The town is situated on the Georges Bay on the east coast of Tasmania, 36 kilometres from St Marys and 166 kilometres from Launceston.

John Helder Wedge was one of the first to survey the land around Georges Bay, as St Helens was originally known, in 1829. The natural safe harbour and the surrounding flat fertile lands attracted whalers and sealers who harvested swan skins from the Bay, as well as pioneering farmers and timber getters. Wedge was granted 233 hectares of land here in 1830. However, little seemed to be known at the time about the area and its potential for mining, farming and forestry. The town of St Helens was finally surveyed in 1876.

The discovery of tin in the 1870s led to a rapid development of the town, and the Coffee brothers, residents since 1840, established the Black Swan Inn to sell tobacco and rum to visiting whalers. In 1870, on the site of the present day St Helens Hotel/Motel, Michael Coffee built an eight roomed homestead.

A branch of the Commercial Bank of Tasmania was opened here in 1876, and was the only branch between St Marys and Derby.

In 1900 the population of the Portland municipality was 2,000, with 470 people living in St Helens. Services included two banks, state and private schools, library, courthouse, hotels, churches and post and telegraph facilities. A steamship, the Warrentina, made a weekly voyage to Hobart and Launceston. A coach service operated to St Marys railway terminus under the ownership of J.W. Thompson, who was a prominent figure in coach transportation in the area for many years.

By 1913, the population of the area had declined slightly due to the ending of some mining activity in the area. The towns in the Portland municipality at that time were St Helens, Weldborough, Goulds Country, Kunnara, Lottah and Pyengana. In the 1920s Anson's Bay Timber Company constructed sawmills and a tramway to transport their products to a jetty at Sloop Rock for loading onto ships.

Today the mainstay of the town's economy are fishing, timber harvesting and tourism. St Helens is one of Tasmania's busiest fishing ports, and visitors can watch the fleet returning with catches of fish, abalone and crayfish.


Natural Attractions

St Helens is an ideal base from which to explore the beautiful surrounding countryside. Points of interest include Binalong Bay, St Columba Falls State Reserve, St Helens Point State Recreation Area, Peron Sand Dunes and Sloop Rock.

Mt Pearson State Forest is perfect for bushwalking, nature spotting and some adventurous 4WD activities. The local estuaries and lagoons are teeming with bird life. Hunters can obtain licenses and hunt duck, deer and kangaroo in season.

Mount William National Park is close by, awaiting visitor exploration.

Museums and Historic Sites

Visit the St Helens History Room, and examine the records and historical memorabilia relating to the development and history of St Helens and the surrounding area.

Visit the remnants of old mine workings in the district, and discover more about the mining past of St Helens.

Other Attractions

Hire a fishing boat and spend a day cruising the coastline or deep sea game fishing. Visit the nursery in St Helens, admire the various plants and shrubs and receive expert advice on the care of plants from the helpful staff. Watch the fishing boats unload their catches at the dock, or embark on an organised half-day or full day tour to various beauty spots in the area.

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