Tamar River

This article is about the river in Tasmania Australia. For the river in England, see River Tamar.

The Tamar River, officially kanamaluka / River Tamar,^[2] is a 70-kilometre (43-mile) estuary located in northern Tasmania, Australia. Despite being named a river, the waterway is a brackish and tidal estuary over its entire length.

kanamaluka / River Tamar
kanamaluka / River Tamar from Brady's lookout, near Exeter
Course of kanamaluka / River Tamar
Etymology	River Tamar
Native name	kanamaluka
Location
Country	Australia
Region	Tasmania, Northern Tasmania
City	Launceston
Physical characteristics
Source confluence	South and North Esk Rivers
• location	Launceston
• coordinates	41°26′4″S 147°7′38″E
Mouth	Port Dalrymple, Bass Strait
• location	Low Head
• coordinates	41°3′19″S 146°46′28″E
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	70 km (43 mi)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Supply River
State reserve	Tamar Conservation Area
[1]

Etymology

The Tamar River was named after the River Tamar in South West England by Colonel William Paterson in December 1804.^[3]

Location and features

Formed by the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers at Launceston, kanamaluka / River Tamar flows generally north towards its mouth at Low Head, north of the settlement George Town and into the Bass Strait via Port Dalrymple.^[4] kanamaluka / River Tamar has several minor tributaries including the Supply River.^[1]

Low Head Lighthouse is located at the tip of a peninsula on the eastern side of the river mouth. The only full crossing of the river is the Batman Bridge in the relatively remote area of Sidmouth, approximately halfway along the river.

The Tamar has perennial issues with silting, contributing to its slow decline in commercial navigational use. This has required occasional dredging operations. A scheme enacted between the 1920s and 1970s planned to partially dam the river and slow the flow around the western side of Tamar Island and speed up the flow around the eastern side (the main channel) by sinking 14 boats to disrupt water flow.^[5] The success of this project is debated.

Navigation and fishing

The Port of Launceston is now used very little in comparison to historically, and the SeaCat Tasmania ferry no longer docks at George Town. Despite this, the Tamar still is used for commercial shipping, with industries at George Town including aluminium smelters as well as for sightseeing cruises.^[6][7][8]

The last 10 kilometres of the Tamar River estuary are generally smooth and sheltered waters, depending on tidal and weather conditions. The Clarence Point boat ramp has picnic amenities, toilets, and a pontoon on the western side. The more wind exposed basic boat ramp at Kelso is a few kilometres further north.

George Town, a significant port town, lies on the eastern side and has amenities nearby. The Low Head boat ramp is also on the eastern side, just past Pilot Bay, several kilometres further north.

Local Man showcasing his succulent catch of the day on the Tamar River.

See also

• Australia portal

• Rivers of Tasmania
• Tamar Wetlands Important Bird Area