Macquarie Heads breakwater railway
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.
Breakwater
The breakwater was regularly in need of maintenance [1]
Horse drawn tram
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. [2]
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
Notes
- ↑ "Macquarie Heads Breakwater Damaged.". Zeehan and Dundas Herald (Tas. : 1890 - 1922) (Tas.: National Library of Australia). 24 June 1919. p. 1. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
- ↑ Searle, Garry. "Cape Sorell". Lighthouses of Tasmania. SeaSide Lights.