Bell Bay is located 48 kilometres from Launceston and began life as a small port town in the early 1900s. In 1912, Chief Engineer Henry Hunter, having completed a study of the Tamar River region, asserted that Bell Bay would become "an inland port unexcelled in the world".

Development of the port into this important force did not begin until the 1950s when the Australian Aluminium Commission (now known as Comalco) and the Vacuum Oil Company established installations here. This was soon followed by the establishment of operations by the Broken Hill Company subsidiary TEMCO at Bell Bay. When the Australian National Line delved into the roll-on roll-off cargo ferry business, they established facilities at Bell Bay in 1958, and the establishment of a rail link to Launceston meant Bell Bay had finally arrived as an important port.

Today visitors can visit the APPM Longreach Information Centre to find out more about the history and development of the port area.

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