# Dover, Tasmania

Dover is the southernmost town of its size in Australia, located on the western shores towards the Southern end of the D'Entrecasteaux Channel. At the 2021 census, Dover had a population of 923, with 83% of the populace 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.

## Etymology

The word Dover, first recorded in its Latinised form of Portus Dubris, derives from the Brythonic word for waters (dwfr in Middle Welsh). The same element is present in the name of a French commune (Douvres) and in Modern Welsh (Dofr).

## History

The place name of Blubber Head, at the northern entrance to Port Esperance, indicates that shore-based bay whaling activity may have taken place at the location 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 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, 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 40.1 °C (104.2 °F) in March 2019, more than 20 °C (68 °F) hotter than the average daily maximum for March.
Climate data for Dover (1990–2024, rainfall to 1901); 20 m AMSL; 43.33° S, 147.00° E :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 39.6 (103.3) | 36.8 (98.2) | 40.1 (104.2) | 30.9 (87.6) | 25.2 (77.4) | 18.9 (66.0) | 18.5 (65.3) | 22.6 (72.7) | 27.7 (81.9) | 31.9 (89.4) | 34.2 (93.6) | 38.0 (100.4) | 40.1 (104.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.2 (70.2) | 20.9 (69.6) | 19.5 (67.1) | 17.0 (62.6) | 14.6 (58.3) | 12.6 (54.7) | 12.3 (54.1) | 13.1 (55.6) | 14.8 (58.6) | 16.4 (61.5) | 17.9 (64.2) | 19.4 (66.9) | 16.6 (62.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 10.5 (50.9) | 10.2 (50.4) | 9.0 (48.2) | 7.2 (45.0) | 5.7 (42.3) | 3.9 (39.0) | 3.6 (38.5) | 3.9 (39.0) | 5.0 (41.0) | 6.3 (43.3) | 7.9 (46.2) | 9.1 (48.4) | 6.9 (44.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 3.1 (37.6) | 2.6 (36.7) | 1.9 (35.4) | −2.0 (28.4) | −1.5 (29.3) | −2.0 (28.4) | −3.4 (25.9) | −1.8 (28.8) | −2.1 (28.2) | −0.5 (31.1) | 0.8 (33.4) | 1.2 (34.2) | −3.4 (25.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 52.1 (2.05) | 50.0 (1.97) | 62.4 (2.46) | 65.7 (2.59) | 72.7 (2.86) | 79.3 (3.12) | 87.6 (3.45) | 91.9 (3.62) | 83.5 (3.29) | 86.2 (3.39) | 71.1 (2.80) | 69.9 (2.75) | 872.9 (34.37) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 11.6 | 10.8 | 13.0 | 14.4 | 16.1 | 16.0 | 18.7 | 18.3 | 17.5 | 17.5 | 15.4 | 14.3 | 183.6 |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 59 | 60 | 61 | 66 | 69 | 73 | 71 | 66 | 63 | 62 | 62 | 59 | 64 |
| Source: ||||||||||||||