Orford, Tasmania

Orford is a village on the east coast of Tasmania, Australia 73 kilometres north-east of Hobart. The village is centred on the mouth of the Prosser River, on the southern margin of a substantial coastal inlet called Prosser Bay. Beyond this bay are the waters of the Mercury Passage. At the 2006 census, Orford had a population of 553.HistoryThe town was named by Edward Walpole, who was granted 1,000 acres in the area in 1831. He named his grant "Strawberry Hill", after the London residence of his relative Horace Walpole who was the Third Earl of Orford. The town was first established as a mainland port for the convict settlement on Maria Island. However, the marine infrastructure never consisted of more than a few short jetties in shallow waters just inside the mouth of the river which still remain today. The narrow channel at the river's mouth is flanked by a substantial sandbar, rendering the river unsuitable for larger vessels. The larger township of Triabunna approximately 6 km north is the main port in the area, and is home base for the region's fishing and timber industries, as well as the ferry service operating to and from Maria Island.Orford Post Office opened on 1 September 1870.A quarry situated between Orford and Spring Beach provided sandstone for use in buildings in Hobart and Melbourne, including the Melbourne General Post Office. A quarry still operates at the nearby town of Buckland.