Southport is a small township in far southern Tasmania; the southernmost township in Australia, Cockle Creek, is located further south, but it is not a gazetted town.

[2] It was settled in 1837 and grew to be the largest town south of Hobart; but a declining shipping industry slowly led to the town's shrinking population, and much of it has been destroyed by fire.

[3] Shore-based whaling took place at Southport in the 19th century.

[4] Being so far south and exposed to the prevailing westerlies, Southport is the coldest town at sea level in Australia with an annual mean temperature of just 11.2 °C (52.2 °F) − comparable to that in much of England, which lies considerably further from the equator.

Snow is fairly common in winter and can even fall in the late spring months.