Torbay is a small town and a bay in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Albany.

[5][6][7] Pre-settlement explorers of the Torbay area included: Matthew Flinders, Robert Brown, Ferdinand Bauer and William Westall (Dec. 1801);[8] Thomas Wilson (Dec. 1829);[9] Roe and Stirling (Nov. 1835);[10] and Charles Codrington Forsyth of HMS Pelorus (1838).

[10] From the late 1830s to the 1860s an industry building vessels of up to 150 tons was established at Port Harding (Migo Island), using timber from the Guarinup Hills, half a mile behind the beach.

Timber was initially shipped out by lighter, schooner and the small steamer Active from Port Harding (Migo Island) to Albany, and later by tramline to Elleker.

Line extension works beyond Denmark were started in 1926 and on 11 June 1929 the first passenger service ran to Nornalup.

[20] Local industries include dairy farming, beef cattle, plantation forestry, specialist horticulture, arts and crafts and tourism, along with rural businesses that service farmers (mechanics, lime supply, machinery and labour hire etc.).

A seasonal commercial fishing industry occurs within the bay based on catches of herring and Australian salmon during the February–April period.

While some pumpkins are grown and the area is suitable for cauliflower production, potatoes are the major horticultural crop.

[21] Tor Bay, which includes Port Harding (named in 1838 by master's mate Charles Forsyth after Captain Francis Harding of HMS Pelorus) and Port Hughes (named in 1831 by Roe after Private Thomas Hughes of the 63rd Regiment) as well as Torbay Inlet, lie between Torbay Head and Stony Island.