THE RISE & DEMISE OF AUSTRALIA’S BARRACOUTA FISHING INDUSTRY
About
Maritime History week 2026 eventPhillipa Hall - Senior Conservation Architect - RBA Architects + Conservation Consultants
Along Victoria’s rugged Bass Strait coastline, a chain of ports known as the ‘couta coast’ once
powered a booming barracouta fishing industry. Faced with dangerous waters and the
challenges of The Rip, Queenscliff fishermen and local boatbuilders developed the iconic couta
boat, a vessel that transformed the industry and supplied millions of pounds of fish to Victorian
tables.
This talk explores how the industry rose, flourished, and ultimately collapsed in the mid-1970s,
and how the legacy of the couta boat endures today as a symbol of maritime ingenuity and
coastal culture.
Bar Open - drinks at bar prices.
Date
Monday 2 March 2026 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM (UTC+11)Location
Gil Allbutt Boat Shed – Queenscliff Maritime Museum
2 Wharf Street E, Queenscliffe Victoria 3225
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THE RISE & DEMISE OF AUSTRALIA’S BARRACOUTA FISHING INDUSTRY
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