Granville Harbour is a rural locality in the local government area (LGA) of West Coast in the North-west and west LGA region of

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. The locality is about north-west of the town of

Zeehan Zeehan is a town on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia south-west of Burnie. It is part of the West Coast Council, along with the seaport Strahan, and neighbouring mining towns of Dundas, Rosebery and Queenstown. History The greater ...

. The 2016 census has a population of 27 for the state suburb of Granville Harbour. It is located 17.48 km northwest of

Trial Harbour Trial Harbour is a rural locality in the local government area (LGA) of West Coast in the North-west and west LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about south-west of the town of Zeehan. The 2016 census has a population of 24 for the state ...

, 26.16 km west of

and 89.31 km south of Arthur River, in the state of

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. It lies north along the west coast, from the Heemskirk Wind Farm. The area has been a popular fishing destination for locals and a holiday destination for miners from both Queenstown and Zeehan. Similar in most respects is the nearby beach and fishing area of Trial Harbour. There are no shops or facilities. Swimming, camping, fishing, sea, bush walking,

four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer cas ...

all-terrain vehicle An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike, or simply a quad, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is stra ...

area.

History

Granville Harbour was originally opened up as a soldier settlement after World War I, and also had development proposals after World War II. In the early 1950s, a Mr. A. Vogel undertook clearing work and fenced several hundred hectares at Granville Harbour. This was used for cattle grazing, and some crop attempts. "Crops of wheat and clover on Tasmania's bleak West Coast are hard to envisage, yet they are to be seen. ACCORDING to reports, Mr. A.Vogel has leased more than 100,000 acres between Zeehan and Corinna with the idea of developing all aspects of mixed farming on a scientific basis. Strips of the button grass plain have been gone over with a rotary hoe and the seed broadcast on the untreated virgin soil. Despite several frosts, both the wheat and the clover appear to be flourishing". In the early days, cattle were taken to Granville for fattening from parts of the North-West Coast, crossing the Pieman at Corinna. Once fattened, they were driven overland to mining fields at Zeehan and Queenstown. Vogel eventually went broke, and the land he developed was acquired eventually by George Smith of Zeehan (originally a piner on the Gordon River, and afterwards a businessman) who kept it going as a grazing property. His grandson Royce Smith currently runs the property. It is now the site of a $280 million wind farm development will comprise 31 turbines with a 112 megawatt capacity. Initial construction works began in August 2018 and the wind farm is expected to generate its first electricity in late 2019. The farm produces some of Australia's highest quality grass fed beef, sustaining up to 1850 head of premium beef cattle. Production of prime beef will continue at the site during the wind farm's construction and operations – effectively diversifying the owner's long-term farming interests. Archaeological research has also been conducted on Aboriginal middens on the coast between the Trial and Granville area. Granville Harbour was gazetted as a locality in 1959.

Geography

The waters of the

Southern Ocean The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is regarded as the second-small ...

form the western boundary, and Foster Creek forms the southern.

Road infrastructure

Route C249 (Heemskirk Road) runs along part of the eastern boundary. From there, Granville Harbour Road provides access to the village on the west coast.

References

{{Western Tasmania Ports and harbours of Tasmania Western Tasmania Towns in Tasmania Localities of West Coast Council