Hells Gates (Tasmania) facts for kids
- Hells Gates is also the name of a deep valley on the Davey River in the south west part of Tasmania.
Hells Gates is the special name for the narrow entrance to Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast of Tasmania.
This entrance is famous for being very shallow and tricky for boats to get through. The main channel is found between Macquarie Heads on the west side and Entrance Island on the east. Even though there's a wider area of water between Entrance Island and Macquarie Head, it's too shallow for most boats.
Braddon Point is the name of a spot on the eastern shore. South of this point, the shallow water is called Fraser Flats, and the channel next to the breakwater is known as Kelly Channel.
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Why is it Called Hells Gates?
The name "Hells Gates" comes from a very sad time in history. When convicts (people sent to Australia as punishment) arrived here, they saw this narrow entrance as their "doorway to Hell." Their "Hell" was the harsh Macquarie Harbour Penal Station on Sarah Island, which was a very strict prison.
Building the Breakwater and Channel
Between 1900 and 1902, a big project called the Macquarie Harbour Entrance Works took place. This involved building a long wall, called a breakwater, to protect the entrance. They also used special machines to dig out the channel, making it deeper for ships. This process is called dredging. You can still see parts of this old breakwater today!
The local marine board in Strahan used to watch over the harbour entrance. Later, in 1970, the marine board in Hobart took over this important job.
Lighthouses Guiding the Way
To help ships navigate this tricky entrance, lighthouses were built. There are lights on both Entrance Island and Bonnet Island. These important lights were put in place even before the larger Cape Sorell lighthouse was built nearby.
Maps and Charts for Sailors
Because the entrance to Hells Gates can change and is quite dangerous, maps and charts of the area were updated all the time. This was especially true when Strahan was a very busy port. Some of these old maps are now available to look at online!
