The site is located in a protected natural harbor on the west coast of the island, originally named Howie's Boat Harbor after one of the island 's first residents . He was later named after Archibald Currie (1830-1914), a shipowner from Melbourne , who had acquired the rights to the wreck of the full ship Netherby, which sank nearby in 1866 , and who used the port as a base for his salvage operations. Later the surrounding land was opened up and there was farming and livestock farming. In 1879 a lighthouse was built at the harbor.
Until the construction of the ferry terminal at Grassy in 1974, Currie was the main port between Tasmania and mainland Australia. Today it is still very important for fishing in the region, especially lobsters . King Island Airport is nearby .
