Beauty Point, Tasmania

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Beauty Point is a town by the Tamar River, in the north-east of Tasmania, Australia. It lies 45km north of Launceston, on the West Tamar Highway and has a population of 1,176 (2001 census [1] ). It is part of the Municipality of West Tamar.

Beauty Point is a tiny township originally established as the first deepwater port on the Tamar River The town was first established as a port to service the nearby gold mine town of Beaconsfield. As the gold rush ended, it became an apple exporting centre.

Situated on Port Dalrymple (the mouth of the Tamar River) opposite George Town, Beauty Point lies in the heart of a rich sheep, cattle and vine-growing district although it is the port facilities which lie at the heart of the small town's economic life.

It is also a major fishing town. The Australian Maritime College has a campus here, for fisheries and seamanship courses. More recently, the town has also become the home of Seahorse World, a working seahorse farm and educational centre that is open to the public, as well as the Beauty Point Slipway providing boat repairs of outstanding quality.

The original Beauty Point wharf, where the first deepwater vessels arrived, has been demolished and replaced by the Australian Maritime College which now houses over 100 residential students who study courses in seamanship and fishing. The college has two training vessels.

The town's first wharf was established in response to the growing importance of Beaconsfield which, as a result of the gold boom, was the third largest town in Tasmania.

Beauty Point is also the starting point of the Three Peaks Race, a yachting and running event around the east of the state.