Triabunna is the second largest township on the east coast of Tasmania, the civic and municipal heart of the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council and is 84 kilometres to the north-east of the state capitalHobart. It is a coastal town on the Tasman Highway, and is sheltered within Spring Bay at the mouth of MacCleans Creek and Vickerys Rivulet. The nearest township is Orford, 6 kilometres to the south on the far side of the bay. At the, Triabunna had a population of 796. The nearby resort and residences of Louisville are considered a satellite community of Triabunna. "Triabunna" is an Aboriginal Tasmanianword for the endemicTasmanian native-hen. The town was founded in 1830 as a station of the 63rd regiment, and later the 51st regiment also called Triabunna home for a time. Triabunna is a scenic township surrounded by beaches, hills and beautiful tracts of eucalyptus forest. The area contains many historic buildings from Tasmania's colonial period. Triabunna also commands excellent views of Maria Island, which can be reached by a short ferry ride from the town. Located on the Triabunna foreshore there is the Tasmanian Seafarers Memorial, a memorial jointly commemorating all Tasmanian seafarers who lost their lives at sea, including Tasmanian members of the armed services, and those seafarers who, regardless of occupation or nationality, lost their lives in Tasmanian waters. A memorial service is held in October each year when recently added memorial plaques remembering lives lost are dedicated. The weather on the east coast of Tasmania is particularly mild, and warm sunny summers are a feature of life in Triabunna, which makes it a good holiday or retirement destination. The pleasant beaches and ease of access make the town a haven for those who enjoy watersports such as fishing, sailing, surfing, and diving. Triabunna also has excellent facilities for tennis, cricket, golf and Australian rules football. Bushwalking in the nearby forests is also popular.
History
There was a shore-based bay whaling station operating in Spring Bay by 1831. By 1837, there were at least nine such establishments in the Spring Bay district. The first Spring BayPost Office opened on 28 February 1832 and closed later that year. It reopened in 1836 and was renamed Triabunna in 1881.
