First settled in the mid 1800’s (c. 1865) the settlement remained a small but prosperous fishing community for more than 100 years. Reportedly once known as “Silver Buckle,” this lovely community was thought to be named after a pirate who had buried his treasure in the area. The pirate reportedly left the treasure with two men standing on guard whom he shot upon his return. It is said that after collecting his treasure, the pirate sailed away from the cove and crashed his ship on the rocks and drowned.

This name did not last for long however and the community was soon named for the wide beach at the bottom of the broad open cove. This beach is a wonderful place to spend some time, absorbing the breathtaking scenery, having a swim in the salt water or walking along the shoreline. On one end of the 2km beach is an area known as “Caplin Gulch,” where, in late June/July you can see the caplin “roll” as they come into the shore to spawn on the beach. If the conditions are right, icebergs may be seen in the bay.

Among the first families to arrive were the WHITE’s who were reportedly living at Greening’s Point when the KING and MATCHIM families arrived from Barrow Harbour. The NAPIER family arrived, from Salvage via Rocky Cove, at about the same time as the Kings and the Matchims. The DYKE’s (from Smokey Hole), The QUINTON’s (Red Cliffe), DAWE’s (Hr Grace via Salvage) and the MOSS’s (of Sailors Island) followed quickly and their descendents are still active in the community their forefather founded.