Paloona is a rural locality in the local government areas of Devonport and Kentish in the North-west and west region of Tasmania. The locality is about south-west of the town of Devonport. The 2021 census recorded a population of 84.Paloona Australian Bureau of Statistics
History Paloona was gazetted as a locality in 1965. The name is believed by some to be that of an Aboriginal man, but other meanings have been suggested. These include “waist” or “belly”.
Geography The Forth River forms part of the western boundary. Paloona Dam and Paloona Power Station are on this section of the river, and the body of water behind the dam is called Lake Paloona.
Transport infrastructure In September 1923 the Paloona railway line that branched off the Western line at Don was extenfded to Barrington, Tasmania. It was but cut back to Barrington on 17 August 1928 after little traffic eventuated.Closing of Tasmanian Railway Railway Gazette 19 October 1928 page 502Branch Lines of the Devonport District Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 428 June 1973 pages 125-133Tasmanian Railways: 150 years in the making - Part 1 Australian Railway History issue 1013 July 2022 pages 11, 14
The C144 route (Lake Paloona Road) enters from the south-west and follows the Forth River to the central west, where it exits. Route C145 (Lower Barrington Road) enters from the south-east and runs through to the north-east, where it exits.
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