Macquarie Heads breakwater railway
Encyclopedia
The Macquarie Heads Breakwater was a project of the Strahan
Marine Board in Western Tasmania to sustain a reasonable depth to the Hells Gates
and Macquarie Heads of the Macquarie Harbour
area to allow for shipping of limited tonnage to serve Regatta Point while the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company
was exporting its mineral products by sea.
Between 1900 and 1946 there was a horse drawn wooden rail tramline that was utilised to provide access between locations on the Cape Sorell headland between the Cape Sorell lighthouse and the jetty and wharf locations - as well as to move rock from quarries to the construction and maintenance of the Macquarie Heads breakwater.
The named locations on the wooden rail system - were
Strahan, Tasmania
-See also:* Convicts on the West Coast of Tasmania* Macquarie Harbour* Railways on the West Coast of Tasmania* West Coast Piners-Further reading:* *...
Marine Board in Western Tasmania to sustain a reasonable depth to the Hells Gates
Hell's Gates (Tasmania)
Hells Gates is the name of the mouth of Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast of Tasmania. It is a notoriously shallow and dangerous channel entrance to the harbour. The actual channel is between Cape Sorell, Tasmania on the west and Entrance Island on the east...
and Macquarie Heads of the Macquarie Harbour
Macquarie Harbour
Macquarie Harbour is a large, shallow, but navigable by shallow draft vessels inlet on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.-History:James Kelly wrote in his narrative "First Discovery of Port Davey and Macquarie Harbour" how he sailed from Hobart in a small open five-oared whaleboat to discover...
area to allow for shipping of limited tonnage to serve Regatta Point while the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company
Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company
Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company was a Tasmanian mining company formed on the 29 March 1893, most commonly referred to as Mount Lyell. Mount Lyell was the dominant copper mining company of the West Coast from 1893 to 1994, and was based in Queenstown, Tasmania.Following consolidation of...
was exporting its mineral products by sea.
Between 1900 and 1946 there was a horse drawn wooden rail tramline that was utilised to provide access between locations on the Cape Sorell headland between the Cape Sorell lighthouse and the jetty and wharf locations - as well as to move rock from quarries to the construction and maintenance of the Macquarie Heads breakwater.
The named locations on the wooden rail system - were
- 0.0 - Watts Hill Quarry - operating between October 1900 and May 1927
- Pilot Beach (Bay Street) - operating between October 1900 and 1946
- 1.1 - Pilot Bay Jetty - operating between 1904 and May 1927
- 2.2 - West Breakwater Base - operating between 19 June and 1946
- 2.6 - Macquarie Heads (Langtry Street)
- 2.8 - Town Wharf
- 5.4 - Wellington Head Quarry - operating between 1904 and May 1927