| Strahan Tasmania |
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 A view of Strahan taken from a boat in Macquarie Harbour |
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| Population: | 637 [1] | ||||||
| Postcode: | 7468 | ||||||
| Elevation: | 20 m (66 ft) [2] | ||||||
| Location: |
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| LGA: | West Coast Council | ||||||
| State District: | Lyons | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Lyons | ||||||
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Strahan (pronounced "straw-n"), is a small town and former port on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is now a significant locality for tourism in the region. Strahan Harbour and Risby Cove form part of the north-east end of Long Bay on the northern end of Macquarie Harbour. At the 2006 census, Strahan had a population of 637.[1]
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Port
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.
Fishing and tourism
Historically Strahan has been a port to a small fishing fleet that braves the west coast conditions and Hell's Gates. It is the nearest inhabited locality to Cape Sorell 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.
The northern shore of Macquarie Harbour is across the bay from Regatta Point, the terminus of the recently-reconstructed West Coast Wilderness Railway.
Strahan is the location of the only all weather commercial airport in Westen Tasmania, Strahan Airport. also located at the airport is the Automatic Weather Station an important western Tasmania weather observation point.
Strahan is the base for boat trips to Sarah Island and the lower Gordon River.
It is 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, The Ship That Never Was, which has exceeded 5000 performances and is Australia's longest running play.
Cultural references
An extinct species of Banksia, fossils of which were found in sediment at nearby Regatta Point, was named Banksia strahanensis after the town.
Climate
Strahan has a mild and wet climate. The highest recorded temperature in Strahan was 37.2°C on 14 February 1982 and the lowest being -3°C on 30 June 1983.
 Weather averages for Strahan Aerodrome  |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 20.7 (69) |
21.1 (70) |
19.4 (67) |
16.5 (62) |
14.3 (58) |
12.5 (55) |
12.2 (54) |
13.1 (56) |
14.3 (58) |
16.0 (61) |
17.6 (64) |
19.8 (68) |
16.5 (62) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 10.7 (51) |
10.8 (51) |
9.6 (49) |
8.3 (47) |
7.4 (45) |
5.2 (41) |
5.1 (41) |
5.8 (42) |
6.1 (43) |
7.3 (45) |
8.1 (47) |
9.6 (49) |
7.8 (46) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 89.5 (3.52) |
64.9 (2.56) |
101.0 (3.98) |
111.9 (4.41) |
136.5 (5.37) |
163.1 (6.42) |
168.4 (6.63) |
170.4 (6.71) |
152.5 (6) |
128.5 (5.06) |
91.0 (3.58) |
92.3 (3.63) |
1,457.4 (57.38) |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology[3] 1981-2008 | |||||||||||||
References
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Strahan (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=UCL617200&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved on 2007-11-14.
- ^ Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved on 2007-11-14
- ^ "Climate Data". BoM. http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_094029.shtml. Retrieved on August 2 2008.
Further reading
- Blainey, Geoffrey (2000). The Peaks of Lyell (6th ed. ed.). Hobart: St. David's Park Publishing. ISBN 0-7246-2265-9.
- Rae, Lou (2001). The Abt Railway and Railways of the Lyell region. Sandy Bay: Lou Rae. ISBN 0-9592098-7-5.
- Whitham, Charles (2003). Western Tasmania - A land of riches and beauty (Reprint 2003 ed.). Queenstown: Municipality of Queenstown.
- 2003 edition - Queenstown: Municipality of Queenstown.
- 1949 edition - Hobart: Davies Brothers. OCLC 48825404
- 1924 edition - Queenstown: Mount Lyell Tourist Association. OCLC 35070001
See also
- Strahan travel guide from Wikitravel
- Convicts on the West Coast of Tasmania
- Macquarie Harbour
- Railways on the West Coast of Tasmania
- West Coast Piners
External links
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