Strahan

Strahan is a small historic port town on Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania's west coast, within the West Coast Council area. Once a vital port for mining, timber and the Sarah Island convict settlement (1822-1833), it now serves as the gateway to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It is notable for Gordon River cruises, the West Coast Wilderness Railway, Ocean Beach and access to Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.

Visitors can expect a waterfront harbour town surrounded by wilderness, with a compact town centre along The Esplanade, harbour jetties, and views over Macquarie Harbour. The area offers Gordon River cruises through temperate rainforest to Sarah Island, rides on the West Coast Wilderness Railway, walks to Hogarth Falls and along Ocean Beach, heritage buildings, museums and visitor centres. The setting is remote, coastal and forested with changeable weather.

Strahan developed as a port for the west coast mining fields in the late 19th century, serving Queenstown and Zeehan. Macquarie Harbour was the site of the Sarah Island penal settlement from 1822 to 1833, one of Australia's harshest convict settlements, later followed by timber and mining industries. The town retains heritage buildings and is linked to the former Abt rack railway built to serve the mines.

The area holds significance for Tasmanian Aboriginal heritage and for its convict and mining history. Sarah Island and Macquarie Harbour are important historic sites interpreting convict life, while the town serves as a cultural gateway to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and west coast community heritage.