The area was originally known as Tahune-Linah, named by Tasmanian Aboriginals
The first Europeans to set eyes on the Huon River were the crew commanded by Admiral Bruni d'Entrecasteaux.
The river was named by him in honour of his second in command, Captain Huon de Kermadec.
The establishment of the British settlement at Hobart Town in 1804 led to the exploration of the area by the botanist Robert Brown but he dismissed it as unsuitable for settlement because of poor soil.
This did not however stop the timber getters and whalers from camping in the area while searching for stands of timber and schools of whales which at that time infested the estuary areas of the Derwent River.
The first European settlers in the Huonville district were William and Thomas Walton in 1840.
In fact, Huonville was not originally intended as the site of a town. Nearby Ranelagh was laid out as the town of Victoria
in colonial days. Huonville grew around the bridge crossing the Huon River and hotels at the bridge.
Throughout the summer and autumn, fence-to-fence orchards produce crops of luscious plums, cherries, apricots,
peaches, apples and pears - if the fruit can be grown it is.
It leads to a great upswing in the population
at picking time as many backpackers earn a lot of dollars to continue their trip around Australia by working the
orchards.
Thrill seekers can get their heart racing on a jet boat ride up the Huon River or explore it at a more leisurely pace
in a paddleboat. A cruise on the Southern Contessa will take you 30 kilometres along the river, into the habitats of
pelicans, sandpipers and many other water birds.
Amy Sherwin, known as the 'Tasmanian Nightingale', was an Australian soprano singer born at Forest Home, Huonville in 1855
and was taught singing by her mother.
She went on from these humble beginnings to acieve world wide fame.
Fishing is popular in the valley's many open watercourses, and there are plenty of fishing experts to help you catch a big one.
Trout fishing, for both brown and rainbow, is a popular pastime.
The first Europeans to set eyes on the Huon River were the crew commanded by Admiral Bruni d'Entrecasteaux.
The river was named by him in honour of his second in command, Captain Huon de Kermadec.
The establishment of the British settlement at Hobart Town in 1804 led to the exploration of the area by the botanist Robert Brown but he dismissed it as unsuitable for settlement because of poor soil.
This did not however stop the timber getters and whalers from camping in the area while searching for stands of timber and schools of whales which at that time infested the estuary areas of the Derwent River.
The first European settlers in the Huonville district were William and Thomas Walton in 1840.
In fact, Huonville was not originally intended as the site of a town. Nearby Ranelagh was laid out as the town of Victoria
in colonial days. Huonville grew around the bridge crossing the Huon River and hotels at the bridge.
Throughout the summer and autumn, fence-to-fence orchards produce crops of luscious plums, cherries, apricots,
peaches, apples and pears - if the fruit can be grown it is.
It leads to a great upswing in the population
at picking time as many backpackers earn a lot of dollars to continue their trip around Australia by working the
orchards.
Thrill seekers can get their heart racing on a jet boat ride up the Huon River or explore it at a more leisurely pace
in a paddleboat. A cruise on the Southern Contessa will take you 30 kilometres along the river, into the habitats of
pelicans, sandpipers and many other water birds.
Amy Sherwin, known as the 'Tasmanian Nightingale', was an Australian soprano singer born at Forest Home, Huonville in 1855
and was taught singing by her mother.
She went on from these humble beginnings to acieve world wide fame.
Fishing is popular in the valley's many open watercourses, and there are plenty of fishing experts to help you catch a big one.
Trout fishing, for both brown and rainbow, is a popular pastime.