TASPort & river
Devonport
Two competing river towns became one port city.
1890Torquay and Formby amalgamate
WHAT STARTED IT
Torquay and Formby grew on opposite banks of the Mersey. Coal discoveries upstream, timber cutting and farming supplied early trade; the 1885 railway helped the western bank develop wharves and attract merchants.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
The two towns amalgamated as Devonport in 1890, though a bridge did not physically unite them until 1902. Dredging the sandbar improved access for larger ships and helped the port expand.
TURNING POINTS
1850Torquay and Formby are set aside as town reserves.
1890The towns amalgamate as Devonport.
1902A bridge connects them.
1981Devonport was formally designated a city during a visit by Prince Charles.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
A north-coast service and shipping centre whose Bass Strait ferry connection makes the port an important gateway. The river still divides its two historic halves.