Strahan, Tasmania

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Strahan
state = tas


caption = A view of Strahan taken from a boat in Macquarie Harbour
lga = West Coast Council
postcode = 7468
est =
pop = 637
pop_footnotes=
elevation= 20
elevation_footnotes= [ [http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_097072.shtml Bureau of Meteorology] . Retrieved on 2007-11-14]
maxtemp = 16.4
mintemp = 7.9
rainfall = 1466.5
stategov = Lyons
fedgov = Lyons
dist1 = 302
dir1 = NW
location1= Hobart
dist2 = 42
dir2 = NE
location2= Queenstown

Strahan (pronounced "straw-n") 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. At the 2006 census, Strahan had a population of 637.Census 2006 AUS
id=UCL617200
name=Strahan (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)
accessdate=2007-11-14
quick=on]

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 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.

Strahan is now the main tourist centre of Tasmania's west coast.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 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 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.

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 14th February 1982 and the lowest being -3°C on 30th June 1983. Infobox Weather
metric_first=yes
single_line=yes
location =Strahan Aerodrome
Jan_Hi_°C =20.7
Feb_Hi_°C =21.1
Mar_Hi_°C =19.4
Apr_Hi_°C =16.5
May_Hi_°C =14.3
Jun_Hi_°C =12.5
Jul_Hi_°C =12.2
Aug_Hi_°C =13.1
Sep_Hi_°C =14.3
Oct_Hi_°C =16.0
Nov_Hi_°C =17.6
Dec_Hi_°C =19.8
Year_Hi_°C =16.5
Jan_Lo_°C =10.7
Feb_Lo_°C =10.8
Mar_Lo_°C =9.6
Apr_Lo_°C =8.3
May_Lo_°C =7.4
Jun_Lo_°C =5.2
Jul_Lo_°C =5.1
Aug_Lo_°C =5.8
Sep_Lo_°C =6.1
Oct_Lo_°C =7.3
Nov_Lo_°C =8.1
Dec_Lo_°C =9.6
Year_Lo_°C =7.8
Jan_Precip_mm =89.5
Feb_Precip_mm =64.9
Mar_Precip_mm =101.0
Apr_Precip_mm =111.9
May_Precip_mm =136.5
Jun_Precip_mm =163.1
Jul_Precip_mm =168.4
Aug_Precip_mm =170.4
Sep_Precip_mm =152.5
Oct_Precip_mm =128.5
Nov_Precip_mm =91.0
Dec_Precip_mm =92.3
Year_Precip_mm =1457.4
source =Bureau of Meteorologycite web
url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_094029.shtml|title=Climate Data|accessmonthday=August 2|accessyear=2008
publisher=BoM|language=]
accessdate =1981-2008

References

*
*
*: 2003 edition - Queenstown: Municipality of Queenstown. :1949 edition - Hobart: Davies Brothers. OCLC|48825404; ASIN [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FMPZ80 B000FMPZ80] :1924 edition - Queenstown: Mount Lyell Tourist Association. OCLC|35070001; ASIN [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0008BM4XC B0008BM4XC]

ee also

*
* Convicts on the West Coast of Tasmania
* Macquarie Harbour
* Railways on the West Coast of Tasmania
* West Coast Piners

External links

* [http://www.reisefotos.net/aus-tasmania.htm Photos of Strahan and surroundings on www.reisefotos.net]