St George's

St George's, NL, incorporated as a town in 1965, population 1207 (2011c), 1246 (2006c). The Town of St George's is located on the southeast side of St George's Bay, on the west coast of Newfoundland. The town is an amalgamation of the former communities of South Side, Seal Rocks and Shallop Cove.

St George's Bay fishery is one of the oldest and most important in Newfoundland. BASQUES fished in the area as early as the late 16th century. In the early 19th century the MICMAC had a large camp at Seal Rocks. Other residents of the area were involved in the cod and herring fisheries.

When the railway reached the area in 1898 St George's replaced Sandy Point as the centre for the fishery. The railway offered alternative employment and many residents earned additional money cutting ties. It also made St George's the regional service and administrative centre.

When the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St George's was moved to the community in 1904, "Southside" was officially renamed St George's. A convent and boarding school were opened by the Sisters of Mercy and these operated up to the 1970s. During WWII the construction of an airbase at STEPHENVILLE and the growth of the towns of Stephenville and STEPHENVILLE CROSSING led to the gradual decline of St George's as a regional centre. Today many residents work in these other communities particularly at Abitibi-Price's pulp and paper mill at Stephenville.