Bass Strait, channel, 80 to 150 mi (129-241 km) wide, between Tasmania and Victoria, SE Australia, connecting the Indian Ocean and Tasman Sea; Port Phillip Bay and Melbourne are on the northwest coast. Bass Strait is an important fishing area. The exploration of the strait by Englishman George Bass in 1798 proved that Tasmania was not a part of the Australian continent.

Strait separating mainland Australia from Tasmania. It is some 150 mi (240 km) wide at its widest point, about 185 mi (300 km) long, and 180–240 ft (55–75 m) deep. It was named in 1798 for the British surgeon-explorer George Bass. Development of its offshore petroleum resources began in the 1960s.

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