Bridport is a small town on the north-east coast coast on Anderson Bay, an area first navigated by Bass and Flinders in 1798, but Bridport itself was not settled until 1830 after being surveyed by Thomas Lewis.

The first settlers moved in the mid 1830s. These included Andrew and Janet Anderson arriving in 1833, who gave their name to Anderson Bay

Chinese tin miners were among the pioneers and the town was also was a port for the timber industry and enjoyed periods of prosperity in the late 1860s, when gold was discovered in a nearby village of Waterhouse. At the time it boasted four hotels, a gold commissioner and police station.
Off the coast is Waterhouse Island, complete with a lighthouse, which was named by Bass and Flinders in 1798.

The town's population of 1,350 almost triples in summer when holidaymakers flock to the beach.

Bridport's main industries are tourism, vegetable farming and fishing. Local specialties are scallops, lobster and trout from Australia's first freshwater rainbow trout farm.

The Barnbougle Dunes Golf Course is just outside the town of Bridport was opened in 2004. This spectacular course with its coastal location really reminds many of the famous St Andrews Old Course in Scotland, and Barnbougle is quickly establishing itself with an excellent reputation.

Within just a few years it has become ranked in the top 50 best golf courses in the world, and it is in fact Australia’s number one public golf course.

Bridport is also a port for the Matthew Flinders cargo vessel, which travels to Port Welshpool in Victoria and Flinders Island.

Bridport is 85 kilometres north-east of Launceston on the B81 and B84 and its' average maximum is 23 degrees Celsius.