Currie, Tasmania
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Currie (postcode 7256) is the largest township on King Island, Tasmania, at the western entrance to Bass Strait.
The town is situated in a partly sheltered natural harbour on the west coast of the island, which was originally named Howie's Boat Harbour after David Howie, an early visitor and unofficial resident of the island in the 1840s. It was renamed after Archibald Currie (1830-1914), a Melbourne shipowner who purchased the remains of the full-rigged ship Netherby wrecked near there in 1866, and used the harbour as a base for salvage operations. The harbour was used for similar operations on later wrecks in the vicinity including the British Admiral in 1874 and Blencathra in 1875, the latter being wrecked right at the entrance to the harbour.
Following agitation by Currie and others a lighthouse was completed at Currie Harbour in 1880. Increasing knowledge of the surrounding landscape led to permanent agricultural settlement very soon afterwards, mostly grazing beef and dairy cattle. It is now the main port connecting the island with both Victoria and Tasmania and a significant centre for the fishing industry, especially rock lobster. There is also a nearby airport, King Island Airport, capable of handling medium-sized turbopropeller aircraft.
[edit] References
- Charlwood, Don. The Wreck of the Sailing Ship "Netherby" - A Miracle of Survival, 2005, Warrandyte, Victoria: Burgewood Books.
- Broxam, Graeme and Nash, Michael. Tasmanian Shipwrecks, Volume One, 1797-1899, 1998, Woden, Australian Capital Territory: Navarine Publishing. ISBN 0-95865615-0.
- Laxon, William A.. The Currie Line of Melbourne, 2002, Caulfield, Victoria: Nautical Association of Australia.
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