Penguin is a small town in northern Tasmania, situated between Burnie and Ulverstone. It was named after the little penguins that used to wander around its beaches. Many things there, including bins are shaped like penguins. Penguin is also the home of Penguin Market.

Park by the beach, the Big Penguin, and shops on Main St.

Understand

Penguin was first settled in the mid-1800s as a timber town. Towards the end of the 1850s, demand for palings for home building during the gold rush in Victoria saw large quantities of timber shipped from the Penguin district across the Bass Strait.

The discovery of copper and silver further contributed to settlement in the area. The town of Penguin was proclaimed in October 1875.

Get in

By car

Penguin is 15 min by car (17 km) east of Burnie, via Highway 1 and then exit at B17.

From Devonport and the "Spirit of Tasmania" ferry terminal, Penguin is a 30 min drive to the west.

By plane

The nearest airports are located in Devonport and Wynyard.

Get around

• Penguin Taxi Service +61 417 506 851

See

• 1 Big Penguin, Main Street. One of Australia's many big things which is the town's main attraction. It was erected to proclaim the town's centenary. (updated Feb 2016)
• Penguin Roadside Gardens. (updated Mar 2016)
• 2 Penguin General Cemetery & Vantage Point, 1 Main Rd (800m west of the Post Office). 24 hours. Heritage listed cemetery and the town's lookout. Free. (updated Sep 2020)

Do

• Ambling Among Penguin’s Charms - A 1.5-hr self-guided heritage walk showcasing 28 of Penguin's attractions. Get details on the community website Penguin Heritage Trail.

Buy

• Penguin Market. Sundays. (updated Feb 2016)

Eat

• Jo and Co Cafe, 74 Main Rd, ☏ +61 447 617 215. M–F 8:30AM–3PM; Sa Su 8AM–3PM. (updated Aug 2022)
• 1 Seasons by the Sea, 91 Main Rd, ☏ +61 364 370 903. (updated Aug 2022)

Sleep

• 1 Neptune Grand Hotel, 84 Main Road, ☏ +61 3 6437 2406. (updated Nov 2015)
• 2 Penguin Holiday Apartments, 99-101 Main Road, ☏ +61 3 6437 1900. (updated Nov 2015)
• The Madsen, 64 Main Road, ☏ +61 3 6437 2588. (updated Feb 2016)

Go next

• Burnie (heading west)
• Ulverstone (heading east)

Routes via Penguin

Burnie ← Heybridge ←	W  E	→ Ulverstone → Devonport
END ←	N B17 S	→ Gunns Plains → Ulverstone