Early history reports that football was first initiated in Tasmania about 1867. However, efforts to organise games could not gather support from men of the colony, for they could not see any future for the game in Tasmania and strongly believed that nothing could replace the game of cricket.

It was in 1878 that a club was formed by the name of New Town, and the following year played its first organised game in the newly formed Southern Tasmanian Football Association. The very first match New Town played in, was against the Cricketers Football Club on 24th May 1879.

Due to a lack of players and membership in 1883, New Town, one of the foundation clubs in the Association folded. The following year, 1884, the club returned as a member of only a minor competition, referred to as a junior competition. 

In 1887, New Town Football Club amalgamated with another minor Association Club, Glenorchy, to form the Victoria Football Club, however records are somewhat rather hazy to say the least.

From the turn 19th century there were several clubs formed in junior competitions under the name of New Town, but these clubs went by the wayside just as quickly as they arrived. It must be remembered that back in these days, games were played mainly on a social basis, sometimes under picnic conditions, without any organization or control as far as junior competitions were concerned.

In 1919 the New Town Football club was formed with the club colours of green and gold. The Club competed in the Southern Tasmanian Junior Football Association and were premiers in 1919 and 1920. New Town was State Junior Premiers in 1920 defeating N.T.J.F.A. premiers, Invermay in Launceston.

The Club leased the New Town ground as a home base. New Town was admitted to Tasmanian Australian National Football League with senior status in 1921. In doing so, it became the fourth league club joining, Cannore, Lefroy and North Hobart Football Clubs. 

On 7th May 1921, New Town played its first league game and defeated the long established club, Lefroy.

Although performing creditably in later years, New Town was not successful in achieving premiership honours until 1935 under legendary coach Roy Cazaly. New Town went onto beat North Hobart by 14 points. The legendary Roy Cazaly played with many football clubs, but no doubt this Club was Roy's favourite. This was New Town’s only pre World War II senior premiership success.

As a consequence of World War II, the Tasmanian National Football League went into recess for a period of three years 19942-1944.

The Derwent Rovers Football Club competed in the City Suburban Football Association from 1922 until the conclusion of 1928. Coached by New Town Football Club player H.S. Ferguson, and captained by Alfred Mawbey (son of New Town Football Club administrator, Nathan “Nat” Mawbey) the Club won the City Suburban Association Premiership in 1928.

Due to this success and the need for T.A.N.F.L. clubs to foster junior clubs in the area, the Derwent Rovers were invited to join the T.A.N.F.L. seconds league. The Club accepted the invitation, and in 1929, it became New Town Football Club seconds. The club was runner-up in 1929. However, it won four consecutive T.A.N.F.L. seconds premiership from 1930-1933.

Immediately following the end of World War II, the Tasmanian Australian National Football League resumed operation after being in recess since 1942, and competition commences under a new district football scheme. New clubs formed under this scheme were Hobart and Sandy Bay Football clubs. Lefroy and Cannore Football Clubs became defunct.

League clubs were allotted boundaries, New Town’s boundary commenced at Black Snake Road, Granton and extended via Derwent River to Cornelian Bay to South Domain Road to Cleary’s Gates by Stoke Street to New Town Road to Pedder Street to New Town Rivulet to Mt Wellington.

New Town convened a meeting at which the Club changed its name and thus the New Town District Football Club was formed. The Club adopted balck and white as its new club colours. The magpie as its emblem and the Latin ‘Fortis Ad Finem’ (Fight to the Finish) as its motto.

New Town was referred to as the “Mother Club” or sponsor club to State School Old Boys Association Club, Buckingham. From which many great players were promoted to senior ranks.

New Clubs, Clarence and New Norfolk were admitted to the league in 1947, creating a six team competition. In the Commonwealth Jubilee year 1951, New Town won senior and seconds premierships and the coveted Jubilee trophy. As premiers of the S.S.O.B.A. Buckingham also won Jubilee honours.

New Town District Football Club won T.A.N.F.L. premierships in: 1948, 1949,1951,1953,1955 and 1956. Runners-up in 1946, 1950 and 1954. State premiers in 1948 and 1956 and were unofficial State premiers in 1953.

In 1956, the New Town District Football Club decided to transfer headquarters from New Town to King George V oval at Glenorchy. In doing so, it also changed name to the Glenorchy District Football Club.

Glenorchy and arch rival Clarence created an attendance record for a same day Tasmanian sporting event with the 1979 TFL Grand Final. In excess of 23,000 people packed the North Hobart oval to see a close game which Clarence won by 3 points. This attendance record still stands today. That year, for Glenorchy, the legendary Peter Hudson kicked a TFL record of 179 goals and he picked up his second William Leitch medallion.

In 1986 saw the start of the new Statewide competition, this was a great year for the Club as it created history by winning seniors, reserves, thirds and fourths grand finals.

Since the introduction of Senior District Football the Club has won 14 Premierships, and has appeared in a record 13 Grand Finals between 1975 and 1986. After a thirteen year drought, the Club under Paul Hamilton won the 1999 grand final being the last for that century and second last for the Statewide league.

The Club has long been associated as being a "working class" club with Glenorchy being the main industrial area of Hobart. This association extended to Labor politicians, one of the Club's most ardent supporters was the great Premier, the late Hon. Eric Reece AC. Another former Premier, Hon Doug Lowe AM is a supporter and past player. The Hon. Dr. David Crean MLC also served as club doctor for a number of  years.

The 2000 season was the last for the Statewide league (SWL) as Burnie voted January 2001 to withdraw from the competition. This left North Hobart, Clarence and Glenorchy without a league to play in. The Southern Football League (SFL) finally accepted these teams into their competition with conditions which required Glenorchy to change colours, logo and song (as it conflicted with Claremont). Glenorchy on 23 January 2001 accepted those conditions and on 30 January 2001 became the Glenorchy Storm with the colours green, black and white. Glenorchy members could not help feeling that an alternative agenda by the Football administration had cost them their tradition, time, effort and funds.

In the Club's inaugural season in the 2001 SFL competition, the Club played off in three grand finals, seniors, reserves and colts. Unfortunately, only the reserves won their game (having not lost a game all year) and the Club losing the seniors and colts to arch rivals, Clarence.

The Club’s lobbying of fellow SFL members to regain the club colours, logo and song paid off in December 2003. With the restructure of the SFL into the Premier and Regional league competitions, Glenorchy was admitted to the former with Claremont to the latter. The SFL gave Glenorchy permission to return to its traditional black and white colours for the 2004 season. This great start to the football season was marred by the death of popular former president and ‘rock & roll’ legend Ray Woodruff.

Australian Rules Football icons, Roy Cazaly and Peter Hudson ( both Legends in the AFL Hall of Fame ) have coached and played for Glenorchy (New Town).

Many former Glenorchy players have successfully pursued careers in the AFL. Such players include John Chick, Daryll Sutton, Rodney Eade, Andy Lovell, Adrian Fletcher, John Klug, Darren Creswell, Brodie Holland, Peter Street, Simon & Patrick Wiggins and Ben Beams to name a few.