Beauty Point, Tasmania
Encyclopedia
Beauty Point is a town by the Tamar River, in the north-east of Tasmania
, Australia
. It lies 45km north of Launceston
, on the West Tamar Highway and at the 2006 census
, had a population of 1,116. It is part of the Municipality of West Tamar Council.
Beauty Point is a tiny township originally established as the first deep water port on the Tamar River. The town was first established as a port to service the nearby gold mine town of Beaconsfield
. As the gold rush
ended, it became an apple exporting centre.
Situated on Port Dalrymple (the mouth of the Tamar River) opposite George Town
, Beauty Point lies in the heart of a rich sheep, cattle and vine-growing district although it is the port facilities which lie at the heart of the small town's economic life.
It is also a major fishing town. The Australian Maritime College
has a campus here, for fisheries and seamanship courses. More recently, the town has also become the home of Seahorse World, a working seahorse
farm and educational centre that is open to the public, as well as the Beauty Point Slipway providing boat repairs of outstanding quality.
The original Beauty Point wharf, where the first deep water vessels arrived, has been demolished and replaced by the Australian Maritime College
which now houses over 100 residential students who study courses in seamanship and fishing. The college has two training vessels.
The town's first wharf was established in response to the growing importance of Beaconsfield which, as a result of the gold boom, was the third largest town in Tasmania.
Beauty Point is also the starting point of the Australian Three Peaks Race, a yachting and running event around the east of the state.
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It lies 45km north of Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
, on the West Tamar Highway and at the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, had a population of 1,116. It is part of the Municipality of West Tamar Council.
Beauty Point is a tiny township originally established as the first deep water port on the Tamar River. The town was first established as a port to service the nearby gold mine town of Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield, Tasmania
Beaconsfield is a town near the Tamar River, in the north-east of Tasmania, Australia. It lies 40 kilometres north of Launceston on the West Tamar Highway. It is part of the Municipality of West Tamar...
. As the gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
ended, it became an apple exporting centre.
Situated on Port Dalrymple (the mouth of the Tamar River) opposite George Town
George Town, Tasmania
George Town is one of the larger towns in north-east Tasmania, on the eastern bank of the mouth of the Tamar River. At the 2006 census, George Town had a population of 4,266. It is the regional centre of the George Town Council Local Government Area....
, Beauty Point lies in the heart of a rich sheep, cattle and vine-growing district although it is the port facilities which lie at the heart of the small town's economic life.
It is also a major fishing town. The Australian Maritime College
Australian Maritime College
The Australian Maritime College is a tertiary education institution based in Launceston, Tasmania and is an institute of the University of Tasmania. AMC is Australia's national centre for maritime education, training and research...
has a campus here, for fisheries and seamanship courses. More recently, the town has also become the home of Seahorse World, a working seahorse
Seahorse
Seahorses compose the fish genus Hippocampus within the family Syngnathidae, in order Syngnathiformes. Syngnathidae also includes the pipefishes. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek hippos meaning "horse" and kampos meaning “sea monster”.There are nearly 50 species of seahorse...
farm and educational centre that is open to the public, as well as the Beauty Point Slipway providing boat repairs of outstanding quality.
The original Beauty Point wharf, where the first deep water vessels arrived, has been demolished and replaced by the Australian Maritime College
Australian Maritime College
The Australian Maritime College is a tertiary education institution based in Launceston, Tasmania and is an institute of the University of Tasmania. AMC is Australia's national centre for maritime education, training and research...
which now houses over 100 residential students who study courses in seamanship and fishing. The college has two training vessels.
The town's first wharf was established in response to the growing importance of Beaconsfield which, as a result of the gold boom, was the third largest town in Tasmania.
Beauty Point is also the starting point of the Australian Three Peaks Race, a yachting and running event around the east of the state.