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Map of Australia with Bass Strait marked in light blue
Map of Australia with Bass Strait marked in light blue

Bass Strait (IPA: /bæs/) is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland (Victoria in particular). A strait is a narrow navigable Channel of water that connects two larger navigable bodies of water Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The first European to discover it was Matthew Flinders in 1798. Captain Matthew Flinders, RN (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814 was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age Year 1798 ( MDCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Flinders named it after his ship's doctor George Bass. George Bass, British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia ( 30 January 1771 - 1803 was born at Aswarby a hamlet near Sleaford,


The existence of the strait had already been suggested by the master of the Sydney Cove when he reached Sydney having been wrecked on Preservation Island. Sydney Cove was a sailing ship wrecked in 1797 on Preservation Island off Tasmania while on her way from Calcutta to Port Jackson. Preservation Island is a low and undulating Granite and Calcarenite island with an area of 207 ha, in south-eastern Australia. He reported that the strong south westerly swell and the tides and currents suggested that the island was in a channel linking the Pacific and southern Indian Ocean. The Governor of New South Wales, John Hunter thus wrote to Joseph Banks in August 1797 that it seemed certain the strait existed. Vice-Admiral John Hunter, RN ( 29 August 1737 &ndash 13 March 1821) was a British naval officer and colonial Sir Joseph Banks 1st Baronet, GCB, PRS (13 February 1743 &ndash 19 June 1820 was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of [1]

Approximately 240 km wide at its narrowest point and generally around 50 metres deep, it contains many islands, with King Island and Flinders Island home to substantial human settlements. King Island is one of the islands that make up the state of Tasmania, Australia. Flinders Island is an island in the Bass Strait, located 20 km from Cape Portland being the north-eastern tip of Tasmania, Australia

Like the rest of the waters surrounding Tasmania, and particularly because of its limited depth, it is notoriously rough, with many ships lost there during the 19th century. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar A lighthouse was erected on Deal Island in 1848 to assist ships in the eastern part of the Straits, but there were no guides to the western entrance until the Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse was completed in 1859, followed by another at Cape Wickham at the northern end of King Island in 1861. Deal Island may refer to Deal Island Maryland, USA Deal Island (Tasmania, Australia Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse is situated on South East Point Wilsons Promontory, Victoria, Australia. Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common King Island is one of the islands that make up the state of Tasmania, Australia. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

Strong currents between the Antarctic-driven southeast portions of the Indian Ocean and the Tasman Sea's Pacific Ocean waters provide a strait of powerful, wild storm waves. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, some 2000 Kilometres (1250 Miles across The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions To illustrate its wild strength, Bass Strait is both twice as wide and twice as rough as the English Channel. The shipwrecks on the Tasmanian and Victorian coastlines number in the hundreds, although stronger metal ships and modern marine navigation have dropped the danger sharply. Navigation is the process of reading and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another Many vessels, some quite large, have disappeared without trace, or left scant evidence of their passing. Despite myths and legends of piracy, wrecking and supernatural phenomena akin to those of the Bermuda Triangle, such disappearances can be invariably ascribed to treacherous combinations of wind and sea conditions, and the numerous semi-submerged rocks and reefs within the Straits. Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean in which a number of Aircraft and surface One of the most famous and well documented recent incidents is the Frederick Valentich Disappearance of 1978. The Frederick Valentich Disappearance is an event that occurred on October 21, 1978, in which 20-year-old Frederick Valentich disappeared

Despite the strait's difficult waters it provided a safer and less boisterous passage for ships on the route from Europe or India to Sydney in the early 19th century. The strait also saved 700 miles distance on the voyage. [1]

Contents

Islands

Map of Bass Strait including major island groups
Map of Bass Strait including major island groups

There are over 50 islands in Bass Strait. Major islands include:

Western section:

South eastern section:

North eastern section:

Natural resources

See also: Energy in Victoria

A number of oil and gas fields exist in Bass Strait. King Island is one of the islands that make up the state of Tasmania, Australia. Three Hummock Island is an island with an area of 70 km2 and a high point 237 m above sea-level in Bass Strait, south-eastern Australia. Hunter Island is an Island in the Bass Strait between Victoria and Tasmania in south-eastern Australia. The Furneaux Group is a group of 52 islands at the eastern end of Bass Strait, between Victoria and Tasmania, Australia. Flinders Island is an island in the Bass Strait, located 20 km from Cape Portland being the north-eastern tip of Tasmania, Australia Cape Barren Island is located off the north east coast of Tasmania, Australia, and is one of the islands of the Furneaux Group in Bass Strait The Kent Group of Islands ( lies in Bass Strait, Australia, north-west of the Furneaux Group. Deal Island is a Granite island with an area of 157675 ha, in south-eastern Australia. Hogan Island is a Granite island with an area of 232 ha (573 acres and a high point of 116 m (380 feet in south-eastern Australia. The State of Victoria, Australia uses many forms of Energy for domestic commercial and industrial uses The eastern field, known as the Gippsland Basin, was discovered in the 1960s and is located about 50 km off the coast of Gippsland. Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border The oil and gas is sent via a pipeline to gas processing facilities and oil refineries at Longford, Western Port, Altona and Geelong, as well as by tanker to New South Wales. Longford is a town in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. Western Port, sometimes referred to as Western Port Bay, is an inlet on the southern coast of Australia from Bass Strait and the Pacific Ocean Altona is a south-western Suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. MCite/Citephp.--> Geelong (dʒəˈlɔŋ is the second largest city in the state The western field, known as the Otway Basin, was discovered in the 1990s offshore near Port Campbell. Port Campbell is a coastal town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Great Ocean Road, west of the Twelve Apostles, in the Corangamite Its exploitation began in 2005.

Infrastructure

Major infrastructure connections between Tasmania and Victoria
Major infrastructure connections between Tasmania and Victoria

Transport

The fastest and cheapest method of travel across Bass Strait is by air. An airline provides air transport services for Passengers or Freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license The main carriers are Qantas, JetStar, and Virgin Blue. Qantas Airways Limited (ˈkwɔntəs ( is the National airline of Australia. Jetstar Airways is a low-cost airline based in Melbourne, Australia. Virgin Blue is an Australian Low-cost airline, Australia's second-biggest Airline as well as the largest airline (by fleet size with the Virgin branding Major airports include the Hobart International Airport and Launceston Airport; the smaller airports are serviced by Regional Express which generally flies only to Melbourne and the Bass Strait islands. Launceston Airport is a regional airport on the outskirts of Launceston, Tasmania. Regional Express Pty Ltd (also known as Rex) is an Airline based in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.

The domestic sea route is serviced by two Spirit of Tasmania passenger vehicle ferries, based in Devonport, Tasmania. This article is about the body of water For other uses see SEA and Seas. Spirit of Tasmania may refer to The trading name of TT-Line Pty See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and Devonport is a city in the north-west of Tasmania, Australia, at the mouth of the Mersey River. Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass The ships travel daily in opposite directions between Devonport and Station Pier in Melbourne, as overnight trips with additional daytime trips during the peak summer season. Station Pier is an historic Pier on Port Phillip Bay, in Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3

Australian Olympic Bronze Medallist Michael Blackburn sailed a Laser Sailboat all the way across the Bass Strait. Michael Blackburn (born May 27, 1970 in Sydney New South Wales) is an Australian Olympic medallist and sailor The International Laser Class sailboat, also called Laser Standard and the Laser One is a popular One-design class of small sailing dinghy This crossing is also made semi-regularly by experienced sea kayakers, usually by island hopping on the Eastern side. A Sea kayak or touring kayak is a Kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes bays and the ocean

See Transportation in Tasmania for more details. Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass

Energy

See also: Basslink

The Basslink HVDC electrical cable has been in service since 2006. Basslink is a HVDC link crossing Bass Strait, connecting the Loy Yang Power Station Victoria on the Australian mainland to the George Town Basslink is a HVDC link crossing Bass Strait, connecting the Loy Yang Power Station Victoria on the Australian mainland to the George Town HVDC or high-voltage Direct current Electric power transmission systems contrast with the more common Alternating current systems as a means Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. It has the capacity to carry up to 630 Megawatts of electrical power across the strait and is the longest submarine power cable in the world. The watt (symbol W) is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one Joule of energy per Second. Submarine power cables are cables for electrical power running through the sea below the surface

Alinta owns a submarine gas pipeline, delivering natural gas to large industrial customers near George Town, as well as the Powerco gas network in Tasmania. Alinta is an Australian energy infrastructure company It has grown from a small Western Australia based gas distributor and retailer to the largest energy infrastructure company Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. George Town is one of the larger towns in north-east Tasmania, on the eastern bank of the mouth of the Tamar River. Powerco is the 2nd largest gas and Electricity company based in New Zealand, with operations in New Zealand and Tasmania, Australia

Communications

The first submarine communications cable across Bass Strait was laid in 1859. A submarine communications cable is a cable laid beneath the sea to carry Telecommunications between countries Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Starting at Cape Otway, Victoria, it went via King Island and Three Hummock Island, made contact with the Tasmanian mainland at Stanley Head, and then continued on to George Town. Cape Otway is a cape in south Victoria, Australia on the Great Ocean Road; much of the area is enclosed in the Otway National Park. King Island is one of the islands that make up the state of Tasmania, Australia. Three Hummock Island is an island with an area of 70 km2 and a high point 237 m above sea-level in Bass Strait, south-eastern Australia. Stanley is a town on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. George Town is one of the larger towns in north-east Tasmania, on the eastern bank of the mouth of the Tamar River. However it started failing within a few weeks of completion, and by 1861 it failed completely. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

Tasmania is currently connected to the mainland via two Telstra-operated fibre optic cables; since 2006, dark fibre capacity has also been available on the Basslink HVDC cable. Telstra or Telstra Corporation (often abbreviated as Telstra Corp) () is an Australian Telecommunications and media company formerly Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. In Fiber-optic communications dark fiber or unlit fiber (or fibre refers to unused fibers, available for use

Other submarine cables include:

Date Northern end Southern end Companies
(Manufacturer / Operator)		 Details
1859-1861 Cape Otway Stanley Head Henley's Telegraph Works
Tas & Vic Govts		 System 140 nm
1869-?  ?  ? Henley's Telegraph Works
Australian Govt		 System 176 nm
1885-?  ?  ? Telcon
Australian Government
1909-1943  ?  ? Siemens Bros
Australian Government		 System 285 nm. Cape Otway is a cape in south Victoria, Australia on the Great Ocean Road; much of the area is enclosed in the Otway National Park. Stanley is a town on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia.
Was reused at Torres Strait
1935-?  ?  ? Siemens Bros
Australian Government		 First telephone cable
1995- Sandy Point Boat Harbour ASN
Telstra		 First fibre optic cable
2003- Inverloch Stanley ASN Calais
Telstra
2005- Loy Yang Bell Bay Basslink First electrical distribution cable

Popular Culture

On the popular Australian soap Neighbours, one of its most dramatic storylines unfolded when a 1940s themed joy flight to Tasmania was sabotaged by a bomb. The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. Sandy Point is a township in south Gippsland, Victoria near Wilsons Promontory. Boat Harbour is both a geographical location and a population region (Australian Postcode 7321 on the north west coast of Tasmania. Telstra or Telstra Corporation (often abbreviated as Telstra Corp) () is an Australian Telecommunications and media company formerly An optical fiber (or fibre) is a Glass or Plastic fiber that carries Light along its length Inverloch is a seaside village in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Bass Highway 143 kilometres southeast of Melbourne, at the mouth Stanley is a town on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. Telstra or Telstra Corporation (often abbreviated as Telstra Corp) () is an Australian Telecommunications and media company formerly Basslink is a HVDC link crossing Bass Strait, connecting the Loy Yang Power Station Victoria on the Australian mainland to the George Town Neighbours is a long-running multiple Logie Award -winning Australian Soap opera, which first aired in March 1985 The plane crashed into the water in the middle of the night and many characters lives were put at risk, with some drowning. See Neighbours Plane Crash. Since it started in 1985 there have been many storylines shown during the Australian Soap opera Neighbours.

References

  1. ^ a b Blainey, Geoffrey (1966). Professor Geoffrey Blainey AC (born 11 March 1930) is an Australian Historian. Tyranny of Distance: How Distance Shaped Australia's History. Melbourne: Sun Books, pages 73-4.  

External links

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