Dover is the southernmost town of its size in Australia, on the western shore of Port Esperance. At the 2021 census Dover had a population of 923, of whom 288 were aged under 40 years. 118 residents (including 59 of the 288 residents aged under 40 years) identified as 'Aboriginal' and/or 'Torres Strait Islander.' 83% of residents were born in Australia, 6% in the United Kingdom, 2% in New Zealand and about 1% each in China, Canada, Korea, the USA, Ireland and Nepal. 197 residents were employed, including 54% in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, 6% each in construction, retail and health care/ social assistance, and 5% each in public administration and professional services.

Etymology

The word Dover, first recorded in its Latinised form of ''

Portus Dubris Dubris, also known as Portus Dubris and Dubrae, was a port in Roman Britain on the site of present-day Dover, Kent, England. As the closest point to continental Europe and the site of the estuary of the River Dour, Kent, Dour, the site chosen ...

'', derives from the Brythonic word for waters (''dwfr'' in

Middle Welsh Middle Welsh (, ) is the label attached to the Welsh language of the 12th to 15th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This form of Welsh developed directly from Old Welsh (). Literature and history Middle Welsh is ...

). The same element is present in the name of a French commune (

Douvres Douvres () is a commune in the eastern French department of Ain. Population See also * Communes of the Ain department * Battle of Douvres Radar Station References Communes of Ain Ain communes articles needing translation from F ...

) and in

Modern Welsh The history of the Welsh language () spans over 1400 years, encompassing the stages of the language known as Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. Origins Welsh evolved from British (Common Brittonic), the Celtic languag ...

(Dofr).

History

The Dover area was first inhabited by the Lyluequonny people, who were studied in detail by the French naturalists on the d'Entrecasteaux expedition in 1793. A convict probation station the Dover Convict Probation Station was established in the 1840s, and was in use between 1844 and 1848. The Dover Museum and Gallery reports that convicts were accommodated on Hope Island or sent to Southport, and that at one time swimming was prohibited in Port Esperance due to the danger posed by sharks attracted by whaling activities. The place name of Blubber Head, at the northern entrance to Port Esperance, indicates that shore-based bay whaling activity may have taken place here in the 19th century. Port Esperance Post Office, which opened on 6 February 1856, was renamed "Dover" in 1895. In 2013, the Dover Hotel pub/tavern was engulfed by fire and destroyed. Club activities of the Port Esperance Sailing Club are documented as dating to 1858 – when a regatta was held – and may date back further. Fire destroyed the club building on the night of 23 April 2020. Community response from across Tasmania, as well as beyond, led to the building of a new clubhouse, which ultimately opened on 17 March 2024. While the basic building is usable and many of the traditional community activities resumed, the cost impacts of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

mean that a number of the club's new facilities are yet to be used.

Climate

Dover has a marine climate ( ''Cfb'') with consistently cool, cloudy winters and relatively sunny summers. Due to its far-southern latitude and location more exposed than

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

, snow occurs to beach level on an average of 2.3 days per year, with temperatures notably cooler than those of the capital and a pronounced winter rainfall peak. The highest recorded temperature in Dover was in March 2019, more than 20 °C above the mean daily maximum for March.

References

{{authority control Localities of Huon Valley Council