York Town is a rural locality in the local government areas (LGA) of West Tamar and Latrobe in the Launceston and North-west and west LGA regions of Tasmania. The locality is about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north-west of the town of Beaconsfield. The 2016 census has a population of 72 for the state suburb of York Town.[1]
It was the first attempt to establish a British presence in northern Tasmania, in 1804.[2] It was a "bustling village" until 1808.[3]
All the original buildings have now gone, but the landscape and natural setting remain largely unchanged. The site is preserved as the York Town Historic Site and provided with interpretive signage.[3]
Extensive deposites of rich iron ore were discovered in the nearby hills by the settlers during the time of the York Town settlement.[5] Later - in the 1870s - these iron deposits led to the establishment of a short-lived iron mining and smelting industry on the western side of the Tamar estuary at Redbill Point and at Ilfracombe (now known as Beauty Point).[6]
Greens Beach Road (Route A7) passes through from south-east to north-east. Route C741 (Bowens Road) starts at an intersection with A7 and runs south-west until it exits.[4][8]
^"Tasmanian Road Route Codes"(PDF). Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment. May 2017. Archived from the original(PDF) on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
