Strahan
Postcode: 7468
Strahan is a small town on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is located on Long Bay at the northern end of Macquarie Harbour. Strahan Harbour and Risby Cove are in the north east end of Long Bay.
Originally developed as a port of access for the mining settlements in the area, Strahan was a vital location for the timber industry that existed around Macquarie Harbour. For a substantial part of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century it also was port for regular shipping of passengers and cargo. The Strahan Marine Board was an important authority dealing with the issues of the port and Macquarie Harbour up until the end of the twentieth century when it was absorbed into the Hobart Marine Board.
It also has been port to a small fishing fleet that braves the west coast conditions and Hell’s Gates. It is the nearest inhabited locality to the Cape Sorell, Tasmania, and is literally the ‘gateway’ to the south west wilderness – as boats, planes and helicopters utilise Strahan as their base when travelling into the region.
The Huon Pine industry that utilised stands around the harbour and up the tributary rivers – including King River, the Franklin River and the Gordon River.
Strahan is now the main tourist centre of West Coast. Strahan is located on the northern shore of Macquarie Harbour across the bay from Regatta Point, the terminus of the recently reconstructed West Coast Wilderness Railway.
Strahan is also the location of the main west coast airport – Strahan Airport, and the Automatic Weather Station at the airport is an important western weather observation point on land in Tasmania.
Strahan is the base for boat trips to Sarah Island and the lower Gordon River.
It is also the home of the Round Earth Theatre Company, which conducts explanatory tours of Sarah Island and also has produced a daily enactment/play about Sarah Island.