TasPorts History
Prior to European arrival, Tasmania was home for millennia to the palawa people, belonging to nine distinct nations. The palawa were great seafarers and skilled navigators, with a rich knowledge of Tasmania’s waterways.
Prior to European arrival, Tasmania was home for millennia to the palawa people, belonging to nine distinct nations. The palawa were great seafarers and skilled navigators, with a rich knowledge of Tasmania’s waterways.
Tasmania’s first port was established on the Derwent River in 1804, where the city of Hobart sits today. In the same year, in the north of the state, Tasmania’s first pilot station was established at Low Head to guide vessels safely into the Tamar River.
Over the ensuing years a number of regional marine boards and authorities were established, serving the needs of the various settlements that had sprung up around the state.
By the 1950s, marine boards existed in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie, Circular Head, Strahan, Devonport, Flinders Island and King Island.
By the late 1990s, four port authorities served mainland Tasmania; the Hobart Ports Corporation, Port of Launceston, Port of Devonport Corporation and Burnie Port Corporation. In addition, two port authorities served the communities of King and Flinders Islands.
On 1 January 2006 the Tasmanian Ports Corporation Pty Ltd (TasPorts) was established as a Tasmanian State Owned Company. This amalgamation unified the previously competing regional ports corporations.
Today, TasPorts operates a network of ten ports and 1 regional airport around the state of Tasmania, for the benefit of all Tasmanians.