Tas That Was – Cornelian Bay

The Cornelian Bay area was occupied by the Mouheneener tribe of Tasmanian Aboriginals before the arrival of Europeans.

British Royal Navy officer John Hayes was the first white person to set foot in Cornelian Bay. He also named it after the cornelian stones he found on the beach.

Shortly after the British settled at Sullivans Cove in 1804, Cornelian Bay was chosen as a site for growing food for the local population.

In 1872, the Cornelian Bay Cemetery was opened. It’s currently the oldest graveyard in Tasmania that’s still in use today.

Today, the Cornelian Bay area is a recreational spot and is well-known for its colourful boathouses.

Tas That Was is a column that includes:

• anecdotes of life in Tasmania in the past;
• historical photographs of locations in Tasmania; and/or
• documentaries about locations in Tasmania.

If you have an anecdote or photograph you’d like to share with us, please send it to submit@tasmaniantimes.com.

Callum J. Jones is passionate about telling stories. He studied English, History, and Journalism at the University of Tasmania and lived in Western Sydney from 2022 to 2024 while working as a journalist for Professional Planner, a leading online publication for financial planners. Callum has written for Tasmanian Times since 2018 and has also been published in a range of other outlets, including Quadrant and the BAD Western Sydney anthologies.