Devonport's night club was known as "City Limits" in the 1980s, "The Warehouse" from 1991, and then re-branded as the ultra-hip "House" in 2014.

Kokoda Barracks is an army barracks in Devonport.

Government
Steve Martin was elected mayor of the City of Devonport in 2011. There are 12 aldermen that govern the Devonport City Council

Transport
Devonport Airport is located at Pardoe Downs approximately 7 km to the east of the city of Devonport, about a 15 min drive by car. The airport is serviced by Bombardier Dash 8 turboprop aircraft, operated by QantasLink, with four daily services to Melbourne, Victoria. There are several bus companies serving Devonport including Mersey Link, Redline Coaches and Phoenix Coaches. Metropolitan Devonport bus services are limited on Saturdays and there are no services on Sundays or Public holidays.
 * Devonport Airport

Searoad Road Shipping operate two roll on roll off vessel of general freight between Devonport, Melbourne and King Island. These vessels include MV Searoad Mersey and MV Searoad Tamar.
 * Freight (Shipping)

Cement Australia has exported cement products produced from Railton to Melbourne since 1926. Other exports via ships include tallow.

In early days coal was an export product.

Imports include petroleum, bunker fuel, fertiliser and caustic soda.

A rail line still services the ports area of Devonport. Devonport once had a roundhouse and railway maintenance yards on the foreshore of the Mersey River. A park exists there today.
 * Rail

Devonport is the southern terminus for the Spirit of Tasmania ferries – Spirit I and II travel the 11 hours to Melbourne.
 * Passenger Ferry Terminal

Melbourne – Devonport Passenger Ferry History

Agriculture
The Devonport area has rich red soils that are ideal for producing vegetable crops (beans, onions, peas, potatoes etc.) and very significant values of cereals, oil poppies, pyrethrum and other crops.

Primary schools

 * Hillcrest Primary School
 * Devonport Primary School
 * Miandetta Primary School
 * East Devonport Primary School
 * Nixon Street Primary School
 * Spreyton Primary School
 * Devonport Christian School
 * Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School

Secondary schools

 * Devonport High School
 * Reece High School
 * St Brendan-Shaw College

Senior Secondary Education (Years 11–12)

 * The Don College
 * St Brendan-Shaw College

A TasTAFE campus, an adult training institution, is situated in Valley Road.

Climate
Devonport has an oceanic climate with mild to warm summers, cool and moist winters and high humidity (about 70%) all year round. Most days from January to March are pleasantly warm, averaging 20 to 25 °C with frequent sunshine. The warmest and driest days can occasionally reach up to 28 °C. Unlike the south and east coasts of Tasmania, humid northerly winds prevent heatwaves and temperatures rarely if ever reach above 30 °C. Winters are cool and cloudy with frequent light rain, July and August are the wettest months of the year. Due to almost constant cloud cover and coastal influence, winter temperatures rarely drop below 0 °C. September to December usually features mild and windy weather with frequent showers, and occasional warm, sunny breaks. With the pattern of a drier summer and wetter winter, the weather has some characteristics of a Mediterranean climate.

Australian Rules
The Devonport Football Club, Magpies, is an Australian Rules team competing in the Tasmanian Statewide League with their home base being the Devonport Oval

The East Devonport Football Club an Australian Rules Football Club, the Swans play in the North West Football League alongside teams like Ulverstone and Penguin, to name but two.

Rugby union
The Devonport Rugby Club is a Rugby Union team competing in the Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide League.

Soccer
Devonport City Football Club an Association Football club that competes in the statewide National Premier Leagues Tasmania, as well as fielding a reserve team in the Northern Championship.

Touch football
The Devonport Touch Football Association is located at Meercroft Park and play touch football

Athletics, cycling and woodchopping
The Devonport Athletic Club, a professional athletic club, hosts a leg of the Tasmanian Cycling Christmas Carnival Series each year in December attended by local and international cyclists, other sports at the carnivals include athletics and woodchopping. Woodchopping events are also held at the Devonport Agricultural & Pastoral Society Spring Show in November.

The Devon Amateur Athletics Club compete at the Dial Ranges Sports Centre at Penguin, Tasmania.

The Mersey Valley Devonport Cycling Club host track cycling, the Mersey Valley Tour, Devon 80 Road Race and the Ulverstone Criterium.

Cricket
Devonport Cricket Club is a cricket team which represents Devonport in the North Western Tasmanian Cricket Association grade cricket competition.

Hockey
Devonport Hockey teams compete in the North and North West Hockey roster of Hockey Tasmania.

Basketball
Devonport Warriors are a Devonport-based basketball team that compete in the North West Basketball Union.

Golf
The Devonport Golf Club is located at Woodrising Avenue, Tasmania and has been home to the Tasmanian Open and Tasmanian Seniors Open.

Harness racing and Horse racing
The Devonport Harness Racing Club conduct harness racing events at the Devonport Showgrounds.

The Devonport Cup a horse race is held annually in January at the Spreyton racecourse. There is a gazetted local holiday for the event.

Power boats
Power Boat racing has been a feature at the Devonport Annual Regatta held each March long weekend. The Regatta commenced in 1958.

Swimming and aquatic sports
The Splash Devonport Aquatic and Leisure Centre has a world class gym and indoor swimming pool and is based within the Don Reserve.

Tennis
The Devonport Tennis Club and East Devonport Tennis Club compete in the Tennis North West Association rosters.

Triathlon
The Devonport triathlon held annually in February is the continental championship for Oceania.

Notable sportspeople

 * David Foster (woodchopper)

VFL/AFL players
Notable players that went on the play in the VFL/AFL:
 * Darrel Baldock
 * Graham Wright
 * Grant Birchall
 * Brady Rawlings
 * Jade Rawlings
 * Matthew Richardson
 * Ben Harrison
 * Dion Scott (, Brisbane Bears, )
 * Matthew Febey
 * Steven Febey

Notable people

 * Joseph Lyons – Prime Minister of Australia 1932–1939 Premier of Tasmania 1923–1928
 * Dame Enid Lyons

Sister cities
The city of Devonport has a formal sister city agreement with Minamata City in Japan. This was ratified in 1996. Both cities share a similar setting and area.
 * 🇯🇵 Minamata, Japan (1996)
 * 🇦🇺 City of Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia (destination for "Spirit of Tasmania" ferries from Devonport)