Caveside

Caveside is a rural locality in Northern Tasmania, lying between the Great Western Tiers to the south and Mole Creek to the north.It is a small community within an agricultural area, rather than a town. The town lies in an area of limestone; erosion of this has led to the surrounding land being riddled with caves. To the west are two undeveloped cave complexes, Wet Caves and Honeycomb Caves, which are an attraction to cavers. The ground is pitted with sinkholes, a danger to the cattle that graze the fields. The district is probably named after the caves, though until 1897 it was known as Brookside. Prior to settlement what is now developed agricultural land was dense forest. The timber and dairy industries are prominent parts of Caveside's rural history and it was known in the early 20th century for the quality of its cattle and sheep studs.HistoryHenry Reed became a significant figure in the early history of Caveside, after he took up a large land allotment in 1835. Reed conducted some early Wesleyan services in his home on the property known as Wesley Dale. He donated the land for the Wesleyan church with the intention that, when it was built, it was to initially be used as a school. The first official Wesleyan services began c.1875 in a private home that was sited in a paddock, near the bridge over Lobster creek. Caveside Wesleyan church, and an associated cottage, was built and completed in 1876. In 1903 the church became the Caveside Methodist church. It was replaced with a brick church in 1978, that is no longer open or used for church services.