Regatta Point is the location of a port and rail terminus on

Macquarie Harbour Macquarie Harbour is a shallow fjord in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia. It is approximately , and has an average depth of , with deeper places up to . It is navigable by shallow-draft vessels. The main channel is kept clear by th ...

(

West Coast, Tasmania The West Coast of Tasmania is one of the regions of Tasmania in Australia. It is mainly isolated rough country and is associated with wilderness, mining and tourism. It served as the location of an early convict settlement in the early history ...

Port

Regatta Point is often assumed into the name of the locality across the bay in Macquarie Harbour,

Strahan, Tasmania Strahan ( ) is a small town and former port on the west coast of Tasmania. It is now a significant locality for tourism in the region. Strahan Harbour and Risby Cove form part of the north-east end of Long Bay on the northern end of Macquarie ...

. The other ports in Macquarie Harbour were Strahan, and Pillinger at the southern end of the harbour. Most shipping through the notorious Hells Gates is now the fishing fleet. The last sea-based delivery of explosives for the Mount Lyell company occurred as late as 1976.

Railway terminus

It was the port and terminus of the

Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company was a Tasmanian mining company formed on 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 ...

railway line from Queenstown. When fully operational before closure in the 1960s, it was the location of the transfer of Mount Lyell materials to ships. Regatta Point was the location of the connection between the Mount Lyell private railway and the government railway line, which passed through Strahan on the way to

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 Rosebery and Queenstown. History The greater Zeehan a ...

when that line was operational. It was possible to utilise passenger services from Queenstown to

Burnie Burnie ( ; Aboriginal Tasmanians#North, pirinilaplu/palawa kani: ''Pataway'') is a port city located on the North West Tasmania, north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is the fourth largest city on the island, located approximately north ...

, using the Mount Lyell Line, the government line to Zeehan, and the

Emu Bay Railway The Emu Bay Railway was a Tasmania, Australian railway company. The railway was significant during full operation, in that it linked the Tasmanian Government Railways system at Burnie with that at Zeehan that further linked to the Mount Lye ...

line to Burnie.

Railway building

An earlier building at the station location was burnt down in 1900. It is currently the rebuilt

West Coast Wilderness Railway The West Coast Wilderness Railway is a reconstruction of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company Mount Lyell railway in Western Tasmania between Queenstown and Regatta Point, Strahan. The railway is significant because of its Abt rack ...

terminus. The remaining station building at Regatta Point has been restored for the new service, having lain at risk from the 1960s to the 1990s.

Railway stations sequence

From Regatta Point to Queenstown: * Teepookana * Dubbil Barril *

Rinadeena Rinadeena is railway station and stopping place on the West Coast Wilderness Railway in Tasmania. When the original Mount Lyell railway line was being built, it was the location of some significant landslips. In the time of operations of the M ...

* Lynchford * Queenstown (Tasmania) railway station

Nearest ports

Outside of Macquarie Harbour – on the north coast of Tasmania – Burnie or the southeast

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

– smaller anchorages exist in between – but are either facility-free

Port Davey Port Davey is an embayment, oceanic inlet located in the South West Tasmania, south west region of Tasmania, Australia. Port Davey was named by explorer James Kelly (Australian explorer), James Kelly in honour of Thomas Davey (governor), Thomas ...

or dangerous

Trial Harbour Trial Harbour is a rural locality in the local government area (LGA) of West Coast Council, West Coast in the North-west and west LGA Region, North-west and west LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about south-west of the town of Zeehan, Tas ...

Notes

References

* * * {{Coord, -42.1605, 145.3264, display=title Localities of West Coast Council Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company Macquarie Harbour Railway stations in Western Tasmania West Coast Wilderness Railway