Devonport ( ; palawa kani: limilinaturi) is a city in northern Tasmania, Australia, located on the lands of the Pannilerpanner clan of the Palawa nation. It is situated at the mouth of the Mersey River. Devonport had an urban population of 26,150 at the 2021 Australian census.
History
The first European settlement before 1850 was on a block of land at Frogmore, near present-day Latrobe. In 1850, a settler named Oldaker occupied land at present-day Devonport. Saw milling and coal mining developed with settlers arriving from England in 1854 on board the sailing ship 'Balmoral'. 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 one of the oldest standing buildings in Devonport.
In 1889 the Bluff lighthouse was completed. 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 conducted on the Devonport Oval.
The cross river ferry service was discontinued in 2014 after 160 years of continuous service when the "Torquay" ferry was taken out of service. It has since resumed operating.
The town received national attention on December 16th 2021 when a jumping castle and two zorbs were lifted into the air by a gust of a wind at Hillcrest primary school, killing six children and injuring three.
Demographics
The population of Devonport is 26,150, of which 1,971 (7.5%) are First Nations people.
The median weekly household income is $1,167, compared to $1,746 nationally. 24.6% of households total weekly income is less than $650 week, while 10.4% of households weekly income exceeds $3,000. This compares to national rates of 16.5% and 24.3% respectively.
34.3% of households renting, and 8.1% of owned households with a mortgage experience housing stress, where rent or mortgage repayments payments exceed 30% of total income.
83.6% of residents were born in Australia. 2.9% were born in England, 0.8% in India and New Zealand and 0.6% in each Nepal, Philippines and Mainland China.
89.9% of people spoke only English at home. 6.3% of households use a non-English language, including Mandarin (0.8%), Nepali (0.7%), Punjabi (0.4%) and Vietnamese and Tongan (0.3%).
In the 2021 census, 51.1% of people in Devonport professed no religion. 38.7% specified a Christian religious affiliation (including 12.4% as Anglicanism, 11.6% Catholic and 3.5% Uniting Church). Other religious affiliations include Hinduism (1.1%), Buddhism (0.9%), Islam (0.4%) and Sikhism (0.3%).
Suburbs
Areas within Devonport as a suburb include Highfield
Areas within East Devonport as a suburb includes Pardoe Downs, Rannoch, Panorama Heights
The full list of Suburbs of the City of Devonport are: List of suburbs
Facilities and the arts
The main Central business district (CBD) is on the west side of the Mersey River and includes a pedestrian mall, cinema, specialty stores, chain stores, hotels, local restaurants, and cafes. Stores in Devonport include Coles, Woolworths, Kmart, Harvey Norman, Bunnings Warehouse, The Reject Shop, Best & Less, Cotton On and Kathmandu. As part of nationwide restructuring, Target closed its department store on Rooke Street on 27 March 2021, being the only closure of a Tasmanian Target store.
Local theatre and conventions are held at the Devonport Entertainment and Convention Centre in the city's CBD.