Coles Bay, Tasmania

It has a population of 515 people including the surrounding area, but many tourists visit the area for its scenery and outdoor activities, which include hiking, biking, fishing, boating and Sea kayaking.

The town is on the northern end of Great Oyster Bay with views of the red and pink granite peaks known as The Hazards, on the Freycinet Peninsula. It is in the area of the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council.

Each Easter the town is one of the three locations for the Australian Three Peaks Race, a continuous sailing and running event starting at Beauty Point just north of Launceston and ending at Hobart with runners scaling three mountains including Mount Freycinet (33 km run; 620 m ascent).

History

Whaling parties, tin and coal miners and pastoralists are some of the many people who have lived and worked on the Freycinet Peninsula since European settlement. Old mine shafts and abandoned farmers' huts remain today and attract tourists. A shore-based whaling station was established by George Meredith in 1824. It only ever operated in the winter months and had been abandoned by the 1850s.

In 1916 the area along with Mount Field became Tasmania's first national park.

Coles Bay Post Office opened on 21 December 1953.