Currie is the administrative and commercial centre of King Island, the western-most island in Bass Strait. Currie is on the west side of the island, occupying a harbour which is protected by an extensive breakwater. Its name comes from Captain Archibald Currie, who discovered the harbour.
The town’s civic institutions include the hospital, King Island District High School (to year 10), the museum, four churches, Council chambers and the town hall. There are golf, bowling, tennis and other sports facilities. The commercial centre include airline agencies, hotel, restaurants, shops specialising in King Island foods and produce and the usual range of supermarket, newsagent’s and pharmacist’s outlets. The Parer Hotel is named after the Parer family, the island’s first hoteliers, from whom Ray Parer (aviator) and Damien Parer (war photographer) were descended.
Local industries are fishing (for which the harbour has a wharf), food processing, tourism and a kelp factory. The kelp is harvested after it is washed up after westerly weather, and milled for export to Scotland. The extract is used in over one-thousand food, cosmetic and other products. Kelp harvesting began in the early 1970s, and has helped to offset unemployment from the closed scheelite mine at Grassy.
A short distance north of Currie are the racecourse, abattoir, aerodrome and the King Island cheese factory. Much of the meat from the abattoir is exported to Japan.
Electricity is generated by a diesel plant and by wind-driven apparatus installed in 1998.
The census populations of Currie have been 215 (1911), 678 (1954), 819 (1991).
Main Street, Currie, King Island, Postcard dated c.1910
Further Reading:
- Edgecombe, Jean, “Discovering King Island, Western Bass Strait”, the author, 1993.
- Hooper, R.H., “The King Island Story”", Peko-Wallsend Ltd., 1973.
- Wood, Michael, “Story of King Island, King Island Quik Print, 1990.