The estuarine river was named Port Dalrymple and the location that would become George Town was referred to as Outer Cove.

In November 1804, Colonel William Paterson arrived with four ships with 181 people, convicts, soldiers, and one free settler and the settlement was established at Outer Cove.

[6] 1822 - George Town Post Office opened,[7] Mr. W Brown is appointed postmaster on 11 October 1822[8] 1825 - Tamar Valley semaphore system[9] 1869 - Eastern Extension Telegraph Cable connects Tasmania to the Australian mainland[10] George Town has a mediterranean-influenced oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb/Csb), with very mild, relatively dry summers and cool, wetter winters.

Climate data was sourced from Low Head, located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of George Town.

The Basslink 400 Kilovolt high-voltage direct current submarine cable connecting Tasmania to the National Electricity Market, terminates in George Town.

George Town is also a popular seaside destination for swimming, surfing, and fishing and boating enthusiasts.

The Bass and Flinders Maritime Museum has a collection of historical boats including a replica of the 1798 sloop Norfolk.