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One of the most significant aspects for the development of
Tasmania
is the island's geographical location. Hobart, the capital city, lies
at latitude 42º53' south, longitude 147º21' east, making it
one of the southernmost cities in the world. The only land further
south is the southern section of New Zealand, a bit of South America,
and Antarctica. This extreme isolation allowed the development of
unique flora and fauna. The Tasmanian tiger, the thylacine, occurred
only here, and was last seen alive in 1935 (although myths persist
about sightings in the wild). The Tasmanian Aborigines appear to be an
indigenous group distinct from those on the mainland.
Most strikingly, present-day Tasmania, despite its accessible size, is
a land of stark contrasts, with the settled eastern portion more
'English' than the mainland and the wild western portion containing
primeval forests and some of the most untrammelled terrain remaining in
the world. Today, the apples and potatoes for which the island was
famed have dwindled in number as orchards disappear, but the state can
now provide visitors with some of the most exquisite dining experiences
in the country, with its unparalleled dairy products and seafood,
especially shellfish.
Tasmania's geology is as complex as any in Australia. Its basic form
proceeds from older Proterozoic rock on the northwest tip and as a
tongue from the South West Cape extending inland to an area east and
north of Queenstown. Sedimentary formation from the Palaeozoic era
surround this tongue and are found in the northeast as well. The most
arable land is found in the east and central basins between Hobart and
Launceston along the island's northern coast and consists of weathered
igneous deposits from the Mesozoic period. Many of the peaks, including
Ben Lomond and Mount Wellington, are of dolerite extruded at this time.
Tasmania was joined with the mainland until the Tertiary Period when
the Bass Strait, a rift valley, subsided. The Kosciuszko Uplift raised
the island, tilting it to the south. During the three ice ages of the
Pleistocene, glaciers covered as much as half of the island. Evidence
of these glacial periods can be seen in the island's southwestern
highlands in erosion of rock, deeply cut watercourses, and moraines. In
each of these periods marine water levels were low enough to provide a
landbridge to Victoria. As far as Aboriginal populations are concerned,
the Yolande (100,000 to 50,000 years ago) and Margaret (20,000 to
10,000 years ago) glaciations allowed cultural and genetic
introductions between the mainland and Tasmania.
The physical features most attractive to tourists include the Mount
Wellington and Ben Lomond areas, the agricultural and pastoral plain
from Hobart to Launceston and east along the northern coast, and the
highland camping and bushwalking areas in the west and south. Ben
Lomond, Mount Barrow and Mount Arthur are situated in a relatively
accessible mountainous area in the northeast. The Tasman Highway east
from Launceston passes through relatively tall eucalypt forest to as
far as Scottsdale. At this higher elevation herbaceous groundcover and
grasses predominate until the road turns south, returning to eucalypt
as it drops into the George River Valley toward St Helens.
The agricultural areas to the east of Launceston are bordered to the
south by the Great Western Tiers. This remarkable escarpment rises
virtually from sea level to over 1000m. About 50km west of Launceston,
then south an hour out of Deloraine is a tableland with numerous lakes,
the Great Lake being the largest and Lake St Clair described as the
most beautiful. Lake St Clair is on the eastern edge of a series of
national parks extending from the southern coast nearly to the Bass
Strait. These parks contain two World Heritage Areas and some areas
which have been protected since 1863. The six day, 76km trek between
Waldheim Chalet in Cradle Valley and Lake St Clair is a favourite with
campers. Details, maps and gear are available at well-stocked campers'
stores in Hobart and Launceston. Much of the equipment for camping can
be rented.
Mount Field National Park, an easy drive 80km west of Hobart, is noted
for its waterfalls. Russell Falls cascades in two steps into forested
gorges. The walking and camping in this area varies from sedate to
strenuous. Many of the best views of Russell Falls are easily
accessible.
The beech trees of Tasmania, like many of the plants in the rainforest
reserves in western and southern parts of the island, date from the
Cretaceous period. They vary depending upon the niches in which they
grow from scrub-like in the highlands to huge in sheltered areas.
Similar species are found in the rainforests of Lamington National Park
in the Mcpherson Range on the New South Wales-Queensland border and at
Barrington Tops.
History
Tasmania, initially called Van Diemen's Land after the Dutch
East
India
company's progressive administrator who sent Abel Tasman to explore the
area in the 1640s, became an independent colony in 1825, making it the
second Australian colony. Soon after the settlement of New South Wales,
the authorities realised Tasmania's strategic importance and decided it
should be settled before another maritime power conquered it. As the
frequency of French place names throughout and around the island
attest, French vessels had explored the region extensively in the years
immediately following the Revolution. First scouted by Lieutenant James
Bowen in 1803, Van Diemen's Land as a colony began actively in 1804
with the arrival of Lieutenant Governor David Collins. Collins is
remembered in his famous First Fleet narrative for having attempted a
settlement first in Victoria. Once in Van Diemen's Land, he moved the
location of the colony from that first sited by Bowen to a more
advantageous spot at what was called Sullivan's Cove, present-day
Hobart.
Another bleak chapter in Tasmania's history concerns the confrontation of settlers and Aboriginal natives. From the beginning of white settlement, the Tasmanian natives, who probably numbered about 4000 when Collins arrived, were seen as an impediment to economic and cultural growth. Initially few attempts were made at any kind of peaceful coexistence. In 1824, Lieutenant Governor George Arthur (1784-1854) arrived and, with the declaration of Tasmania's status as a separate colony, established a despotic administration intent on 'civilising' the island according to Arthur's own ideas about moral good and civilised institutions. By this time, many free settlers had arrived in the colony, and their interests were foremost in Arthur's plan.
Hostilities with the Aborigines, or at least the fear of black aggression from those natives who had resisted, were so intense that the government devised one of the most notoriously farcical campaigns in history, the so-called Black Line. The purpose of this effort was to round up those remaining blacks (probably less than 2000 by 1830) and to confine them to a single reserve away from white settlement. The offensive took the form, as Robert Hughes says, 'of an immense pheasant drive', in which every white man in Van Diemen's Land participated, walking across the bush to 'flush out' the natives. In the end, only two blacks were caught, but the natives' days were numbered.
The next, seemingly more benign, approach to the problem involved a well-meaning Methodist house-builder, George Augustus Robinson (1788-1866) who earned the title of 'The Great Conciliator'. Instead of force, Robinson, with the help of the natives Woureddy and Truganini, used persuasion to convince the remaining natives to 'give themselves up' and to enter a camp set up for them at Flinders Island, and later at Oyster Cove. Thus another form of transportation was imposed upon another group of unfortunates. By 1855, only three 'full-blooded' natives survived, while others, taken as wives and slaves of American whalers, persevered on the Bass Strait Islands (see Truganini, p 418) and as small groups in Victoria. Despite the belief, then, that all traces of Tasmanian Aboriginals were vanquished, Aboriginal awareness today has led to a reassertion of Aboriginality among those who identify themselves as such. For instance, Tasmanian Aboriginals have sole rights to the hunting of mutton birds on Flinders Island. Conscious efforts to voice their presence and their sense of pride are evident in a number of Aboriginal centres on the island.
Sharing with Western Australia the distinction of having been a separate colony, Tasmania presents a character unlike the rest of Australia. Affected by its extreme southerly position and the surrounding seas, the climate as well as the geography differ markedly from that of the mainland, giving the island a more 'English' atmosphere, an attitude quite consciously nurtured by popular sentiment and the Tasmanian tourist industry. In Following the Equator (1895), Mark Twain wrote:
How beautiful is the whole region, for form, and grouping, and opulence, and freshness of foliage, and variety of colour, and grace and shapeliness of the hills, the capes, the promontories... And it was in this paradise that the yellow-liveried convicts were landed, and the Corps-bandits quartered, and the wanton slaughter of the kangaroo-chasing black innocents consummated on that autumn day in May, in the brutish old time. It was all out of keeping with the place, a sort of bringing of heaven and hell together.
More recently, Tasmanian native Christopher Koch, author of The Year of Living Dangerously (1978), describes the ambivalence associated with Tasmania's history:
One of Tasmania's greatest talking points, at least by Australian standards, is its weather. 'Changeable' would be the best way to describe it. In the space of a few hours, especially on the Mount Wellington side of Hobart, temperature and winds can change dramatically and quickly, from scorching heat to blasting breezes and blustery conditions. On the whole, Tasmania is usually cooler than the rest of Australia. Planning of any outing must include provisions for any type of weather, from rain to heat. Patrick White, in A Fringe of Leaves (1976), states the situation poetically:
... buffeted by wind, threatened by a great cumulus of cloud, between the mountain which presided over man's presumptuous attempt at a town, and the shirred waters of the grey river rushing towards its fate, the sea.
Hobart
History
The second oldest city in Australia, and with a population of 184,000,
Hobart is situated on both the eastern and western shores of the
Derwent River. The river was named in 1793 by John Hayes, a naval
officer who explored the region independently and without knowledge of
previous explorations; most of the names he gave places were not
acknowledged, but the Derwent and Risdon Cove remain. Hobart was
established in February 1804 by Lieutenant Governor David Collins, when
he left Victoria and decided Van Diemen's Land was a more appropriate
location for a second settlement separate of New South Wales. He had
moved settlement across the river from Risdon Cove, where Lieutenant
John Bowen had initially established a headquarters. Collins wrote: 'In
respect to situation, I am as well placed as I could wish. I have land
immediately about me...sufficient for extensive agricultural purposes.'
Collins named the settlement after Robert Hobart, Earl of
Buckinghamshire and secretary of state for war and the colonies; it was
actually called Hobart Town until 1881.
Governor Macquarie, ever the intrepid organiser, visited in 1811, and
immediately drew up a town plan consisting of a main square and seven
streets, which he also named. He also formulated regulations for future
development. By the time of his second visit in 1821, buildings had
trebled and faced regular street fronts.
Even today Hobart's 'Englishness' both in town planning and
architecture is particularly striking. The town's gardens contain very
little evidence of native flora, preferring 'cottage garden'
arrangements, the plants of which do well in this climate. Houses are
varied in design, and the grander ones often look like British country
homes, with classical columns and Georgian proportions, constructed of
sandstone or, later on, red brick.
Despite being located so far south, Hobart's latitude is comparable to
that of New York City or Rome. In fact, the town's blustery weather and
harbour setting, with its strong seafaring tradition, are somewhat
reminiscent of American New England, although the weather is never as
rugged as the American upper Eastern Seaboard. This atmosphere is not
surprising, when you consider that from the 1830s onwards, Hobart was a
great port of call for American whalers, who were active in Tasmanian
waters until the American Civil War. The French whalers were also drawn
to Hobart; Alexandre Dumas gives vivid descriptions of the town in Les
Baleiniers, based on the diary of a surgeon on a French whaling ship.
The plethora of substantial buildings from Hobart's early period of
settlement is so unlike anything to be seen in New South Wales that you
begin to wonder why this should be. Historically, it seems that
Tasmania by the 1830s, despite its grimly effective convict system,
actively sought ambitious free settlers who would develop an
agricultural economy. Colonists were enticed with promises of large
land grants, the use of convict labour, and, as one settler approvingly
wrote home in 1834, 'the scarcity of the Black Natives'.
While free settlers also began arriving in New South Wales at this
time, the colonial government did not as actively encourage the
development of the land and its resources. Consequently, rural
agriculture was at least initially more modest on the mainland, and
with less conscious emphasis on the cultivation of the trappings of
English culture.
Writer Hal Porter, in his novel The Tilted Cross (1961), calls it 'a
town of the dispossessed...a foundling London', which it seemed to be
in its early days. Cultural aspirations were more readily pursued in
Van Diemen's Land than in early New South Wales. Indeed, the first book
of general literature in Australia was published here in 1818: Michael
Howe, the Last and Worst of the Bushrangers of Van Diemen's Land by
Thomas H. Wells. At present only three copies are known to exist,
making it one of the rarest colonial books in the English language.
That the modest publication concerned bushrangers is appropriate, as
Tasmania was tyrannised by outlaws well into the 19C. Michael Howe was
by no means the last one!
Today, Hobart is a delightful place to visit, quite unlike any other city in Australia. The sense of tradition is strong with less ethnic mix in the population, making islanders more conservative and predictably insular; but tourists will find the residents friendly, the facilities and attractions accessible and enjoyable. Currently the greatest attraction in Hobart is the availability of Tasmanian food-products; restaurant culture here is thriving, taking advantage of the superb resources available both on the island and from the surrounding sea and its islands.
Exploring Hobart
Hobart is a pleasant town for walking, although its position at
the
foot of Mount Wellington means that some streets proceed steeply
uphill. All of the following walks begin at the Visitor Information
Centre, conveniently located north of Salamanca Place on the corner of
Davey and Elizabeth Streets by the wharves on Sullivans Cove.
For more distant tours, you will need a car, or public transport,
details of which are given, although it is not always plentiful.
Walk 1 Constitution Dock and Battery Point
On leaving the tourist bureau, turn left, and walk two blocks
to
Constitution Dock. Constitution Dock is at the centre of the wharf
area, where you can find a variety of harbour tours, famous seafood
restaurants, and fish markets. Harbour cruises depart from the Brooke
Street Pier, about 100m east of Constitution Dock. Of greatest
significance is that Constitution Dock is the terminus of the Sydney to
Hobart Yacht Races.
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
Begun in 1945 with nine entrants, the race now attracts over 200
entrants and is considered to be one of the most exciting and
treacherous of blue water yacht races. It is worth a trip to the
continent just to experience the thrilling start of the race from
Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day (26 December) . The yachts must brave Bass
Strait, which even in summer can present dangerous seas. A recent
example of its unpredictability occurred in the 1993 race when off
Flinders Island, the lead boat's skipper was lost overboard; he was
miraculously found after six hours by tanker ship. Many of the other
favoured boats were damaged and forced to drop out. Following the 1998
race, which was also affected by rough weather and loss of life, the
race organisers reaffirmed that the yachts' skippers are ultimately
responsible for deciding whether to continue or not under the
conditions at sea. The end of the yacht race marks Hobart's biggest
party and most exciting event of the year. Anyone visiting at this time
should be sure to book accommodation well in advance, and expect to get
caught up in the excitement.
Just above the docks is a raised plaza where placards describe
the
wharf buildings and point to Parliament Square, which is past Elizabeth
Pier further south on Morrison Street at the corner of Murray Street.
Originally Customs House, Parliament House was built between 1836 and
1841, by Colonial Architect John Lee Archer. Other alterations were
made in 1856, and with the introduction of responsible government, it
became Parliament House. The exterior presents a rusticated first
floor, ashlar work on the second floor. Fine interior chambers remain
intact and can be visited; the tiny Legislative Council Chamber, which
remains exactly as it was in 1856, can also be viewed.
Across the street from Parliament Square is Customs House Hotel, built
in 1846 for Charles Gaylor. Still in business, this was the hotel where
many politicians resided while in town for parliamentary sessions.
Circle around Parliament Square to the left to come to Salamanca Place.
The place runs in front of a series of seafront buildings dating from
1835-60. Originally fronting on to 'New Wharf', these buildings were
the centre of trade in Hobart, and still represent the best-surviving
examples of Georgian warehouses in Australia. The New Wharf in front of
Salamanca Place is now called Prince's Wharf in honour of Prince
Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, who visited here in 1868. The wharf is still
the passenger terminal, and you can sometimes see in port such cruise
ships as the P & O's Sea Princess.
As with so many other place-names in Australia, Salamanca Place was
named in honour of a battle in the Napoleonic Wars (hence the
proliferation of Wellington place-names throughout the country). The
façades of the Salamanca Place warehouse buildings are virtually
unchanged, except now they are shops, galleries, and cafes. Each
Saturday (08.00-15.00) since 1972 the Salamanca Markets have been held
here, essentially a more upscale 'trash and treasure', with arts and
crafts, Tasmanian products, produce, and all the other kinds of stalls
seen at flea markets. It is a delightful setting, exuding an old-world
atmosphere.
Battery Point
To the east and above the cliffs behind Salamanca Place is Battery Point, the most historic area of Hobart. Its significance is in its preservation of continually occupied buildings which were built from the 1820s through to the early 1900s. Many of these structures are unequalled in Australia in terms of historical and architectural significance. The area's name stems from the battery of guns originally placed here in 1818. By 1828 they had been supplanted by a signal station (see box), which now stands in Prince's Park, at the northern end of Salamanca Place.
The Signal Station
The Signal Station became an important element in the elaborate
semaphore telegraph system devised in the 1830s by the Commandant at
Port Arthur, Captain Charles O'Hara Booth. By 1840, Booth had
established a series of eleven stations between Port Arthur and Hobart
Town which enabled messages to be relayed within 15 minutes. At its
height, the coded system, using a three-tiered six-armed semaphore
mast, could relay as many as 3000 phrases. By the 1850s the system was
abandoned as too costly and by the 1860s the telegraph replaced this
inventive device.
History of Battery Point
The area of Battery Point was first occupied by Reverend Robert 'Bobby'
Knopwood (1761-1838), first clergyman in Tasmania and a notoriously
colourful character in the island's early history. Taking up the
ministry only when he had squandered his own considerable fortune and
was in need of employment, Knopwood was fond of the bottle and loose
with money. The Australian Encyclopedia describes him delicately, 'It
was a brutal, hard-drinking, hard-swearing age, and Knopwood does not
appear to have been in advance of his time.' He arrived in Hobart in
1804 and was granted 30 acres near Sullivans Cove by Lieutenant
Governor Collins. Financial difficulties, however, compelled Knopwood
to sell off plots by the end of the 1810s. Concerned about Knopwood's
failing health and general dissipation, Governor Macquarie pensioned
him in 1821 to land at Rokeby, in the Clarence area near Risdon Cove.
Here he continued to minister unofficially until his death in 1838. His
diaries, kept for 30 years, are a remarkable, if at times nearly
incomprehensible (his spelling and penmanship were idiosyncratic at
best), account of the early days of Hobart.
William Sorell, third Lieutenant Governor, acquired the remaining 90
acres (36.5 ha) of Battery Point, but eventually sold it to William
Kermode, who developed the property, transforming the area from a rural
expanse to a residential district. By the 1830s, this transformation
was well under way and many buildings constructed in this era still
survive.
Governor Arthur (see box), upon his arrival in the colony in 1824,
decided that the waterfront road, initially a part of Knopwood's grant,
should be turned over to the government for access to the wharves. This
decree caused great outrage among those who had purchased the land from
the original grantee. Nonetheless, Arthur was able to effect the
usurpation when he found that Sorell had never signed an earlier
agreement with Knopwood. This disputed strip is now the site of
Salamanca Place.
George Arthur
George Arthur (1784-1854) was a career soldier who had already
established his reputation as a colonial administrator in British
Honduras before arriving in Hobart to take on the duties of Lieutenant
Governor. Implacably stern and morally self-righteous by nature, Arthur
imposed on the colony what to his detractors was a despotic rule. His
rigid system of punishment and rewards for convicts affected not only
the convicted but their overseers as well. His establishment of Port
Arthur was to his mind a crowning achievement, as it made possible the
implementation of his supposedly foolproof system for penal
administration. Ultimately it would remain as his infamous legacy to
Australian history. During his tenure, he attempted to rout the
notorious bushrangers who plagued the countryside and sought to appease
the growing number of free settlers by attempting to round up the
Aborigines in the infamous 'Black Line' campaign. Constantly criticised
by the press and even at odds with the home government, Arthur was
recalled in 1837, serving further in Canada and as Governor of Bombay
in 1842.
From Salamanca Place, you can enter Battery Point at several
spots.
Climb up Kelly's Steps between the warehouses at Kelly Street. These
steps were built in 1839 by James Kelly, Hobart's first harbourmaster.
Walk down Kelly Street one block, turn right on Hampden Road and walk
two blocks to the corner of Hampden and James Street, the site
of Narranya. Alternatively, at the south end of Salamanca Place,
turn left up Montpelier Retreat; walk two blocks to Hampden Road, and
turn left. On the left corner is Narryna, now the Narryna Heritage Museum (t 03
6234 2791; summer hours Mon-Fri 10.30-17.00, Sat and Sun 12.30-17.00,
winter hours Tues-Fri 10.30-17.00 weekends 14.00-17.00, closed
July, Christmas Day, Good Friday, and Anzac Day).
Narryna was originally built as a house for a Scotsman, Captain Andrew
Haig, on two acres bought from Knopwood in 1824. Haig constructed the
first stone warehouse on Salamanca Square, then left Hobart for nine
years. He returned with his wife and family in 1833 and began to build
this house with the help of convict architect Edward Winch. At the time
of its completion in 1836, only three other houses existed in Battery
Point. Financial difficulties compelled Captain Haig to sell the house
in 1842. Owned privately until 1946, it was then sold to the Government
which allowed the hospital across the street to use it as a home for
the elderly.
In 1957, through the efforts of several prominent Tasmanians, Narryna
was established as a museum depicting 19C colonial living. It contains
a large collection of artefacts representing comfortable living in a
seafaring community, among them, for some reason, Reverend Knopwood's
death mask. Narryna provides an excellent reconstruction of everyday
living, highlighting dress, kitchenware, leisure activities, including
lantern slides and children's games, most of which were donated by
Hobart families. Especially noteworthy is a collection of early
Tasmanian daguerreotypes, some of them most certainly by Albert Bock,
son of the artist Thomas Bock. Interesting stables and back rooms are
reminiscent of a European open-air museum.
Walking down Hampden Road, you will see on both sides of the
street,
rows of small cottages dating from the 1840s and 50s. On the corner of
Stowell Avenue is a chocolate shop and milk bar, still selling
old-fashioned 'penny candies' from the jar, even if they are no longer
a penny each. It has been a candy shop since 1886, an indication of the
traditional pace of Battery Point.
After crossing South Street, walk half a block, turn left into Arthur's
Circus, a fascinating residential circle with modest if historically
significant houses. The land was divided into 16 plots by Governor
Arthur himself, and sold at auction in March 1847. A children's
playground now stands in the central oval.
Cross Colville Street, veering right into Secheron Road, which will
lead you to Secheron House. Now privately owned, it was built by
George Frankland (1797-1838), surveyor-general of Van Diemen's Land
1828-1838. Arriving in Hobart with his family in 1827, Frankland's
first task was to improve the harbour and waterfront. He also assisted
Governor Arthur in the design of the Presbyterian church at Bothwell.
He was responsible for naming the Hobart suburb of Bellerive, taking
its name-as well as that of Secheron--from places he knew on Lake
Geneva. The Frankland Range near Lake Pedder is named in his honour.
He received a grant of 8 acres (3 ha) at Battery Point at this time,
and began to build this impressive residence. Constructed of Australian
cedar, it offers a spectacular view of the Derwent River.
Return to walk along Colville Street towards Sandy Bayfor an
admirable view of a variety of historic houses and cottages; indeed,
each house in the entire neighbourhood is an architectural entity. The
street itself was named after Lord Colville, whose grandson was the
same George Frankland who built Secheron. No. 57 at the end of the
street is thought to be the oldest building on the street, part of the
original Gleeson's Farm which occupied the site in the 1830s.
Turn right on Cromwell Street, to find on the left St George's Anglican
Church, often called 'the mariner's church'. Designed by John Lee
Archer (nave) and James Blackburn (tower) between 1836 and 1847, it is
one of Australia's finest examples of Greek Revival style. The church
includes a nave of five bays divided by pilasters and with 50-pane
windows. Next door is St George's School, in a simple Georgian style of
stone blockwork. A very early school building, it preceded the first
state school, Trinity School.
Continue to De Witt Street, turn left; on the other side of the street
is a row of cottages built in the early 1850s by Robert Logan. At St
George's Terrace you have a good view down to the bay and up to the
hillside residential areas.
Return to Elizabeth Street by returning to De Witt Street and
walking back to Hampden Road; a turn in either direction leads to Sandy
Bay Road, a busy street. At Sandy Bay Road and Harrington Street,
continue along the diagonal plaza of houses into Harrington Street (one
block) and enter on your right into St David's Park.
St David's Park was Hobart's original burial grounds and because it was
on a raised hill with views of the sea, it also quickly became a
popular picnic spot. Included here are the tombs of Lieutenant Governor
David Collins, designed by John Lee Archer in 1838, and a Gothic
Revival memorial to Governor Wilmot dating from 1850. When it was
decided to change the place into a public park in 1926, some of the
headstones were removed to Anglesea Barracks; others have been
preserved in two walls leading out of the park up to Harrington Street
(the graves themselves remain at rest beneath the grass). The park also
includes a charming bandstand and the Salamanca Place entry way has a
delightful gate with carved lions' heads.
Leave the park at the Harrington and Davey Street gateway. Across Davey
Street on your left is an old stone building which stands in front of
the Royal Tennis Court. In 1875, S. Smith Travers purchased this
building (originally part of a brewery built in 1860) to introduce
royal tennis (or real tennis, as known here) to Australia. Smith's
house next door became the Hobart Trades Hall and is now part of the
Commonwealth Law Courts buildings. Unlike tennis as we know it today,
royal tennis relies on angled shots off sloping surfaces. Regular
sessions occur on the courts, and visitors may attend. There are now
courts for Royal Tennis in Melbourne and Ballarat, with plans for one
in Sydney.
From here proceed down Davey Street, some two blocks, back to the Visitor Information Centre
(t 03 6238 4222) to visit the Art Gallery.
Walk 2 The Tasmanian Art Gallery
At the Visitor Centre, turn right on Macquarie Street, one block to Argyle Street. On the corner is the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (t 6235 0777; open daily 10.00-17.00). The building is an interesting conglomeration of styles. The central part dates from 1808 and is Hobart's oldest surviving building. The main edifice dates from 1902, and an addition was made in 1966, in a predictably diluted 'urban renewal' modernism. The separate wings are now joined by a complementary post-modernist entryway.The museum originated in the activities of the Tasmanian Society for the Study of Natural Science, founded by Sir John Franklin when he was Lieutenant Governor of the colony. This organisation eventually became the Royal Society. By the 1850s, the group was conducting monthly meetings, often presenting original scientific research. The museum's collections are quite impressive, beginning in the right wing with natural history displays which include the sad story of the Tasmanian tiger, the thylacine. The last Tasmanian tiger died in a Hobart zoo in 1936. After years in which a bounty was placed on their heads, they were ambitiously hunted and killed, despite early warnings by naturalists of the possibility of extinction. Rumours abound that tigers still exist in the wilds of the southwest, but no substantiated sightings have been documented.
John Glover
John Glover (1767-1849), born near Leicester, had an established reputation as a watercolourist and oil painter in the Claudean Romantic landscape tradition. His views in the early 1800s, especially those done in the Lake District and in Italy, made him so fashionable that at one time he was seen as a serious rival to J.M.W. Turner. In 1820 Glover was wealthy enough to open his own gallery in London. By the end of the decade, however, interest in his style of painting-he had devised a characteristically meticulous 'stippling' method for depicting foliage-was waning. In 1830, at the age of 64, Glover sold everything and joined his sons, already immigrated to Van Diemen's Land. He received a land grant in Deddington, near Ben Lomond, where he established a farm, 'Patterdale', in memory of the Lake District.
The paintings Glover produced in Tasmania, art historians claim, are markedly different from his works completed in England. The argument concludes that, confronted with a wholly new environment, Glover was compelled to adapt his technique to different atmospheric conditions and to the unique elements of the antipodean landscape. Many experts maintain that Glover was the first to depict accurately the Australian gum-tree, one of the major points of contention when discussing Australian painting of the 19C.
His My Harvest Home on view here is a delightful piece of propaganda, emphasising his new country's fecundity, in its abundant harvest of wheat, and symbolising the presence of British culture in the appearance of a typically lush garden filled with northern flowers. Glover is buried in the churchyard of Deddington, next to the church he supposedly helped to design. When the artist Tom Roberts honeymooned near here in the 1880s, he spearheaded a campaign to restore Glover's neglected grave.
The collection of colonial art exhibited on the first floor is
especially significant for its representation of the Tasmanian
landscape. The most impressive works are by William Piguenit
(1836-1914), one of the first Australian-born landscape artists of
note, and by John Glover (see box, p 417), probably the most famous
immigrant artist of the period.
George Augustus Robinson and Truganini
George Augustus Robinson (1788-1866), a Methodist bricklayer and
builder, had been appointed in 1829 to take charge of the Aborigines on
Bruny Island immediately prior to Lieutenant Governor Arthur's failed
'Black Line' round up of Aborigines. Robinson suggested that he take a
number of the Bruny Island people with him on an attempt to talk the
Aboriginal people around Hobart into accepting relocation. After a
number of trips into the interior with Truganini as his guide and
protector, he had convinced nearly all of the local people to accept
transport to Flinders Island. As the Encyclopedia of Australia
describes the Aborigines' situation, 'removed from their regular
hunting grounds, they pined away and died'.'Robinson was subsequently
made Chief Protector of Aborigines and stationed near Port Phillip, a
position he held between 1839 and 1849 when administration became more
important than contact with the indigenous people in the region.
Truganini (1803-1876) was the daughter of Mangana, an elder in the
group of Aborigines living on Bruny Island. She had witnessed her
mother's death, stabbed by a white settler in a night raid, and her
sisters' abduction by whalers. She was living as a prostitute in Hobart
when Robinson and his guide Woorrady convinced her to accompany them on
the 'conciliation' trip. Truganini is credited with saving Robinson's
life by floating him across a river while under attack by hostile
Aborigines during his early ventures at concilliation in Tasmania.
Efforts by Robinson to 'Europeanise' the Aborigines at Flinders Island
were unsuccessful. The efforts of his successors to demoralise them
further succeeded in reducing the population to 54 in 1843. In 1856
Truganini was among the surviving Aborigines moved to Oyster Cove near
Hobart. She died in 1876 in Hobart, seven years after her husband
William Lanne (or Lanney)'s corpse had been mutilated in a gruesome
conflict between the Royal College of Surgeons in London and the Royal
Society in Tasmania. Her dying wish was to have a decent burial 'behind
the mountains'; it was not to be, as her bones were displayed for years
in the Tasmanian Museum. Her wish was finally honoured a century later
when her ashes were scattered in D'Entrecasteaux Channel.
In his essay The Spectre of Truganini, art historian Bernard Smith
elucidates the cultural significance of depictions of Truganini, the
'last Tasmanian Aboriginal', and Robert Hughes writes movingly of
Truganini's gruesome plight in The Fatal Shore. Indeed, in the recent
ABC-TV (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) series, Frontier (1997),
Truganini's story symbolises the worst of white-black conflict in 19C
Australia.
Several works in the gallery concentrate on the depiction of
Tasmanian Aboriginals. Intriguingly, the earliest white settlers,
unlike those in New South Wales, seem not to have had an artistic
interest in the island's native population. No images exist until the
late 1820s and 1830s, by which time native 'containment' was nearly
complete. Of greatest importance are Benjamin Duterrau's historically
significant if artistically lamentable depictions of the Tasmanian
Aborigines and George Augustus Robinson ('The Conciliator')'s attempts
to bring them into settlements. Duterrau (1767-1851), who revered his
fellow Methodist Robinson, wanted to create an epic historical painting
of such an attempt; his The Conciliation (c 1840), is indeed the first
history painting created in Australia. While earlier examples of
Duterrau's work, including his self-portrait on the other side of the
room, indicate that he had some painterly skills, the deterioration in
ability evident in his Tasmanian paintings may be the result of age, or
perhaps over-ambition. There is some evidence that this version of the
Conciliation was a smaller one than that Duterrau eventually planned to
make. Also on display here are casts of Benjamin Law's brooding busts
of Truganini (see box, p 418) and Woureddy, presented appropriately in
classic pose, as the last representatives of their race.
The most poignant portrait in this gallery is Thomas Bock's small
watercolour of Mathinna (1842, see box), commissioned from Bock by Lady
Jane Franklin. This picture offers an appropriate focus to consider two
important figures in the cultural life of colonial Tasmania. Thomas
Bock (c 1790-1855) had been a painter and engraver before being
sentenced to 14 years' transportation for administering a drug to cause
abortion. Upon arrival in Hobart in 1824, his skills as an engraver
were quickly put to use in the design of banknotes and illustrations.
By 1832 he gained a full pardon and had already established himself as
a portrait painter. His portraits in pastels, watercolour and oil
include those of prominent citizens, as well as condemned prisoners and
bushrangers. He even made a post-mortem likeness of the cannibal
Alexander Pearce. It is no surprise that he would have been
commissioned for portraits by Lady Jane Franklin (1791-1875), wife of
the Lieutenant Governor John Franklin (1786-1847). When they arrived in
Hobart in 1837, Sir John was already famous as an Arctic explorer (he
would perish in an attempted exploration of Antarctic waters). Lady
Jane was an intelligent, ambitious philanthropist. She was the first
woman to climb Mount Wellington and the first to travel overland from
Melbourne to Sydney. She involved herself in a number of projects to
improve the lot of prisoners and to advance education and cultural
pursuits in the colony (see Lady Jane Franklin Museum, p 425).
Further galleries on the first floor house changing exhibitions on
Australian 20C art, Aboriginal art, and photography.
Mathinna
One of Lady Jane's 'projects' was Mathinna, an Aboriginal girl brought
to Government House when she was seven. Franklin's aim, it seems, was
to show the 'degree of civilisation' that natives under guidance could
acquire. The red dress in which Bock depicts her was her prized
possession, and she wrote of it proudly in a letter to her real
stepfather. As with so many of her other charitable projects, Lady Jane
eventually moved on to other concerns and, when the Franklins left the
island in 1843, Mathinna was abandoned. She was sent to the Queen's
Orphan School and eventually joined the remaining Aboriginals at Oyster
Cove. She was found dead at 21, 'intoxicated...in mud and water on the
road...choked, suffocated and stifled'. The small mining town near
Fingal in northeastern Tasmania is named in her honour.
Leaving the museum on Macquarie Street, you can see across the
street on the corner of Argyle Street a red-brick Classical Revival
style building which is now used by the Hobart City Council. It was
built in 1907 as the city's public library, funded largely by the
American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who donated £7500 for
its establishment.
Immediately across Macquarie Street on the opposite corner is Hobart's
General Post Office, a two-storey building with, predictably, a corner
clock tower; it was designed by A.C. Walker and built in 1905.
Turn right at the museum's exit and continue up Macquarie Street one
block to the Town Hall on the corner of Elizabeth Street. The Town Hall
was completed in 1866 by Henry Hunter, one of the colony's best
architects. With its three-bay Corinthian entry porch, rich interior
and grand staircase it reflects the confident ambitions of a prosperous
city in the middle of the Victorian period.
Across Elizabeth Street is Franklin Square, a lovely park with a famous
Wishing Well fountain. From here Walking Tours of Battery Point,
conducted by the National Trust, commence every Saturday at 09.30.
Next to Franklin Square on the same block is a complex of buildings,
often referred to simply as the Treasury, although it actually has had
several functions and today houses a variety of public offices that
have integrated previous structures on the site. The central
façade on Macquarie Street was designed by W.P. Kay and built
between 1860 and 1914. The impressive scale of this three-storey
building presents a fine example of the Victorian Classical Revival
style that dominated public buildings in Australia during this period.
The right-hand side of the building was originally the 1830 courthouse,
an important cultural centre for the early colony; the left-hand side
was the 1858 courthouse.
Across the street is St David's Cathedral, a stone Gothic Revival
building begun in 1868 to a design by the English architect G.F.
Bradley; it was not finished until 1936. The entryway includes a west
window with tracery. The tower, made of stone quarried in Oatlands, has
a castellated parapet. To the south is a lovely small close with many
old trees.
At 130 Macquarie Street is the J. Walch & Sons Building, dating
from 1860, and housing Walch's Stationery, the oldest surviving
stationers in Australia. St Joseph's Catholic Church, at 165 Macquarie
Street, dating from 1841-43, was designed by J. Thomson and is the
oldest surviving Roman Catholic church in Hobart.
Anglesea Barracks
At Barrack Street, turn left, walk across Davey Street to the entrance
to Anglesea Barracks (t 03 6237 7160; open Tuesdays 09.00-13.00,
Thursdays 9.00-12.00). The barracks were built between 1814 and 1879,
making it the oldest occupied military facility in Australia. They were
named after the Duke of Anglesea, hero of the Battle of Waterloo.
Devised by Governor Macquarie on his first Tasmanian visit in 1811, the
first building was the hospital, constructed in 1814. It is now the
Commandant's residence. At the same time work began on the Officer's
Quarters and Mess, but these were not completed until 1829. These were
designed by Lieutenant John Watts and John Lee Archer and consist of
three single-storey buildings with verandahs, cement-rendered bricks
and slate roofs. The Officers' Married Quarters and the Old Drill Hall
were completed in 1824, and contain interesting architectural details,
such as the pilasters placed between each set of windows.
The military gaol, finished in 1846, is built out of local sandstone.
The Garrison Tap Room from 1834 includes an interesting stuccoed brick
entrance portico. Set in the most imposing location of the complex is
the Soldiers' Barracks, built in the 1850s and facing the Lower Parade
Ground.
Tours of the complex are available with a detailed brochure describing
the barracks' history. Enquire at the barrack's museum or at the
Visitors' Information Centre at Davey and Elizabeth Streets.
After touring the barracks, you may want to return to the centre of the
city by catching a bus on Macquarie Street.
Walk 3 Cat and Fiddle Arcade
From
the Visitor Centre walk up Elizabeth Street two blocks to Collins
Street, where Elizabeth Street becomes a pedestrian mall known as
'Restaurant Row'. The restaurants here, as well as others throughout
Hobart, demonstrate how Tasmanian produce is being used to create some
of the best dining experiences in the world. Halfway up the mall is the
Cat and Fiddle Arcade, an intriguing complex of shops. Enter the arcade
on the left, and walk through to Murray Street. Outside turn right and
walk 150m across Liverpool Street to the State Library on the corner of
Bathurst Street.
The State Library building is a hideous early 1960s glass and metal
five-storey structure, but housed inside (along with a lending library,
research library, archives, and the W.C. Crowther Tasmaniana Library)
is the Allport
Museum
and
Library (t 6233 7484; open weekdays, 09.30-17.00,
Saturdays 09.30 - 14.30). On the library's ground floor is a small
collection, a bequest from Henry Allport, heir to the Allport family,
one of the earliest free settlers in Tasmania. The original generation
included Mary Morton Allport (1806-95), a gifted artist and musician,
who left some of the earliest artistic and literary accounts of the
colony. The Allports remained one of Tasmania's leading families,
producing many significant artists. The collection, based on Allport's
own bequest, plus purchases through his endowment, consists of
decorative arts, period rooms, as well as an impressive library of rare
books and items of Tasmaniana. While the holdings are rather eclectic,
and at times it is difficult to determine the collection's aim, within
the atmosphere of the library it seems a sweet attempt at cultural
loftiness. The library itself includes some of the most important works
concerning Tasmania, Australia, and the South Pacific. The presentation
of the significance of the Allport family in Tasmanian history is
appropriate and warranted. The Allports' estate 'Aldridge' (c 1830) on
Elboden Street stayed in the family until 1968.
After leaving the library, make a right on to Bathurst Street. At 106
Bathurst Street is the Playhouse, originally the Union Chapel. It was
built in 1863 by H.R. Bastow in an unusual 'Romanesque' Revival style
that incorporated a colonnade and Roman-arched windows.
Two blocks along Bathurst Street is Argyle Street; turn left to see
midway down the block at no. 59, Australia's oldest existing synagogue.
Before its construction, the Jewish community met at the home of Judah
Solomon, who eventually donated this site in his garden for the
synagogue. It was built in 1845 by James Thomson in a delightful
Egyptian Revival style, a popular style for synagogues of the 1840s. At
one time, the Jewish population of Hobart rivalled that of Sydney, but
the population dwindled significantly by the 1870s. Services, both
Liberal and Orthodox, are held on Fridays. Contact the Hebrew
Congregation of Hobart for tours of the building.
Return to Bathurst Street and proceed right to Scots Church. Built in
1834-36 by J.E. Addison as St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, it was one
of the first attempts in the colony at an historically accurate Gothic
Revival style. The building complex includes a hall with a simple
sandstone chapel of undressed block; this edifice seems to have been
designed by W. Wilson in 1834. The church is the oldest surviving
Presbyterian church in Australia.
After leaving the church, turn left to Campbell Street, then left again
for two blocks to Penitentiary Chapel and Criminal Courts, on the
corner of Brisbane Street. An extensive site, it is the remaining
portion of the original military complex, much of which is now occupied
by the Royal Hobart Hospital. The chapel was commissioned after the
free citizens of the city complained about the convicts attending
services at St David's Church. Building commenced in 1831, again from a
design by Colonial Architect John Lee Archer. As well as being the
convicts' church, it was also the original church for the Holy Trinity
Parish. By 1857 the addition of law courts made the entire site part of
the Hobart Town Gaol. It remains the only surviving example of Georgian
ecclesiastical architecture in the Commonwealth. The chapel was used
until 1961, the courts until 1983. Tours of the site, including
subterranean tunnels, and solitary cells, are conducted each evening by
the National Trust (t
03 6231 0911, 10.30, $10).
Leave the complex on Brisbane Street, turn right back to
Campbell
Street, and proceed right five blocks to the Theatre Royal (t 03 6233
2299/1 800 650 277, tours Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 11.00,
$10). Opened in 1837 as the Royal Victoria Theatre, it is the oldest
continuously working theatre in Australia. It was designed and financed
by Peter Degraves, owner of the Cascade Brewery. Originally a plain
Georgian structure, it was remodelled in 1857 by the new owner John
Davies. Many of the world's greatest actors and musicians, from Ellen
Tree and Sarah Siddons to Dame Sybil Thorndike, have performed here.
Laurence Olivier, who acted here in the late 1940s with his wife Vivien
Leigh, called it 'the best little theatre in the world'.
Threatened with demolition in the early 1950s, the theatre was saved
largely through the efforts of novelist Hal Porter, who physically
barred the bulldozers at the door. The interior is a gem of early
Victorian decoration, with a domed ceiling including painted portrait
roundels of the great composers; in a disastrous fire in 1984, all of
these (save Wagner!) were destroyed, but they, as well as the entire
interior, have been lovingly restored.
Queen's Domain and Botanical Gardens
Take the bus from the Elizabeth Street Bus Station to the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens
(t 6236 3076; open daily 08.00-16.45). The gardens are located in
Queen's Domain, the largest park in Hobart, which also includes the
cricket grounds, Olympic swimming pool, and Rose Garden. These
facilities are located near the Domain entrance off the Tasman Highway.
At this same junction on the other side of the highway is the Memorial
Cenotaph, an obelisk honouring Tasmania's war dead.
The bus into the Domain ends its route a short and pleasant walk from
the entrance to the Botanical Gardens. The gardens are adjacent to the
Government House, residence of the Tasmanian Governor-General. Built in
1857, its elaborate castellation and grand appearance caused it to be
considered an extravagant waste of colonial funds. From here, you have
a grand view of the Derwent River as it is crossed by the Tasman
Bridge. This bridge was opened with much ceremony in 1965. In 1975, the
bulk ore carrier Lake Illawarra struck the bridge, demolishing several
spans and sinking the vessel. Remnants of the spans can still be seen.
The bridge was repaired and reopened.
Huon Pine
As every tourist will be bombarded with examples of Tasmania's unique
wood Huon Pine, a description of its appearance is perhaps not
necessary, but its significance cannot be overlooked in an antipodean
setting where workable hardwoods were so hard to come by. Huon Pine,
moreover, holds a singular place in Australian history, as it
contributed greatly to the rise of shipbuilding and the viability of
seafaring enterprise. First discovered in the Huon River district by
Robert Brown (the river and region were named after the French explorer
Huon de Kermandec, who explored the region in 1792), the wood was the
economic excuse for the establishment of the penal colony by Governor
Sorell at Macquarie Harbour in the southwest corner of the colony. From
1821 until its abandonment in 1832, Macquarie Harbour was by far the
grimmest and most isolated penal settlement of the English-speaking
world, not least of all because of the treacherous efforts necessary to
lumber the pine trees growing there. While slow-growing and
long-lived-one tree was ringed in 1974 as being 2200 years old-Huon
Pine is considered to be the best shipbuilding timber in the world. It
is so durable that a sea-going vessel of its timber can remain
unaffected by rot for more than 100 years.
As you can see in many of the museums and historic houses, the wood's
beautiful colour and texture also made it ideal for furniture and
framing. Such an economic goldmine in the days of wooden vessels
necessarily led to the rapid decimation of many of the Huon forests. As
early as 1879, legislation was introduced to limit the
felling-beginning what remains today an ongoing and emotionally fraught
battle between conservationists and the timber industry in Tasmania.
Current accounts seem to indicate that at present the tree is not in
danger of extinction, as it will propagate easily. Examples of the tree
and an informative brochure are available at the Botanical Gardens.
The Botanical Gardens are quite a hidden treasure, being
probably
the best-kept and most advantageously situated small public garden in
Australia. The gardens were established in 1818, initially as a
government garden to provide food for the colony. As early as 1826,
Governor Arthur had planned construction of Government House nearby,
but this early project was abandoned because of costs. Arthur then set
himself to the task of establishing a proper botanical gardens. In
1828, William Davidson, a young horticulturist from England, arrived to
become the first Superintendent. Not only did he import plants and
trees from England, but he collected native plants from the Hobart
area. His house in the grounds is now the Museum and Education Centre.
One interesting early feature is the heated wall, commissioned by
General Arthur, to warm experimental fruit trees. The wall was not in
operation for very long, as Tasmania's relatively mild climate made it
unnecessary; it is now in some disrepair.
The gardens are beautifully laid out, with a walk along Derwent River
on one side, and stunning views up to Mount Wellington behind. The
grounds also include an elegant Conservatory, filled with blooming
plants and lovely fountains. The Japanese Gardens were created in
honour of Hobart's sister city, Yaizu, Japan. A nice restaurant with
views to the river serves teas and lunch. Near to the restaurant,
examples of Tasmania's most famous wood, the Huon Pine, are on view.
Upper Hobart and Mount Wellington
Travelling up Davey Street, at Southern Outlet Road turn right
to
Macquarie Street which now becomes Cascade Road, leading to the Cascade Brewery
(t 03 6224 1117; open Mon-Fri, 09.30-13.00; $20; the Davey Street
bus from Elizabeth Street opposite the post office will pass the
brewery, bookings essential). The brewery itself is a delightful
structure, with a seven-storey façade that is reminiscent of a
German castle or a Victorian 'wedding cake' style (the interior was
gutted in the 1967 bushfires). The brewery, founded in 1824 by the
Degraves family, is the oldest operating brewery in the country.
Cascade Beer still enjoys a well-deserved reputation as one of
Australia's purest and best beers.
Peter Degraves was granted 2500 acres on the side of Mount Wellington
by Governor Sorell. Here he established a sawmill, which prospered; in
the next decade he initiated the brewery, which Degraves designed
himself. Degraves was also responsible for the design and financing of
the Theatre Royal. Today you can tour Woodstock, Degraves' original
home. Immediately below the brewery are the Cascade Gardens, owned and
operated by the company. Nestled in a cool gully, the gardens offer a
soothing atmosphere in its well-kept grounds which include some of the
plants originally brought by Degraves.
If you return to Davey Street and continue west, the winding road
becomes Huon road and eventually travels to the top of Mount Wellington
(the Met runs buses from Macquarie Street opposite the post office). At
1271m high, it is one of Tasmania's highest peaks. In his novel A
Fringe of Leaves (1976), Patrick White describes the peak as a
'shrouded mountain looming over all', and the native Tasmanian writer
Peter Conrad in Down Home declared that 'Hobart belongs to Mount
Wellington'. Along the road to the top there is an interesting picnic
stop at the point where the earliest inn opened in the 1860s; it was
destroyed in the bush fire of 1967, also chronicled in the placards
here. At The Pinnacle, you can experience an impressive display of
Tasmanian weather at its most whimsical. A well-organised enclosure
presents spectacular views of Hobart and the entire Derwent River area;
placards describe views and give an account of some of the intrepid
early explorers to this wind-swept site. A small path allows visitors
to venture into the craggy rocks and low bush that make up this barren
landscape.
Runnymede and Lady Franklin Gallery
Drive north out of central Hobart on Highway 1, Brooker Highway. Turn
left at Risdon Road, follow signs to Runnymede at 61 Bay Road, or take
Bus Route 20.
Runnymede
(t 6278 1269; weekdays 10.00-16.30, weekends 12.00 - 4.30, $8) was
built c 1836 for Robert Pitcairn, Tasmania's first lawyer and
anti-transportation advocate. In 1850 Pitcairn sold the property to the
first Anglican bishop, Rev. Francis Russell Nixon, who made additions
to the house. Finally it was acquired in 1864 by Captain Charles
Bayley, who named it Runnymede after his favourite ship. Now run by the
National Trust, the house has been furnished in period style, and the
beautiful cottage gardens are a popular wedding spot.
Upon leaving Runnymede, turn north on Risdon Street; continue to
Augusta Street and turn right. Augusta Street becomes Lenah Valley
Road. Continue c 1.5km to Lady Franklin Gallery (t 03 6228 2662;
open weekends 13.30-16.30). This incongruous location for a Doric
temple is another result of Lady Franklin's ambitious philanthropic
activities. In this case, she had acquired 410 country acres (166 ha)
with the intention of establishing a cultural and educational centre.
Designed in 1843 by James Blackburn, it is a skilful example of the
Greek Revival style. As the Heritage of Australia guide describes it,
'the values of convict-based society were inimical to its use as a
cultural centre and it was abandoned for many years, then used as an
apple shed'. It is now owned by the Art Society of Tasmania, who hold
weekend exhibitions there.
Return to Highway 1, proceed north c 5.5km to Elwick Street.
The
Elwick Racecourse is on the right. Turn left, then right on to Grove
Street to Anfield (100m); here is the Tasmanian Transport Museum,
Glenorchy
(t 03
6272
7721;
open
weekends
and
holidays,
13.00-16.30), with an exhibition of the history of trains in Tasmania,
including train rides on first and third Sundays (open 11.00), both
diesel and steam.
University of Tasmania
From the centre of town, take Davey Street to Harrington, turn left;
the road will become Sandy Bay Road. At Grace Street (c 2km), turn
right to the University of Tasmania. The university is the fourth
oldest university in Australia, founded in 1890. Beginning with three
lecturers and six students, classes were originally held in a former
high school in Queen's Domain; it moved to its present site after the
Second World War. Errol Flynn, who was born in Hobart, was the son of
Thomas Flynn, professor of biology at the university. In 1961, Peter
Loftus and Paul Fenton revived the university magazine Diogenes with
this scathing editorial:
Can Tasmania ever be anything but an intellectual backwater? Will Tasmanians ever progress from their present stage-a collection of passive natives ogling at coloured beads-the ships in the dock, the snow on the mountains, the ANZ Bank, the castration of Georgian charm, pyjama-pants, television towers, and the university's soulless shiver of squares? ... Culture? There's no such animal-maybe that's why Hobart needs a zoo.
The university was also the site of Australia's most notorious
sexual harassment case, that of Professor Sydney Sparkes Orr in the
1950s; Orr's case has been the subject of much study, including Michael
Boddy's story 'A Matter of Mourning', W.H.C. Eddy's Orr (1961) and the
more recent explorations of the topic such as the 1993 film Orr by
George Miller of Mad Max fame. Today the university magazine Island is
a widely-respected journal of literary and cultural review.
The university's architecture is for the most part undistinguished,
dating primarily from the functionalist 1960s; one interesting
attraction is the John Elliott Classics Museum (t 03 6220 2235; open
afternoons, Feb-Nov) on Churchill Avenue. It contains examples of art
and artefacts of the ancient world, from Mesopotamia to Early Christian.
From Churchill Road, turn left into Nelson Street; cross Sandy Bay Road
and continue on Drysdale Place to the Wrest Point Casino (t 03 6225
0112), the site of Hobart's claim to glamorous nightlife. When it
opened in 1973, it was the first legal casino in Australia and was
touted as a tourist goldmine. Designed by one of Australia's most
prolific 'modernists' Roy Grounds, the tall tower of the building-yes,
complete with revolving restaurant at the top-is endearingly known by
locals as the Salt Shaker. From the casino, Heritage Walks by the Sandy
Bay Historical Society (t 03 6223 6703; walks by appointment).
South of Hobart
On the road out of Lower Sandy Bay to Snug and Kettering, 11km south outside of Hobart, is the Shot Tower (t 03 6227 8885; open daily, 09.00-17.30). The tower was built in 1870 by Scottish immigrant Joseph Moir. Standing 48m high, it contains 31 landings and some 300 steps to the top, where you have a tremendous, vertigo-inducing view of Derwent River and out to Storm Bay. A small museum and video presentation gives the history of Moir and his tower and explains the process of making shot, which varies little from modern methods. From all reports, the Moir family, heirs included, were amusingly eccentric, given to inventive practical jokes. The site includes a house with tea room and gift shop.
Bruny Island
Kettering (population 318), 34km from Hobart, is a picturesque fishing
village. From here you can catch one of the more or less hourly
vehicular ferries to Bruny Island, today a leisurely getaway, but
historically significant in the early exploration of the South Pacific.
It was actually discovered by Abel Tasman, and explored by every other
prominent explorer from Cook to Bligh. Its name was bestowed upon it by
the French Admiral Antoine Raymond Joseph de Bruni D'Entrecasteaux
(1739-93), who made the first extensive survey of the channel now known
by the admiral's last name. Only a thin isthmus connects the southern
and northern portions of the island; at this point you can often see
fairy penguins on shore.
At Adventure Bay is the Bligh
Museum (t 03 6293 1117; open daily 10.00-17.00, 10.00-16.00 winter)
chronicling the island's early history as a whaling centre; it is said
that Bligh himself planted the island's first apple tree here in 1788.
The building was made out of 26,000 convict-made bricks that were
collected from Variety Bay. The artefacts exhibited include the remains
of Cook's Tree, a tree on the bay where Captain Cook had carved his
name in 1777. The tree was destroyed in a fire in 1905; a monument now
marks the spot where it stood.
The Aboriginal name for the island was Lunawanna-Allonah, and these
names are still preserved for two towns on the southern end of the
island. It was here that Truganini (see box, p 418), known as the last
full-blooded Tasmanian Aborigine, was born in 1812. After years in
which her skeleton was on display in Hobart's Museum, her wishes were
finally granted in 1975, when the remains were cremated and the ashes
scattered on the island.
Bruny Island has several places to stay, most of the 'holiday cottage'
or caravan park variety. Bookings can be made through any Tasmanian
tourist office.
From Kettering, you can continue on the Channel Highway (route
B58)
south around the edge of D'Entrecasteaux Channel 48km to Cygnet
(population 924), originally named Port de Cygne by D'Entrecasteaux
because of the number of swans here. This region is still the centre of
Tasmania's famous apple-producing orchards (Tasmania is still called
the Apple Isle), although many orchards have fallen to development.
At Huonville, 17km north on B58, Huon pine was first discovered by
D'Entrecasteaux and named, along with the town and the river, after his
colleague Captain Huon de Kermadec. 6km north of Huonville on the road
back to Hobart is Huon Valley Apple and Heritage Museum, a display and
collection of all things apple.
At Huonville, you can also join the Huon Highway (route A6) and
travel
south through the timber town of Franklin, named for Sir John Franklin,
who took up property here on the river before his ill-fated journey to
Antarctica in 1845. In town is Shipwright's Point School of Wooden Boatbuilding
(t 03 6266 3586; visitor center open daily 9.30-17.00), which offers
Australia's only accredited course in wooden boatbuilding. Further on
is Geeveston (population 750), another timber town at the gateway to Hartz Mountains
National Park (t 03 6264 8460), a very popular park for
weekend walks; the Arve River and Weld Valleys to the west of town
contain 95m tall hardwood trees, said to be the tallest in the world.
The road is sealed part of the way, and leads to several lookouts to
the Huon Valley and forests. At Port Huon, just outside Geeveston, you
can join cruises of the Huon River. Geeveston is also the site of
Australian Paper Mills' pulp-mill, one of the largest in Australia.
Continue south through the picturesque fishing village of Dover, with
three islands in the harbour known as Faith, Hope, and Charity.
Finally, 21km south of Dover, you come to Southport, the southern end
of the roads of Tasmania. The intrepid can continue a further 2km on to
route C635 to Lune River, which boasts the southernmost post office in
Australia, and the site of thermal springs and good walking trails.
Nearby are Hasting Caves, impressive limestone caves discovered in 1917.
Tasman Peninsula and Port Arthur
Travel from Hobart across Tasman Bridge to Sorell (27km). The Tasmania Golf Club (t 03 6248 5098) is on Barilla Bay near Hobart airport before you cross over to Midway Point and on to Sorel. Set on a rock promontory and surrounded on three sides by water, the physical setting of the course alone might make the game here a treat. Par is hard to beat as well. Originally called Linisfarne, it was only accessible by boat until a bridge was built and the club moved to its present site. Al Howard designed the course and Ian Grimsley constructed the fairways, greens and landscaping.Proceed east via the Arthur Highway to Copping (21km), turn south to Dunalley, c 10km, the site of a monument of Tasman and the location of a spit bridge. You now travel through the Forestier Peninsula to Eaglehawk Neck, 21km, and the Tasman Peninsula. A number of tour buses make this trip and can be booked at the Visitor's Information Centre in Hobart.
Tasman Peninsula is itself a contradiction; today's gorgeous wind-swept beaches must not have seemed so beautiful to those incarcerated at Port Arthur, or even those stationed there. Located at the end of the Tasman Peninsula, it was connected to the rest of the island only by a 420m-wide stretch of land, Eaglehawk Neck. Today a beautiful beach site with several natural sites worth visiting, at the time of Port Arthur's existence this isthmus was guarded by fierce dogs chained across it, nine to eleven of them, effectively preventing any possibility of escape. It worked, for there were very few escapes. The Visitor's Centre at the beach provides some contemporary descriptions by soldiers and a soldier's wife, describing the intense isolation, loneliness, and boredom endured at this outpost.
Be sure to stop at Eaglehawk Neck to see the natural wonders, especially the Tessellated Pavements, a remarkable geological feature at the beach, in which rocks appear almost as a sunken man-made tile floor. The phenomenon is caused by curiously straight fractions in Permian mudstone which, following water erosion, give the appearance of gigantic natural bricks or tiles.
The water at the beach, even in the height of summer, is treacherous and very cold; there is beautifully inviting surf, but a wet suit is recommended at all times if you want to swim.
On the other side of Eaglehawk Neck (c 3km) are other interesting sites: the Tasman Arch and the Devil's Kitchen are worth a view, again for the bizarre interaction of sea and stone. The Blowhole can be a bit of a disappointment, except at the right time of tide. It was here that Marcus Clarke set the climax for his 1872 novel For the Term of His Natural Life. Travelling to Tasman Arch, you will pass through Doo-town, a holiday resort village in which all the houses have been given a name with 'Doo' in it, as in 'Doo Drop Inn', 'Love Me Doo'.
Port Arthur
Return to the main highway and continue on to Port Arthur
(21km).
The
tragic events of April 1996 at Port Arthur, during which a deranged
young man shot and killed 35 innocent visitors, must be mentioned here,
if only to commemorate the victims of this senseless slaughter and to
commend the attempts by all Tasmanians to persevere and endure. More
than any other place, this historic site captures the dichotomy of
Tasmanian life, with its romantic ruins belying an horrific past.
Port Arthur Historic Site
(t 1800 659 101; open daily 09.00-17.00), as it is called today,
early on became the most notorious penal colony in Australian history.
Founded in 1833 by Lieutenant-Governor George Arthur, the prison
intended, a contemporary document quite clearly states, 'to inspire
terror and to improve the moral character of an offender'. Its main
purpose was as a place of incarceration for transportees who committed
further crimes while in the colony, or for those convicts deemed
incorrigible and incapable of following Arthur's specific rules of
behaviour. It continued to operate as a prison until 1877, some 24
years after transportation ended in Tasmania. Port Arthur came to
symbolise all that was most hideous about the transportation system,
although by contemporary standards the conditions were probably better
than in many other prisons.
Robert Hughes, in his book, The Fatal Shore and elsewhere, has warned
of the temptation to turn the site into a convict Disneyland:
Australia has many parking lots but few ruins. When Australians see the ruin of an old building, our impulse is either to finish tearing it down or to bring in the architects and restore it as a cultural centre, if large, or a restaurant, if small. Port Arthur is the only example of an Australian historical ruin appreciated and kept for its own sake (although local entrepreneurs have tried, and so far failed, to refurbish it as Convictland)...Far more than Macquarie Harbour or even Norfolk Island, Port Arthur has always dominated the popular historical imagination in Australia as the emblem of the miseries of transportation, 'the Hell on earth'.
While it is not quite that blatant, the deference paid to tourists at this most popular Tasmanian attraction does run the risk of such commercialisation. The fascination of the site lies in the incongruity of its current romantic atmosphere with the realities of its true 19C past. Arthur offered the possibility of 'reform' by good behaviour through a rigid system of steps. Convict life was obsessively proscribed, as the book of regulations (reprinted and for sale at the Port Arthur Museum) indicates. Convicts were kept at hard labour from sunrise to sunset, with two brief breaks for meals; those on the chain gangs were forced to wear chains, and to dress in the distinctive yellow and grey costumes with the word 'felon' stamped across them in several places. Conversation was forbidden, with separate cells for each prisoner. Food, while by present standards minimal, was probably more plentiful and reliable than the free poor of England would have had at the time; those in extreme hard labour received as much as a pound of meat a day. Training in trades was possible. Port Arthur was also one of the first institutions to set aside a separate facility for young offenders (Port Puer), where they were provided with training, religious instruction, and some rudimentary education.
A well-devised pocket-size map accompanies admission to the complex. The entry fee is a rather hefty sum, but includes the boat ride to the cemetery on the Isle of Dead. The guide indicates walking routes to take on the basis of time available for those who do not want to take an organised tour (of which there are many). Displays and presentations concentrate on archaeological excavation and restoration, with some discussion of social history, although little is said about the women (wives and servants) and children who were part of this bizarre social matrix.
The four-storey Penitentiary building, while badly damaged,
still
gives enough evidence of its inhospitable purpose. The Museum, which at
one time was an insane asylum, has an excellent, if limited and
eclectic, presentation of actual social conditions of the place. There
are examples of stone carving done by convicts, an example of their
uniform, excerpts from writings by soldiers and convicts, and displays
of physical remnants.
The 'Model Prison' is a grotesquely ironic name for the building
reserved for the most recalcitrant inmates. Based on the ideas of
England's Pentonville Prison, punishment took the form of total silence
and isolation. The building included 50 cells, two 'dark and dumb'
cells for those who refused to obey, exercise yards, and even a chapel
in which cubicles made it impossible for prisoners to be in contact
with each other. When out of their cells, 'model prisoners' were
required to wear a cap over their faces which prevented them from
recognising each other.
The Commandant's House has meticulous descriptions of its restoration
following its many careers. After abandonment of the site, the
structure became a tourist resort, the Hotel Carnarvon; in the 1880s it
apparently acquired the unusual wall murals of exotic scenes, probably
completed by the Mason sisters who lived in the hotel.
William O'Brien's cottage commemorates the stay at Port Arthur of its
most 'high profile' convict, the Irish political prisoner, who was only
there for three months. Leader of the Irish Home Rule movement, O'Brien
refused to state that he would not escape, and was consequently sent to
Norfolk Island, where he indeed tried to escape. As O'Brien was a
highly volatile political prisoner, the government was unable to dole
out the normal treatment for him; they could not afford a martyr to the
cause. The authorities simply watched his activities, placing him under
a kind of house arrest. O'Brien was finally given a ticket-of-leave,
whence he made his way to Brussels at the end of the 1850s; in 1856, he
was finally allowed to return to Ireland.
Port Arthur's Church was central to Governor Arthur's penal system;
attendance at religious services was compulsory, in the belief that
moral rehabilitation of the convicts might arise (as one of the
descriptive plaques points out, very few prisoners were thus reformed).
The colony's church, then, was a significant edifice, able to seat as
many as 1500 convicts and members of the garrison. Apparently designed
by convict architect Henry Laing, the foundation stone was laid in
April 1836. The remaining ruins of the church (it was burned in the
1880s) give evidence of an ambitious building campaign. Religious
dissent at the prison arose when the many Catholic convicts eventually
refused to attend the Anglican religious services. An embarrassed
government finally succumbed and allowed a Catholic priest. The
Catholic church was built in 1857.
Offshore from the main complex is the Isle of Dead where convicts and
other Port Arthur figures were buried, many with elaborate tombstones.
While the trip to the island is included in the entrance fee, an
additional fee is charged to take a longer harbour tour. Some 1769
convicts were buried in unmarked graves, while officers and free
person's graves include interesting headstones. Many of them sculpted
by convicts, they include the work of Thomas Pickering, recognised by
his rope-like borders and penchant for flowers and verse. The grave of
Henry Savery, whose Quintus Servinton (1831) is considered Australia's
first novel, is one of the anonymous graves; he committed suicide here
in 1840.
Port Arthur also conducts 'ghost tours' during some evenings.
Check
at the Davey Street Information Centre for availability, or at the Port
Arthur entrance gate. As you can imagine in a place with such a
desperate past, legends of lingering ghosts abound. A display in the
Commandant's House even includes supposed photographic 'evidence' of
their presence.
Hobart to Launceston
The Hobart to Launceston road was completed in 1826. At that time it took 12 hours to complete by coach. By 1872 Anthony Trollope could observe that 'the road from Launceston to Hobart Town is as good as any road in England and is in appearance exactly like an English Road.' While the comment was probably meant as a compliment, the paternal implication offended a number of Tasmanians. Buses make the trip between Hobart and Launceston routinely. Tour buses will make some of the stops described here.From Hobart travel north on Highway 1, the Midland Highway, to
Bridgewater (19km), which for years was the main north-south crossing
of the Derwent River. The original causeway was constructed in the
1830s by convict labour in chains, who brought by wheelbarrow some two
million tons of stone and clay. Continuing on 8km, you will come to the
twin towns of Brighton and Pontville (population 908), situated on the
Jordan River. Named perhaps facetiously by Macquarie, being nowhere
near the sea, Brighton was at one time seriously considered to become
the colony's capital. It has always been an important garrison town,
and is still the site of the main Tasmanian military base. When passing
through Brighton, look left to see Mount Dromedary, famed as the
hideout for the legendary 'Robin Hood' of bushrangers, Martin Cash.
Martin Cash
Convicted as an attempted murderer, Cash arrived in the colony in 1837;
he was one of the only prisoners to escape from Port Arthur (four
times!) by swimming Eaglehawk Bay. As a bushranger, he was famed for
his courtesy to women and the poor. After many successful years as an
outlaw, Cash was caught and sentenced to death in Hobart, but ended up
on Norfolk Island. When that settlement closed, he returned to Tasmania
and was for years caretaker of the Government House gardens; he died on
his farm in Glenorchy in 1877.
Pontville is known for its lovely Anglican church, St Mark's,
designed by James Blackburn and built 1839-41. From the entrance there
is a splendid view back to Mount Wellington. The church graveyard
contains many interesting gravestones of the Butlers, a leading
Tasmanian family.
The highway now proceeds through Mangalore and Bagdad (6km and 8km).
The proliferation of such exotic place-names, including as well Lakes
Tiberias and Jericho, has two conceivable explanations. The more
prosaic is that the early soldiers in the region had seen service in
Africa and the Levant before arriving in Tasmania; the other, more
romantic, story is that the original surveyor Hugh Germain carried with
him into the inland the Bible and a copy of Arabian Nights, and named
sites from them.
Kempton (population 226), 19km from Brighton, was originally named
Green Duckholes, and was changed to honour Anthony Fenn Kemp
(1773-1867). An early settler, he built Mount Vernon, a rural property
named in honour of George Washington whom he had apparently met in
America. Mount Vernon was located in Melton Mowbray, 6km further north
on the highway. Kempton used to have seven inns, but is now becoming an
arts-and-crafts village, known now as Kempton Village (t 03 6254 1212).
Of architectural interest here is 'Dysart House', built as a hotel in
1842, and St Mary's Church, built in 1844 and attributed to
convict-architect James Blackburn.
The Lake Highway (route A5) begins at Melton Mowbray and ends
in
83km at Great Lake, a popular fishing resort which is 40km in length,
one of the largest freshwater lakes in Australia. 19km from Melton
Mowbray on the A5 is Bothwell (population 370), declared a Historic
Town and filled with remnants of its 19C past; at least 20 buildings
are classified by the National Trust. Particularly striking is the
quite formal layout of the town, indicating the civic awareness of the
founders. Tourist information: Council Offices, Alexander Street, t 03
6259 5503.
Founded in the 1820s by Scottish settlers, Bothwell may be the site of
the very first golf course in Australia. While this cannot be entirely
substantiated, it is true that the course, located on 'Ratho' (t 03
6259 5628), the property of early settler Alexander Reid, is still in
use and open to anyone holding membership in any golf club.
Appropriately, Bothwell also houses the Australasian Golf Museum on
Market Place (t 03 6259 4033; open daily 10.00-16.00); it is
located in the historic sandstone school house.
Of note in Bothwell itself is St Luke's Church, on Alexander Street,
one block to the right off the main street, Patrick Street. Designed by
John Lee Archer, the church first held services in 1831. The sculptures
over the door are believed to have been carved by convict artist Daniel
Herbert. The town is also the site of Nant Cottage, home in the 1850s
to John Martin and John Mitchell, famous Irish political exiles, known
for their 'treasonable' political writings.
Return to route A1 and continue north. 16km further is Jericho, outside which is Spring Hill, at 488m the highest point on the Midland Highway. The next Historic Town is Oatlands (13km; population 545), so named by the peripatetic Macquarie because the region reminded him of the oat-growing country of Scotland. Established as a garrison town, it still feels like one. The town possesses the largest number of remaining sandstone buildings in all of Australia, some 138 within the town boundary, including a Court House from 1829 and a gaol building from 1835. Tourist information: 71 High Street, t 03 6254 0011.
Most impressive, and dominating the landscape, is a delightful
white
windmill, one of only four in Australia. For years derelict, the mill
complex has been restored as the Callington Mill Historic Site, with
admirably instructive explanatory signs. Included in the complex is a
steam-driven mill for times when there was no wind. It operated from
1846 until the early 1900s, when mass-produced flour made it
impracticable. While many historical buildings remain in the town, most
are extremely small and, in the end, uninteresting in their sameness,
even if they give a good picture of a 19C townscape.
When heading north from Oatlands to Tunbridge, look for several amusing
examples of topiary that local landowner Jack Cashion created from the
hawthorn bushes on his property; they have been maintained with regular
trimming since his death. The landscape now becomes flatter with
growing evidence of the grain crops for which the Midlands are famous.
Ross
37km from Oatlands turn off to the village of Ross (population 300).
Named in 1821 by Governor Macquarie in honour of the hometown of his
friend H.M. Buchanan, Ross marks the dividing line between the original
northern and southern counties created in 1804 by Governor King.
Described by the Irish exile Thomas Meagher, who lived here in 1849, as
a 'little apology of a town', Ross remains a modest village rife in
historical monuments. The region possesses a large quantity of
freestone, which made it possible to complete substantial structures in
a Georgian style. Tourist information: Tasmanian Wool Centre, Church
Street, t 03 6381 5466.
Danish author Jorgen Jorgensen was constable here in 1833, at which
time he reported the town had seven pubs, a military and a convict
barracks. He was forced to resign when he accused the local magistrate
of allowing the theft of materials for the new bridge being built
across the river.
Jorgen Jorgenson
The most famous Scandinavian associated with Australia, Jorgen
Jorgensen was described by the historian Marcus Clarke as 'one of the
most interesting human comets in history'. Born in 1780, he went to sea
under the British flag as a boy. In 1800 he was in Australia as part of
the crew of the surveying vessel Lady Nelson, which landed in Victoria.
On this ship he saw the founding of Newcastle, and the establishment of
both Hobart and Launceston. In 1804 as captain of the Alexander, he was
instrumental in the establishment of Tasmanian whaling. After returning
to England under ever more adventurous circumstances, Jorgensen ended
up in Iceland, where he proclaimed himself king for nine weeks, before
the British took him into custody. He then managed to find work as a
spy during the Napoleonic Wars; ultimately his penchant for gambling
led him into debt, and when he pawned his landlady's furniture, he was
arrested and exiled for life to Van Diemen's Land. Here he again
managed to wriggle his way out of the sentence, serving instead as an
explorer of the inland. After receiving a full pardon in 1835, he
preferred to remain in the colony working as a journalist and writer,
until his death in 1841.
It is this same disputed bridge which today is the best known
and
most striking architectural feature of the village, and probably the
most well-known monument in Tasmania. Built in 1836, the bridge was
designed by Colonial Architect John Lee Archer, but its fame rests on
the work of the stonemasons who actually constructed it. They were two
convicts, Daniel Herbert, convicted as a highwayman in 1827, and James
Colbeck, a thief. Consisting of three symmetrical arches, the bridge
has attractively proportioned stone staircases on either side leading
down to the river, with chain-linked stone pillars leading to the
bridge on each side of the road. In the arches of and underneath the
bridge, Herbert carved Celtic symbols along with images of royalty,
heads of animals and indecipherable inscriptions; in all, there are 186
panels decorating the arches. For this work he received a full pardon;
his headstone, carved by himself, marks his grave in the town's old
burial ground. The house where Herbert is believed to have lived still
stands in the village on Badajos Street.
The centre of the village, at the intersection of Bridge and Church
Streets, is affectionately known as the Four Corners. Each corner
caters to one of humankind's needs: on the southwest, Temptation: the
Man-O-Ross Hotel, established in 1835; the southeast, Salvation: the
Roman Catholic Church, originally a store; the northwest, Recreation,
in the form of the Town Hall; and the northeast, Damnation, the site of
the original gaol, now an elegant colonial home of the Council Clerk.
The entire length of Church Street, essentially the only street in
town, consists of buildings of historic interest. These include the
Scotch Thistle Inn, built in 1844 as a public house and now a
well-known restaurant, and St John's Church of England, built in 1868
from the stones of the original 1848 church. The interior of the church
is well known for its stained-glass windows, oak lectern, stone pulpit,
and hundred-year-old organ.
To the north of the Four Corners on Church Street is the Uniting
Church, built as a Methodist church in 1885. With pews of blackwood and
a ribbed pine ceiling, the church contains a modern tapestry designed
by Australian artist John Coburn, which was woven in France.
Walking up the hill to the right of the church and across the street,
you can see the foundation stones of one of the two female factories in
the state. Here women convicts did sewing and laundry for the town, and
were allowed nurseries for their children. A gate leads across the
railway to the cemeteries, including the original burial ground where
Daniel Herbert and other pioneers are buried.
Campbelltown
Return to the highway and continue north 10km to Campbelltown
(population 879), an attractive town on the Elizabeth River. Another
example of Governor Macquarie's orgy of self-commemoration, the town
was named for his wife. The main street is the highway and is here
called Bridge Street. Most of the town's major buildings are located
along it. Originally another garrison station, the area soon became
more important for its agricultural and wool productivity. Each June
Campbelltown hosts Australia's longest-running agricultural show,
initiated in 1838. The town also has a convict-built bridge, this one
of red brick and built in 1836. Tourist information:
105 High Street, t 03 6381 1353.
Important buildings include St Luke's church, on the corner of Pedder
Street, designed by John Lee Archer in 1837; the church's cemetery
includes the graves of many early prominent citizens of the area. In
the block between William and Queen Streets is The Grange, built in the
1840s for Dr William Valentine, a doctor and scientist who even
installed an observatory in the house. It now offers tourist
accommodation. Further along on the corner of the High Street is St
Andrew's Presbyterian church. Built in 1857 and considered to be one of
the best churches of this period in Australia, the interior includes an
organ and desk that belonged to Bishop Nixon, first Anglican Bishop of
Tasmania. Before leaving town, you will notice on the left in a small
park an odd little memorial to Harold Gatty, native son, who with
American Wiley Post first circumnavigated the world by plane in 1931.
After leaving Campbelltown, you enter the region known as the Norfolk Plains, covering some 5830 sq km of pastoral land. It takes its name from some of the original settlers who came in 1807 from Norfolk Island where their attempts to establish a viable free settlement had failed.
Passing through evidence of their successful agricultural
efforts
for 48km, you then turn left on C521 to Longford (c
8km; population 2027). Originally named Latour by a member of the
Cressy Establishment, a land syndicate that purchased massive tracts
here in the 1820s, Longford's history is tied to that of some of the
most prominent pastoral families in Tasmania. The many estates in the
district, built by pioneering members of these families, bear witness
to the agricultural prosperity made possible by the area's rich soil
and successful stock-breeding. Tourist information: Council Offices,
Smith Street, t 03 6391 1303.
Longford has been classified an Historic Town, and here you will find a
succession of interesting architectural sites, most dating from after
the founding of the township in 1827. Of special note is Christ Church,
erected of sandstone between 1839 and 1844. The bell and clock were
supposedly donated to the earlier church on this site by King George
IV. The church's cemetery contains the vaults of the Archer, Reibey and
Brumby families. Special mention should be made of the vault of James
Brumby, who died in 1838, for he supposedly lent his name to an
Australian legend, the wild horses of the high country. The story goes
that when James left New South Wales for Van Diemen's Land, he could
not round up his horses and they 'went bush'. When people asked who
owned the wild horses, the answer was 'they are Brumby's'. Some experts
are sceptical of this derivation and provide other possible sources,
but it makes a good local story.
8km southeast of Longford on the banks of the Macquarie River,
just
past Point Road on your right is Woolmer's
(t
03 6391 2230, accommodations and open daily 10.00-16.30, 45 minute
guided tours daily at 11.00, 12.30, 14.00, 15.30 and 10.00 in summer,
except Christmas), the estate of Thomas Archer (1790-1850), one of four
brothers who would prosper in the area. Thomas Archer came to
Launceston in 1813, and by 1818 began this estate, named after a place
in Hertfordshire. One of the least altered historic houses today,
Woolmer's is still in the hands of Archer's descendants, who conduct
tours of the residence. The original part of the house comprises two
wings at the rear which form a courtyard. After Archer retired to the
estate in 1821, he began extensive additions, including the Italianate
front, completed in the 1840s. The dining room, 'redecorated' in 1859,
remains in its original condition; many original artefacts and
paintings, including works by Salvator Rosa, are also in situ. Equally
impressive are the extensive number of outbuildings on the complex
outside the high wall surrounding the main house. At one time, the
estate supported fifty families, so several cottages, stables,
coach-houses and workman's quarters were necessary. The coachhouse
still houses the Archers' original 1913 Wolseley car.
The gardens contain many of the plants Archer imported in the 1820s.
The hawthorn hedgerows along Woolmers Lane are also authentic, and are
listed on the Register of Significant Trees.
Another Archer property, Brickendon
(t 03 6391 1251; open for tour Tues-Sun 09.30-17.00, accomodation
available), on Woolmers Lane 2km from Longford town centre on route
C520, is also part of the Archer Family Guided Tour. Built by Thomas's
brother William in 1823, the farm complex still contains the area's
earliest brick cottage in which he lived while building the estate. Now
a museum and working farm(!), the bricks were made on the property and
timber was hand-split by convict labour. On view now are the
blacksmith's shop, shearing shed, and cookhouse, as well as 6 ha of
gardens planted with imported species in the 1830s.
3km northwest of Longford Township is Perth, so-named by Governor Macquarie on his visit in 1821. Macquarie stayed there with early settler David Gibson, a native of Perth in Scotland, hence his choice of name. Here was located a dock for the punt-crossing of the river before a bridge was built in 1839. The bridge was washed away in the 1929 floods. A walking tour brochure is available at the Longford Information Centre. An intriguing structure along the tour is the Baptist Tabernacle on Clarence Street. Erected in 1889 by William Gibson, its unusual octagonal shape and the vaguely Indian architectural elements perhaps reflect the fact that Gibson had travelled extensively in the East.
Now travel east, cross Highway 1 and into Evandale (13km;
population
850). Named after explorer and Deputy Surveyor George William Evans
(1780-1852), the village of Evandale is obviously conscious of and
nurtures its historic sites. Several of the earliest structures still
exist as tea-rooms, bed-and-breakfasts and restaurants. The village was
not incorporated until 1866, but settlement dates from 1809; it has
been an agricultural centre since 1811.
A township named Morven by Governor Macquarie was laid out 3km to the
southeast. When a scheme was initiated to build a water tunnel from the
South Esk River to Launceston, it developed instead at its present
site. The Information
Centre, housed in the community's original circulating library on
High Street (t 03 6391 8128), provides walking tours, a family history
library and local history books of all kinds. The history of the town
was written by a Karl von Stieglitz, one of the few German names
prominently evident in Tasmanian history. Of architectural note are the
two St Andrew's churches, across the street from each other on High
Street. St Andrew's Church of England, in Gothic style, was built in
1879 to replace an earlier structure of 1841. It contains a bishop's
chair made of timbers from Australia's first warship, HMS Nelson. St
Andrew's Uniting Church across the street, is a fine early example of
Greek Revival architecture, and was built 1839-41 through the efforts
of Reverend Robert Russell, the first Presbyterian minister to the
district. His grave in the churchyard is marked by an impressive
memorial.
Also on High Street on the way to Launceston is the town's unused
'landmark', a Gothic water tower erected in 1896. While no longer in
use, it features in logos for the town and is floodlit at night as
their 'ruin'. Other historical buildings include, next to the
information centre, Solomon House, built in 1836 by merchant Joseph
Solomon, whose son would be Tasmanian Premier from 1912 to 1914; it is
now a bed and breakfast and tea room. Also on High Street is 'Blenheim'
(c 1832), originally Patriot King William IV Hotel, an excellent
example of hotel architecture of the period.
Evandale is the site of the annual Penny-Farthing Cycle Races,
held
the
last
weekend
of
February.
They
now attract thousands of
participants and spectators, and include a race down the runway of the
Launceston airport, which lies immediately out of town.
Outside Evandale to the south on Nile Road (route C416) c 10km is Clarendon
(t 03 6398 6220; open daily 10.00-16.00), now preserved by the National
Trust. The Red Line bus from Hobart will stop near here. One of the
finest Georgian houses in Australia, Clarendon was built in 1838 as the
home of James Cox (1790-1866).
William Cox and the history of Clarendon
Cox was the son of William Cox, the engineer who was a member of the
first party to cross the Blue Mountains in New South Wales. After
schooling in England, James arrived in Sydney in 1804, and settled in
Tasmania in 1814; he was granted 700 acres in 1817. By 1819 he managed
to acquire the 6000 acres that would become Clarendon; eventually his
estate comprised some 20,000 acres (8000 ha). Cox was instrumental in
establishing Merino sheep in Tasmania, bringing Merino stud first from
James Macarthur's flock in Camden, New South Wales, and then importing
them from England and the Continent. He also established cattle
breeding and bred a renowned stable of thoroughbred horses, having
imported the stallion Hadji Baba.
Cox became involved in politics, eventually representing his district
in the first elective House of Assembly in 1856. He lived the life of
an English squire, even establishing the Clarendon Hunt and a deer
park, and the village of Lymington nearby (now Nile). The fortune
amassed from these activities, and from his work as a merchant in
Launceston, enabled Cox to commence work on this estate, completed at a
cost of some £30,000. The house remained in family hands until
1917 (James Cox had 19 children by two wives); it was finally donated
to the National Trust in 1962 by the owners, W.R. Menzies.
While the architect is not known, it is possible that the plans
for
Clarendon were purchased from England. The builder was John Richards
who worked with convict labour, taking eight years to complete this
impressive mansion. Its spacious proportions are most impressive, with
a high-columned Ionic portico and large windows, reminiscent, perhaps
not coincidentally given the fact that they were built at the same
time, of the antebellum plantations of the American South. There are
six rooms on the ground floor and ten on the first, with a kitchen and
seven other rooms in the basement. A connecting service wing included a
dairy, bakehouse, butcher's, laundry and store-rooms. The stables and
barns are still in the process of restoration, but the nine-acre
grounds have been restored to evoke garden settings of the 1840s.
The house was in need of serious repair when turned over to the
National Trust; in fact, it was sinking into the alluvial soil. As
'before and after' photographs reveal, the basement had been filled in
and the front portico had been bricked over. Restoration continues, and
displays of the work in progress are included in the house. Artefacts
of the period have been donated in generous numbers, so that every room
appears as it would have in the period. Of special interest are two
beautiful period clocks which still chime on the quarter hour. Despite
its rather isolated location, it is one of the only public sites that
does not include a kiosk or tea room (although tea and biscuits can be
purchased by placing money in a tin in the kitchen, an indication of an
endearing Australian approach!).
From Evandale you can join the road leading to the entrance to Ben Lomond National Park (t 03 6336 5312), some 50km east of Launceston and only 30 minutes from Evandale. Ben Lomond is the premier ski resort in Tasmania, located amidst the 16,450 ha of the park. Legges Tor at 1572m is the park's highest peak. The park consists of glacial boulders and moorland and alpine flora and fauna. In warmer seasons, the area is ideal for bushwalks, with abundant examples of cold-weather eucalypts, wildflowers, and birdlife.
Launceston
Now return to Evandale and proceed 20km on Highway 1 to Launceston. The second largest city in Tasmania (population 94,000) and the third oldest city in Australia, Launceston (pronounced LON-sess-ton) lies on the confluence of the Tamar, North and South Esk Rivers. Accessible by air from Melbourne, with possible stops on Flinders or King Island, or from Hobart, most visitors will be motoring from Hobart or the ferry stop at Devonport. The Red Line buses depart from the top of George Street for northern and western towns.
History
Launceston's history dates from the discovery of the Tamar River by
Flinders and Bass on their 1798 circumnavigation of Van Diemen's Land.
They named the harbour at the mouth of the river Port Dalrymple in
honour of the Admiralty Hydrographer. Settlement did not begin until
Lieutenant Colonel William Paterson was dispatched by Governor King in
1804 with the express purpose of securing the northern part of the
island for British settlement. First settling in George Town, Paterson
moved to the town's present site in 1806. It was first called
Patersonia, but by 1807 the name had changed to Launceston, in honour
of Governor King's hometown. By 1824, when it was officially proclaimed
a township, it had consolidated as the second city of the island,
beginning a long-standing rivalry with Hobart to the south.
Launceston became a centre for anti-transportation efforts in the
1840s, and its non-conformist tradition still sets it apart from
Hobart. Ironically, one of Launceston's greatest claims to fame is as
the birthplace of Melbourne. John Batman (1801-39) left from Launceston
in the scoop Rebecca in May 1835 to explore the area which would become
the Victorian capital. Melbourne's other founder, John Pascoe Fawkner,
moved here in 1819 and established the newspaper the Launceston
Advertiser in 1829 before sailing for Port Phillip in 1835. Famous
novelist Katharine Susannah Prichard lived here as a child in the 1880s
when her father was editor of the town's Daily Telegraph. She wrote of
her time in the town in The Wild Oats of Han (1928). Today the centre
of Launceston is filled with late Victorian buildings, most dating from
1880-1900.
The most impressive aspect of Launceston is a natural
attraction-the
spectacular Cataract
Gorge and Cliff Grounds (t 03 6323 3468). Only a 15-minute
walk
from the centre of Launceston, the gorge was described by its
discoverer, William Collins in 1804, as a 'strange gully between
perpendicular rocks about 15 feet high. The beauty of the scene is
probably unsurpassed in the world'. The result of its unusual geology,
the area has been successfully incorporated into the town's civic
landscape. In typical Australian fashion, several walks for all levels
of fitness have been created throughout the grounds, and a detailed
brochure with maps, including walking time and grade, is available at
the Visitor
Information
Centre. Tasmanian Chairlifts (t 03 6331 5915)
also runs a chairlift ride across the gorge every day, weather
permitting.
To walk to the gorge from the Information Centre in town, turn right
from St John Street into Paterson Street and proceed west until
Paterson Street becomes Bridge Road. Here the Cataract Gorge Reserve
begins at Kings Park. Kings Bridge spans the gorge. This graceful open
girder iron bridge was built in two sections, the earlier in 1863
designed by W.T. Doyne. Other attractions in the park, aside from the
famed Zig Zag Walk to the gorge's First Basin, are the Penny Royal
Watermill, erected in 1825 and now containing displays of a gunpowder
mill and cannon foundry. The Richies Mill Art Centre is near the
landing dock of the paddle steamer Lady Stelfox which makes daily
cruises up the gorge.
An easy walk from the Information Centre on St John Street
leads
around the corner east to George Street where the National Trust runs
the old Umbrella
Shop (t 03 6331 9248; open Mon-Fri 09.00-17.00, Sat
09.00-12.00) on the original premises of a real umbrella shop and
factory, opened in the 1860s by the Shott Family. It is lined with
beautiful Tasmanian blackwood and retains the shop's original fittings.
Further down George Street, turn east on Cameron Street to find City
Park, site of the original Government House grounds which were laid out
in 1820. The elegant iron entrance gates were added in 1903. Inside the
park are the Tasmanian
Design Centre (t 03 6331 5506; Mon-Fri 9.30-15.30, Sat and
Sun 10.00-16.00), supporting local crafts
with excellent examples of the island's woodwork; Albert Hall,
containing a unique water-powered organ in a High Victorian exhibition
building; and the John Hart Conservatory presenting a variety of ferns
and flowers, as well as a monkey island with Japanese macaques.
From the Elizabeth Street car park back in town, turn right on
Elizabeth Street and walk to St. John Street (50m); on the corner to
the
left is St John's Church. Commissioned by Governor Arthur in 1824, the
church's foundation stone was laid by him in January 1825. Legend has
it that the original plans, designed by David Lambe, were for a church
as large as that in Hobart, but that Governor Arthur demanded that it
be made smaller. The clock tower was added in 1830, and further
additions made by architect Arthur North in 1901-11. The interior of
the church contains some amusing carvings which depict Tasmanian
animals and plants amidst biblical emblems and coats of arms. These
were apparently designed by the architect North himself and carried out
by Hugh Cunningham and Gordon Cumming. Note especially the choir stalls
which include figures of four pairs of possums.
Turn left into St John Street and enter Prince's Square at the next
corner, on Frederick Street. Originally a brick field, it became a
military parade ground in the 1840s, and by 1859 was established as a
public park designed by Thomas Wade. The square includes a fountain,
commemorating the first water supply; the fountain was purchased at the
Great Paris Exhibition of 1889.
Continue east on Frederick Street; opposite is Chalmers Church, named
for Sir Thomas Chalmers and opened in 1860. A good example of Gothic
Revival, it now houses the Launceston Players Theatre. Further down in
the same block is Milton Hall. Built in 1842, this simple brick
building with Doric portico was originally St John's Square Independent
Chapel, the pastorate of noted historian and newspaperman, the Reverend
John West. West preached vehemently against transportation and wrote
the first account of The History of Tasmania (1852). He was
instrumental in the establishment of The Examiner, Tasmania's oldest
newspaper, the Mechanics' Institute, and the City Mission. (The City
Mission Chapel, built in 1862, still stands at 46 Frederick Street.) In
1854 West left to become editor of the Sydney Morning Herald.
The main Post Office is on the corner of St John and Cameron Streets.
As in all other Australian cities, distances between towns are measured
from the post office, which perhaps explains the grandiose scale of
their construction and the ubiquitous presence of a tall clock tower.
Launceston is no exception. The building was completed in 1889 without
a tower, but public demand led to its addition in 1909, after which
time it did indeed dominate the skyline.
On Civic Square, bordered by St John, Paterson, Charles and
Cimitiere Streets, is Macquarie House, built in 1830 as a warehouse for
early merchant Henry Reed. It now houses the local history collection
of the Queen Victoria Museum.
From Civic Square, exit west on to Charles Street. The block of Cameron
Street between Charles and Wellington Streets is one of the town's
oldest, with a remarkably well-preserved 19C streetscape. The buildings
include several impressive flour-mills and warehouses, evidence of
early river trade nearby, as well as the Batman Fawkner Hotel, no. 37.
The present hotel is late Victorian, but remnants of the original 1823
building on this site have been preserved at the rear. The original
name was the Cornwall Hotel, Fawkner having built it shortly after
starting the Launceston Advertiser. Also of interest on Charles Street
is Staffordshire House at no. 56, originally Fergusson's Warehouse. A
rare example in Australia of a Regency style building, it was built in
1833 for James Cox, founder of the Clarendon estate.
Queen
Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (t 03 6323 3777; open daily
10.00-17.00) is on Wellington and Patterson Streets in
Royal Park. Parking near the museum is nearly impossible, and you must
cross busy intersections to reach it, but it is worth the effort. As a
museum and gallery for such a small community, the institution is
admirably well organised and intent on educational display. Opened in
1891 in honour of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, exhibits are varied,
ranging from a complete Chinese Joss House (with an interesting history
of the Chinese presence in Tasmania from the time of the gold rush to
the present) to artefacts of convict life, and displays of Tasmanian
flora and fauna. Tucked away in one dark corner is a fascinating glass
case containing the hummingbird collection of the famous naturalist
John Gould. The upper galleries are devoted to Australian art,
including decorative arts and crafts. The gallery of colonial art,
while not as extensive as that in Hobart, contains some important
examples by John Glover, Thomas Bock, and William Piguenit.
George Town
50km north of Launceston on the Tamar Highway (A8) is George
Town
(population 5310). Considered by many to be the oldest town in
Australia (as distinct from the oldest city), the area was indeed
visited by Bass and Flinders in 1798, when it was named Port Dalrymple.
Renamed George Town five years later by Colonel William Paterson, it no
doubt would have remained the chief northern city if it had a reliable
water supply. For this reason, and other more elaborate political
intrigues involving Governor Macquarie and Inspector Bigge, the capital
was moved to Launceston, up the Tamar River, in 1825.
Because of its age, and its importance as a port in the 1830s and
1840s, George Town today still possesses several historical sites and
buildings of interest. Entering the town on route A8, turn left into
Macquarie Street. The information centre at the corner of Macquarie and
Sorell Streets (t 03 6382 1700) is in the Old Watchhouse;
built in
1843, it used to be the gaol and is now a folk museum.
Walking up Macquarie Street, you come to Anne Street; turn left to St
Mary Magdalene Anglican Church. Built in 1883 as the third church on
this site, the graveyard contains interesting gravestones of early
settlers. Further up Macquarie Street you find several early
residences; at Windmill Point is a monument to William Paterson,
founder of the town in 1804. Continuing the walk, turn right at
Cimitiere Street, to no. 25, 'The Grove'. Situated in an excellent Old
World garden, 'The Grove' was built c 1827 for the Port Officer,
Matthew Curling Friend. It is a good example of a Georgian building,
with Tuscan portico and columns.
Franklin House
6km south of Launceston on the road back to Hobart is Franklin
House
in
Franklin
Village (t 03 6344 7824; Mon-Sat
09.00-16.00, Sun 12.00-16.00, $8). It is most
easily reached by driving east on Bass Highway until this becomes
Normanstone Road at an intersection known as Six Ways; here turn left
on to Hobart Road, drive through the suburb of Kings Meadow, and in the
village of Franklin, the house is on the left.
History
The first house owned by the National Trust in Tasmania, Franklin House
was, like Clarendon, built in 1838. Not nearly as grandiose in scale or
pretension, Franklin House was built on speculation by brewer and
innkeeper Britton Jones on 4 ha across the road from the inn. Jones
stated in his initial advertisement for the sale of the property that
the house has 'all the appurtenances fit for the reception of a
respectable family and are finished without regard to expenses, by the
proprietor in a manner not to be surpassed in this colony'.
First owned by George Horne, a keen gardener, its grounds were well
established when it was purchased by William Keeler Hawkes (1804-82) in
1842. Hawkes, with his wife and three spinster sisters, arrived in
Launceston in April of that year, with the intention of establishing a
school. This house served for some 40 years as a boarding school, and
became the leading educational institution of the colony. A strict
disciplinarian, Hawkes was, in keeping with his time, free with the
stick. In 40 years of teaching, according to guides at the house, he
only caused the death of one student!
After Hawkes's death (he and his family are buried in the cemetery of
St James's Church across the street) the house passed through several
hands until it was purchased by the National Trust in 1960. At that
time it was renamed Franklin House; the house has no direct connection
to Sir John and Lady Jane Franklin (although two rosewood chairs in the
dining room supposedly belonged to her).
The informative brochure available at the house gives an
elaborate
explanation for the choice of furnishings used in the presently
restored building. It is argued that, although officially built during
Victoria's reign, the house itself is actually Late Georgian, probably
built from English plans, and that furniture from earlier eras would be
more readily available in the colonies; thus, the furniture selected
for display is period rather than Victorian. Some rare early Tasmanian
pieces are included, as well as several fine examples of English
furniture and clockwork.
Great care has been taken in preserving the original fittings and
surfaces. Of particular note are the floors and other wooden fittings
of Australian cedar which Jones had imported from New South Wales. This
wood was so sought after as one of the best native hardwoods that today
no substantive cedar forests survive. Plantation grown cedar, heritage
conservators mention, is lighter because it is harvested at a young
age. The upstairs reception room is especially noteworthy, and includes
the original floor-to-ceiling room partitions which were found
languishing in the stables. Another interesting piece is the 18C Welsh
bacon cupboard in the kitchen, made of oak and containing the original
meat hooks at the back. To the side of the original house is the
schoolroom added by Hawkes in 1842.
Hobart to Richmond
An alternative route from Hobart north to Oatlands (see p 432) includes several sites of historical interest. These sites will be included on several of the coach day-tours to the area; check with the Hobart Visitor's Centre for a variety of tour options. If travelling by car, leave Hobart heading north on Highway 1 c 6km to Goodwood Road/Bowen Bridge (route B35); proceed right across the bridge and immediately turn right on to route C324 towards Risdon Vale; at this juncture is the Risdon Cove Historic Site, the location of Tasmania's first settlement in 1803. A visitor's centre contains interesting relics and displays. Ironically, Risdon is also the site of Tasmania's only current prison, a pink Victorian structure that you can see from the Historic Site. Risdon Cove itself is now Aboriginal land, having been returned recently to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community. The site will be used for Aboriginal cultural events, and may on occasion be closed to the public. The Aboriginal community are preparing plans for the future use of the site; t 03 6243 8606 for details.Richmond
Return to route C324 and continue north 12km to the town of Richmond
(population 587). Richmond is a charming town, laid back, with a mucky
little river, imbued with the Tasmanian desire to emulate an English
village. Until 1872, when the Sorell Causeway connected Hobart and Port
Arthur directly, Richmond was the major crossroads en route to the
Tasman Peninsula. Since then, it has become a sleepy rural village, and
now a tourist destination, with many substantial buildings dating from
the 1830s and 1840s.
Entering the town, Prospect House (t 03 6260 2207) is on the left. Now
a well-known restaurant and a heritage accommodation property, it was
built in the 1830s by James Buscombe, a local innkeeper who was
responsible for several of the other Georgian-style buildings in the
town.
Turn right on to Henry Street, site of the Richmond Hotel, then left
into Torrens Street. Here is an old sandstone school designed by John
Lee Archer in 1834, and the old Congregational burial ground with many
gravestones from the last century. Further along the same street, at
no. 26, is St Luke's Anglican Church, another of Archer's designs from
1834. Built of local sandstone, the church has a square, three-level
tower with a clock; made in England in 1828, it was in Hobart's St
David's before being brought here in 1922.
The bridge across the Coal River at Richmond is Australia's oldest
existing bridge. Completed in 1823 using convict labour, it spans 41.5
metres. Much of its charm springs from its irregularity; the arches are
not uniform and one span humps at the corner.
St John's Church, on St John's Circle, is the oldest Roman Catholic
church in Australia. The foundation stone was laid in August 1835.
Designed by convict architect Frederick Thomas, the nave was built in
1836, the rest in 1839, and the spire in the 1900s. It is famed for its
polished brown wood ceilings.
Richmond gaol (t 03 6260 2127; open daily 09.00-17.00)
predates Port
Arthur, having been built in 1825 to house both local convicts and
convict road gangs. The complex is nearly intact and unaltered. While
the earliest elements, the original gaol and gaoler's house, were
probably designed by Colonial Architect David Lambe, the additional
wings were added by John Lee Archer.
Evidence of Richmond's early prominence is the complex of public
buildings, including municipal buildings, court house, watch house and
hall situated near the gaol, and a number of fine inns and hotels
dating from the early days of settlement. In about 1832 James Buscombe
built a group of buildings at 36-8 Bridge Street, now the Old Store and
Granary Group. The plethora of granaries and mills in the region
indicate the significance of wheat production to its economy in the
19C. Oaklodge,
at
18
Bridge
Street
(t
03
6260 4153, dialy 11.30-15.30), is a National
Trust property which features the office of the local doctor, Bill
Clark, resident here in the early 20thc. Richmond Golf Club
(t 03 6260 2644; visitor welcome, hire clubs available) is a
challenging nine-hole course with spectacular water views over Barilla
Bay, Pittwater and Midway Point. The course is just west of
town, on Middle Tea Tree Road off of Richmond Road.
Leave Richmond via route B31 north towards Campania (6km),
then proceed
40km to connect at Jericho with the Midland Highway.
The Bass Highway from Launceston to Devonport and along the northwest coast
From Launceston, head south and connect with Bass Highway (Highway 1) to travel west. Pass through Hadspen and turn left onto route B52 to come to Entally House (18km). The House (t 03 6393 6201; open daily 10.00-16.00, $10; the Launceston city bus from Patterson Street has a stop near the house) was built in 1819 for Thomas Haydock Reibey, son of Thomas and Mary Reibey. Involved in family shipping interests, Reibey arrived in Tasmania in 1816 and received a 2600-acre (1052 ha) land grant where he built this house in 1819, named after the family home in Sydney, which had itself been named in honour of a Calcutta suburb. The house and its immediate surrounds reflect his character as an outdoorsman devoted to horses and hounds. Reibey's son Thomas (1821-1912) would become Archdeacon of Launceston and in 1876, premier of Tasmania: an extraordinary example of Australian achievement, given Mary Reibey's convict origins.Entally, unlike Clarendon or Franklin House, was not built on English Georgian models, but is one of the first examples of the wide-verandahed, sloped-roof single-storey dwellings so identified with Australian rural architecture. Opened to the public in 1950, Entally House contains a fine collection of Regency furniture and is set in well-restored gardens and grounds, with many interesting outbuildings, including a small bluestone chapel and a coach house.
Return to Bass Highway and continue west through Carrick and
Hagley
(site of a famous experimental school) and Westbury, another Historic
Town.
49km from Launceston, at the junction of Bass and Lake Highways, is
Deloraine (population 2100). Astride the Meander River in a valley
dominated by Quamby Bluff, Deloraine was considered in the 1950s by
Emmett to be the prettiest inland town in Tasmania. The town derived
its name from its surveyor Thomas Scott, who was inspired by his
kinsman Sir Walter Scott's The Lay of the Last Minstrel, in which Sir
William Deloraine seeks the hand of the Lady of Branksome Hall. In
1856, it was surveyed to become the terminus for the first railway line
from Launceston; the line was not completed until 1871, and was always
a source of great political debate. Entering town from the
Bass Highway, on the
right at 98 Emu Bay Road is the Folk Museum (t 03 6362 2046, daily
9.00-17.00), originally the Coaching
Inn, 1865; it houses local memorabilia and agricultural artefacts and
acts as the area's visitor centre.
Continue south, turn left (west) on West Parade. On the left is
Bonney's Inn; established in 1831, it is the first brick building and
inn in Deloraine. The Deloraine Racecourse is the oldest continuously
used track in Australia; it may still hold an annual steeplechase
around Easter.
Devonport
Continue now north on Bass Highway 50km to Devonport (population
22,700). This far northwestern tip of the island is extremely
well-watered and heavily timbered in its interior. The wetter areas on
the west-facing slopes are dominated by myrtle and sassafras with
stringybark and peppermint eucalypts above 600m and gum-topped stringy
barks below this line. Where the soil is relatively infertile, scrub
and heath plants prevail. The better soils are eroded tertiary basalt
flows from the north-south-running Dundas Trough and Pre-Cambrian
sedimentary deposits from the coast to the Donaldson River. Tourist
information: 92 Formby Road; t 03 6424 4466.
After agriculture, timber and mining are the prevalent industries in
this region. The production of decorative timbers is increasingly
replacing the more destructive practices of the recent past. Numerous
joineries and furniture manufacturers have showrooms in Burnie,
Ulverstone and Devonport, among other locations.
Emmett's comments on Tasmania's northern coastline made during his
walking tour of the island in the 1950s still apply:
If I attempted to write of each town of the rich northwest that I passed through or stayed at, I should be risking tedium for the reader, for they are, in a sense, made of the same last; though I wish to make it plain that the journey is through perhaps the very sweetest farming country in the whole of Australia.
Devonport is the landing point of the ferry from Melbourne;
those
arriving in Tasmania by ferry will indeed want to follow this route in
reverse order to Launceston. The Devonport Airport, 4km east of town,
has regular flights arriving from Melbourne. Located on the Mersey
River (called in the 1820s the 'Second Western River'), Devonport is
named after the English county. It was originally founded in the 1840s
as two towns, Formby on the west bank of the river and Torquay on the
east.
Of special interest here is Tiagarra (t 03 6424 8250; open
daily
09.00-17.00), the Tasmanian Aboriginal Culture and Art Centre. The
centre's displays describe the life of Tasmanian Aborigines prior to
European contact. A map of the locations of adjacent rock art sites
allows you to view Aboriginal carvings in rocks of the Bluff. The
centre is located on the north edge of town at the top of William
Street.
Devonport was also the home of Sir Joseph and Dame Enid Lyons; their
residence 'Home
Hill', 77 Middle Road (t 03 6424 3028; open Tues-Thurs,
weekends 13.30-16.00), is now open to the public. Joseph Lyons
(1879-1939) became in 1931 Australia's only Tasmanian-born Prime
Minister. His wife Enid Lyons (1897-1981), became the first woman to
hold Federal Cabinet rank, while also raising ten children.
From Devonport head west on Bass Highway 12km to Ulverstone (population 14,000); from here turn on to the Old Bass Highway for a scenic drive along the rugged coastline to Penguin (population 3000), a further 12km. Along with the roadside Giant Penguin, Penguin abounds in penguin symbols, honouring the Fairy Penguins that come ashore nearby. Several walking tracks along the cliffs are well posted for visitors; maps of the tracks are available from Penguin Council Chambers, Main Street, t 03 6437 1421. South of Ulverstone on road B17 beyond Gunns Plains are caves with limestone formations (open daily 10.00-16.00).
From Penguin travel west along the coastal drive 15km to
Burnie
(population 21,000), the largest town in the northwest of the state.
Founded on the deep water port of Emu Bay, Burnie was named in 1841
after William Burnie, a director of the Van Diemen's Land Company. Now
an important industrial centre, it is the home of the Associated Pulp
and Paper Mills and Lactos Cheese. Tourist
information centre: Little
Alexander Street, t 03 6430 5831.
On entering town, turn right on Alexander Street. Turn left on Jones
Street to Pioneer Village and Museum (t 03 6430 5746; open weekdays
09.00-17.00, weekends & holidays 13.30-16.30), a reconstruction
of
Burnie's early buildings and shops. Further along Alexander Street, at
Wilmot Street is the Civic Centre and Regional Art Gallery (t 03 6431
5918; open weekdays 09.00-17.00, weekends 13.30-16.30), housing a small
collection and occasional travelling exhibitions. Continue north on
Alexander Street, turn left at North Terrace. Burnie Park will be on
the left at York Street. The park includes extensive rose gardens and
Burnie Inn, the town's oldest building, re-erected and restored in the
park in 1973.
Continue west on North Terrace, which becomes Bass Highway. At
Somerset
(7km), route A10 continues south to Tullah and Queenstown. Further west
(9km) on route A1 is Wynyard (population 4582). Located on the Inglis
River, Wynyard was once the principal port of the northwest; its
airport has daily flights to Melbourne. It is now the centre of a
prosperous farming region, with beautiful gardens and interesting
natural surroundings.
7km north of town on route C234 is Fossil Bluff, a fascinating
geographical formation and for a time the site of the discovery of the
oldest marsupial fossil. Continue west on route C234 to Table Cape, a
volcanic rock some 170 metres above the sea, offering stunning coastal
views. Return to Bass Highway and proceed 31km west to Rocky Cape
National Park (t 03 6458 1415). The cape itself was named by Bass and
Flinders who first saw it in 1798. The park consists of 3000 ha of
heathland, with several walking trails, a bird sanctuary, and rich
Aboriginal sites, in particular a shell midden in the north cave. You
can also see from the lighthouse point at the end of the cape the first
view of 'The Nut', the famed rock at Stanley.
Stanley
Return to the Bass Highway and continue west 26km; turn north on to
route B21 and travel 7km to Stanley (population 588). Just before
entering the town, turn left into the Scenic Drive, Dove Cote Road and
follow signs to 'Highfield'
(t 03
6458
1100;
open
daily
10.00-17.00
Oct-Apr,
10.00-16.00 May-July), the original homestead of the director
of the Van Diemen's Land Company. Designed in 1832 by surveyor Henry
Hellyer, the house and grounds have now been restored.
Drive into town to the north. Dominated by the volcanic plug 'Circular
Head', more popularly known as 'The Nut', this small village was
settled in 1825 as the headquarters for Van Diemen's Land Company.
Recently declared a Historic Town, Stanley has several interesting
early structures, including on Alexander Terrace the birthplace of
Joseph Lyons, the only Tasmanian Prime Minister, and several houses
built by the ubiquitous colonial architect John Lee Archer, who died
here in 1852. Alexander Terrace includes several other historic houses
and inns. Archer's own home, known as 'Poet's Cottage', sits at the
base of The Nut. The Stanley Burial Ground on Browns Road contains
Archer's own grave and headstone. On Church Street visit the Plough
Inn, restored as a craft centre; next door is the Discovery Centre, now
a folk-museum and gallery (t 03 6458 1145; open daily 10.00-16.00,
closed June-Aug). Entering The Nut Reserve, you can take a chairlift to
the top for a breathtaking, if windswept, panoramic view. Stanley is
the site of the Circular Head Arts Festival, held every September.
The Bass Highway continues 22km west to Smithton (population
3495),
the administrative centre of the far northwest in a rich forestry area.
The highway ends a further 51km west at Marrawah, the most westerly
town in Tasmania. Author Bernard Cronin ran cattle here at the
beginning of the century; the isolated region is well described in his
five novels, including The Coastlanders (1918) and Timber Wolves
(1920), referring to the hardwood forests so prized here. This area
marks the beginning of the densely forested regions of Tasmania's
western coast.
Northeast from Hobart to Swansea
From Hobart, take route A3 across the Tasman Bridge and on to Sorell, 27km from the centre of town. Named after Governor Sorell, the town was founded in 1821 and is one of the earliest sites for the cultivation of grain in the state. The main bus companies from Hobart and some local companies have runs between Swansea, Coles Bay, Bicheno, St Marys, St Helens and Derby. Service on weekends is very limited. Cycling along the east coast is a very popular way to travel as well (cycle rental can be arranged in Hobart). Note that banking facilities along the coast are extremely limited, and ATM facilities are (or were at the time of writing) non-existent.37km further north on route A3 is Buckland, known for St John the Baptist Church. The church contains a stained-glass window which by local legend is said to date from the 14C, from a church on the field where the Battle of Hastings took place! A local brochure attempts to substantiate this claim on the basis of a terminus post quem, arguing that the glass was in place before 1848, before which reproduction of such glass was not possible. Emmett in 1952 maintains that it was actually commissioned by the minister of the church, a Reverend Cox, in the 1850s. Despite any arguments, the church is a lovely example of a small provincial Anglican church, complete with local graveyard which seems to have specialised in ceramic rose arrangements attached to the tombstones.
At Orford, 18km further east, you reach the eastern coastline, dominated by a view over to Maria Island National Park (t 03 6257 1420). From Triabunna, 7km further along route A3, you can take a fascinating trip by ferry to the island, which has remnants of an old convict settlement. It is possible to arrange camping on the island overnight, where there is no electricity or facilities. The island is the only national park in Tasmania where all 11 of the state's native bird species are visible, including Cape Barren geese and emus.
From Triabunna, travel 51km north along the coast to Swansea, with outstanding views out to sea and past many beautiful beaches ideal for picnics. Outside Swansea c 8km south is Spiky Bridge, built in 1843 by convicts; the spikes are of local crystalline rock. The beach here gives a tremendous view of Oyster Bay, down to Maria Island and over to the famous Hazards of Freycinet Peninsula (see below).
Also on the Tasman Highway, 12km south of Swansea, is Kabuki by the Sea (t 03 6257 8588), a Japanese restaurant revelling in the use of superb Tasmanian seafood and produce.
Swansea
Swansea (population 400) is the centre of Glamorgan, the oldest rural
municipality in Australia. The town includes the Glamorgan
Spring Bay Historical Society (open Tues and Fri 10.00-17.00) and
community centre, housed in an 1850s
schoolhouse, which is a marvellous example of a home-grown collection.
Along with an eclectic collection of artefacts donated by local
residents-some of them connected with the region and others as varied
as Fijian baskets and German swords captured in the First World War-are
two portraits of members of the Meredith family by Thomas Bock, several
books by Louisa Anne Meredith, and local watercolours by 19C artists,
very few of which have been identified. The place is a conservator's
nightmare and an historian's paradise.
The Merediths of Swansea
Swansea was so named by first settler George Meredith (1778-1856), who
came with his servants, John and Adam Amos, in 1821. A son by his first
marriage, Charles (1811-80), accompanied him, and would later become a
prominent politician in the state. In 1838, Charles returned to England
and married his cousin, Louisa Anne Twamley (1812-95); in 1840 the
couple settled north of Swansea, at George Meredith's property,
Riversdale. Louisa Anne Meredith became a prolific writer and artist;
her My Home in Tasmania (1852) and Bush Friends in Tasmania (1860) with
delightful illustrations still provide remarkable insights into 19C
Tasmania. Another Meredith property, 'Cambria', built in the late
1820s, still remains, 2km north of Swansea.
The museum also includes an anomalous billiard table. Built to order by the premier billiard table makers, Alcock Thomas & Taylor of Melbourne, for the 1879 International Exhibition, the table had to be built larger than standard size, because the half-a-ton slab sent from Italy was too big, and the local craftsmen deemed it too risky to alter; the frame is of a single Tasmanian hardwood. It is still available for play, at $2 a game, although, as the present caretaker states, the only takers are a regular group of elderly men. The table is a splendid example of the skill of Alcock's, and the museum is worth a visit.
From Swansea, it is about 10km along Nine Mile Beach to Freycinet
National Park (t 03 6256 7000). This 10,000 ha park
begins 2km south of
Coles Bay. Its most prominent feature is a huge granite rock known as
The Hazards. Mount Freycinet is the highest point at 614m. The park
contains a wide number of orchid species, as well as other heathland
plants and birds. There are secluded sandy beaches, and a variety of
excellent walks with views to the sea. Off the coast 1km across
Schouten Passage and also part of the park is Schouten Island, named by
Abel Tasman in 1642 after a member of the Dutch East India Company; the
island can be visited by boat.
There is a fee (at the time of writing, $9) and an excellent park
brochure at the gate. You will need to supply your own water. The park
is named after Louis Freycinet (1779-1842), French naval officer on
Baudin's Le Naturaliste, who in 1802 explored throughout this region.
Freycinet is best remembered for his round-the-world voyage in command
of L'Uranie in 1818, during which time his wife Rose disguised herself
as a man in order to accompany him and kept a lively account of her
most extraordinary journey, Journal de Madame Rose de Saulces de
Freycinet (1927).
From Launceston northeast to St Marys
This route through northeastern Tasmania has some bus services during
the week, but weekend services are very spotty, if they run at all. One
road to Scottsdale from Launceston is route B81, which leads 27km north
to Lilydale (population 357). 7km before the town is Hollybank Forest
Centre, a lovely reserve of ash trees on the site of an 1855 sawmill;
it is now run by the Forestry Commission and is open to the public from
October to May. Lilydale itself is best known for Bridestowe Lavender
Farm, a long-standing and productive source of lavender oil and
sachets, considered the purest product in the country. It produces over
2 tonnes of lavender oil annually.
The 41km from Lilydale to Scottsdale is through heavy bush with craft
shops and wineries along the way. Scottsdale (population 1980), settled
in the 1850s by surveyor James Scott, is the centre of the northeast's
dairying region. One interesting stop in town is Anabel's, 46 King
Street (t 03 6352 3277), in an 1890 Federation building classified by
the National Trust and set in elegant gardens with a 12m wistaria walk
and rhododendron trees; it is now a restaurant and four-star hotel.
21km north of Scottsdale on route B84 is Bridport (population 980), a
popular fishing village on the Bass Strait with excellent picnic
beaches and some tremendous views from nearby Waterhouse Point out to
the strait and including Waterhouse Island.
An example of the area's early architecture can be seen at 'Bowood', c
12km northwest of Bridport on route B82, at the Little Forester River.
Built in 1839 for Peter Brewer, the house was constructed by ex-convict
carpenter James Edwards and an American sealer Robert Rhodes, who in
the 1830s jumped ship to stay in the region; Rhodes' headstone nearby
states that he was from Philadelphia and died here in 1863. 'Bowood' is
a private residence, but interesting to view in situ, along what used
to be the Launceston Road.
From Launceston, the Tasman Highway (route A3) also continues
north
70km to Scottsdale, then east through dairy and hops country that used
to be one of the biggest timber regions of the state until the trees
were forested to stoke the fires of the nearby tin mines. The area from
Branxholme, 25km east of Scottsdale, to Pyengana and east to the coast
was from the 1870s to the 1950s a booming tin-mining centre.
The town of Derby, 8km east of Branxholme, has a Tin
Mine
Museum (t 03
6354 2262), 'Shantytown' historical village, and views to the old
Briseis mine face (named after the 1876 Melbourne Cup winner).
Weldborough, c 14km south along route A3, was also a mining centre; its
old Chinese Joss House, now in Launceston's Queen Victoria Museum, is
evidence of the thousands of Chinese miners who came to the region
during the tin boom, many of whom stayed on in Tasmania. To the south
of Weldborough is Maa Mon Chin Dam, named for a leader of the Chinese
community who arrived in 1875. At Weldborough Pass, 595m high, is the
Weldborough Pass Scenic Reserve, a 20-minute walk
through myrtle forests that offers spectacular views of the valley and
out to the sea.
Pyengana, 19km south of Weldborough, is known for cheese and as the
site, 13km south on route C428, of St Colombia Falls, the state's
tallest waterfall, cascading 110m on to the rocks below. The falls take
their name from the property here of the Quaker family Cotton, who
arrived in 1828. In the 1870s, Margaret Cotton set up one of the
island's first apple exporting businesses. To the east of here, the
near ghost towns of Goshen, Goulds Country, and Lottah hearken back to
the days of open tin-mining of the Blue Tier Mountain, now closed.
St Helens (population 1200), 18km southeast of Goshen, is one of the
most popular seaside resorts in Tasmania, known for its beaches around
Georges Bay and its temperate climate. The town's main thoroughfare is
Cecilia Street; at no. 57 is the Local History Room (t 03 6376 1329),
which is also the
information centre where you can get a detailed brochure about the
town's history. The History Room contains a quintessential
conglomeration of local artefacts, including a black hat worn by local
coach driver George Avery when in the 1880s he drove the Duke of
Edinburgh through the region. Cecilia Street and side streets include
other 19C buildings, including St Paul's Church of England, built in
1884, the 1874 District High School around the corner on Groom and
Circassian Streets, and, at no. 5 Cecilia Street, an 1870 weatherboard
house. Surveyor George Frankland, who laid out the town in the 1840s,
endowed the streets and places with lofty Greek names, such as Golden
Fleet Rivulet and Medeas Cove. Route C851 leads over Golden Fleece
Bridge to Jasons Gates and on to St Helens Point at the end of Georges
Bay, a state recreation ground. This is a great location for
bushwalking and, again, this area is one of the best places to sample
Tasmania's superb seafood.
Continue south on route A3 along the coast, passing through
the resort
town of Scamander, known for bream fishing in the Scamander River. At
St Marys Pass, 10km south of Scamander, is a turn-off to Falmouth, 3km
further east; it is an historic village with several convict-built
structures, as well as great views both of the coast and of the
mountains south through Elephant Pass.
The picturesque village of St Marys (population 668) sits at the
junction of the Tasman Highway (route A3) and the Esk Main Road (route
A4) and is at the headwaters of the South Esk River. Originally known
as 'Break O'Day Plains', the town is now at the centre of a coal-mining
region and is a major depot for the distribution of hydro-electric
power.
Continue on route A4 to Fingal, 21km west of St Marys. Along
the road,
c 10km, is 'Killymoon', built between 1842 and 1848, by Frederick von
Stieglitz, with Tuscan portico and substantial brick-walled gardens.
The property is a marvellous example of the grandiose homestead
mansions so characteristic of Tasmania.
2km north of Fingal is 'Malahide', a Georgian stone house built for
original settler William Talbot in 1828. With a name like Fingal, it is
not surprising that the place was founded by an Irishman, Roderic
O'Connor, who arrived in Tasmania on his own ship the Ardent in 1824;
his cargo included the first free Irish immigrants to the state. On
Talbot Street in town is the Fingal Hotel (also the tourist information
centre, t 03 6374 2121), formerly the Talbot Arms, built in 1844; true
to its Celtic tradition, the hotel has the largest collection of Scotch
Whisky in the Southern emisphere, 348 different brands acquired since
the Second World War.
Route A4 continues on from here 27km to Avoca, at the junction of the
South Esk and St Pauls Rivers. The village's St Thomas Church of
England of 1842 is a local landmark, attributed because of its
Romanesque Revival style to James Blackburn.
From Avoca, you can take route B42 c 11km to the foot of Ben Lomond;
walking tracks at Rossarden lead to the top of the mountain. On the
same road c 8km a turn-off leads to 'Bona Vista', a late Georgian style
homestead built in 1845 for the famed ex-convict Simeon Lord; at one
time, the bushranger Martin Cash was a horse-groom here. Back on the
A4, the road continues 26km to connect with the Midland Highway at
Conara Junction.
Hobart to Strahan
Leave Hobart on Highway 1 towards Launceston; at
Granton/Bridgewater,
continue west on route A10 towards New Norfolk (38km), another of the
towns founded by Governor Macquarie and named Elizabeth Town after his
wife. It became New Norfolk after the arrival of settlers from Norfolk
Island in the 1820s. Entering town, turn right at signs for Tynewald
and Oast House (t 03 6261 1322; open Wed-Sun 09.00-17.00);
originally
one estate, Tynewald is now a guest house and Oast House, originally
the drying kilns for the extensive hop fields of the estate, is now a
museum depicting the history of hop-growing in the region.
Returning to the main highway, continue west past Lachlan River. At
Bathurst Street on the left, note St Matthew's Anglican Church; dating
from 1823, it is the oldest Anglican church in Tasmania. Of special
interest here is the lovely church garden.
Further west on the main highway to the right are Old
Colony Inn (t 03 6261 2731; open daily, 09.00-17.00;
winter 10.00-16.00), c 1835, now a
restaurant, museum, and B&B and The Bush Inn
(t 03 6261 2256), c 1815, which
is reputed to be the oldest continuously licensed inn in Australia,
although this seems to be a hotly sought-after title by several old
hotels.
From New Norfolk, you can take route B62 to B61, which leads
115km west
to Strathgordon and the Gordon River Power Station, where the road ends
at Lake Gordon in the wilderness of the Southwest National Park (t 03
6288 1283). 35km along the road is the entrance to Mount Field National
Park (t 03 6288 1149), Tasmania's oldest national park, preserved since
1863. Only 80km from Hobart, the park is one of the most visited in the
state, offering great rock-climbing and bushwalking amidst the
waterfalls, Huon pine, and ancient gum trees. About 50km further,
immediately after passing through Strathgordon is McPartlan Pass, where
a lookout enables you to see both Lake Gordon to the north and Lake
Pedder to the south.
The Southwest National Park is 605,213 ha of rugged, remote wilderness,
penetrable only by the fittest and most tenacious of campers and
walkers. Its World Heritage status acknowledges it as a 'site of
outstanding universal value' under the UNESCO World Heritage
Convention. Also included in this World Heritage Area here are the
Franklin-Lower Gordon Wild Rivers National Park and the Cradle
Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.
One of the best ways to experience this vast area if you do
not want
rigorous and extended trekking is to take a flight across the region.
Two airlines operate flights to Melaleuca from Cambridge, 15km outside
Hobart. Check with the tourist information office in Hobart, or t 03
6248 5390 or t 03 6248 5088.
The Lyell Highway (route A10) to the western coastline proceeds from
New Norfolk north towards Derwent Bridge. Continue 34km to the village
of Hamilton, described by Emmett in 1954 as 'change and decay in all I
see', but by Odgers in 1989 as 'one of the most charming yet sleepy of
the southernmost towns'. Tourism has led to the encouraging restoration
of originally derelict buildings, including several 19C cottages now
offering bed-and-breakfast accommodation. On the right of the main
street is Glen Clyde House, a restored inn with craft gallery and tea
rooms.
Continue north on the A10 through Ouse (14km) and on to Tarraleah
(33km), centre of the Tarraleah-Tungatinah Hydro-electric Scheme, which
channels water from the Upper Derwent River and Lake St Clair.
Follow the A10 further north towards Bronte Lagoon; c 50m after the
turn-off to route C173 is a surveyors' monument marking the
geographical centre of Tasmania. From Bronte Park, it is 26km to
Derwent Bridge, the final stop before entering the Western Tasmania
Wilderness National Parks Area; it also marks the southern end of the
Cradle
Mountain/Lake St Clair National Park (t 03 6424 7833), a vast
wilderness area famed for its rugged walking trails, including the 85km
Overland Track known to all serious bushwalkers. Lake St Clair itself
is over 17km long and 200 metres deep. The visitor's
centre has a number of maps and pamphlets describing
the area. Lake cruises and trekking expeditions can be booked here as
well. For those who would like a less arduous walk, several
two-hour-long trails start at the Waldheim Chalet and at Lake Dover.
From Derwent Bridge, route A10 now continues west into the forested
terrain of Western Tasmania; the 83km road to Queenstown has no shops,
service stations or telephones, and can be hazardous in snowy weather.
Not completed until 1932, the road now passes through the
Franklin-Lower
Gordon
Wild
Rivers
National
Park, the
centre of Tasmania's World Heritage Area and known for its wilderness
walks and white-water rapids. Short walking trails to spectacular
lookouts and through rainforests are also accessible from the highway
for less adventurous travellers.
At Lake Burbury, the highway skirts the lake, offering stupendous
mountain views before driving down the steep slopes of Mount Owen past
the once-thriving mining towns of Gormanston and Linda, and into the
bizarre scenery surrounding Queenstown itself.
Queenstown
Queenstown (population 3600) was established as a mining town in 1896.
Literally carved out of the mountains, Queenstown came into being when
huge mineral resources were discovered at Mount Lyell. The field so far
has produced 670,000 tonnes of copper, 510,000 kg of silver and 20,000
kg of gold. Copper Mines of Tasmania employs most of the town's
inhabitants. Tourist information centre: 1 Driffield Street, t 03 6471
2388.
As one commentator has noted, modern-day visitors to Queenstown will
think they have landed on the moon, for the surrounding hills are
entirely barren of vegetation and riddled with weirdly coloured
craters, a result of deforestation and the sulphur mining processes of
the past. Recent efforts by the mining company to refoliate the hills
have, it is rumoured, been thwarted by residents who recognise that
their eerie landscape is their greatest claim to fame and the
attraction of tourist dollars.
Upon entering the town, the highway becomes Batchelor Street and then
turns left into Driffield Street. On the left at the corner of Sticht
and Driffield Streets is the Galley
Museum (t 03 6471 2903), a delightfully
idiosyncratic collection begun by local eccentric Eric Thomas. A
conglomeration of old photographs, telephones, beds, and china, the
museum offers an appropriately off-beat introduction to the area's
history. Across the street from the museum is Miners' Siding, an
equally eclectic display of mining equipment and ore samples, as well
as a set of bronze sculptures by local artist Stephen Walker which were
cast in Queenstown. At the corner of Driffield and Ore Streets is the
Empire Hotel, one of the only surviving hotels from Queenstown's heyday
at the beginning of the century, when the town boasted 14 hotels.
Three-and-a-half-hour-long tours of the mine are also available,
departing from the Western Arts and Crafts Centre, 1 Driffield Street
(t 03 6471 2388). The number of people on the tour is limited to six,
so book in advance. This is one of the few working mines allowing tours
to the working face.
To travel to the coastal town of Strahan, turn left just beyond Miners'
Siding where the Murchison Highway begins and west on to route B24;
Strahan is at the end of the road, 38km away.
Strahan (population 575), named after Tasmanian governor Sir George
Strahan, is picturesquely situated on Macquarie Harbour. Originally the
centre of Huon pine milling, it became a booming port during the early
mining years and with the establishment of the Strahan-Zeehan railway
in 1892. Today tourism is the major industry, as the town is the
starting point for the popular Gordon River cruises, which
circumnavigate Macquarie Harbour, passing by Sarah Island with its grim
reminders of its early days as Tasmania's first and most treacherous
penal prison. It was Macquarie Harbour's penal colony that was depicted
by Marcus Clarke in his novel For the Term of His Natural Life (1874).
Its inhumane horrors are most vividly described by Robert Hughes in The
Fatal Shore (1987). Macquarie Harbour is still notoriously hazardous to
navigate, with its narrow entrance and treacherous sandbars and waves
that originated in South America.
Along the town's Esplanade is the elegant Customs House, one of the
town's only substantial buildings. Strahan's visitor's centre
(t 03 6471 7622,
open daily 10.00-20.00, variable in winter) on the Esplanade will help
with charter services. Further along the road is Ormiston, the
residence built in 1902 by Strahan eccentric F.O. Henry, known as the
Duke of Avram. The area also includes several spectacular beaches, most
impressively Ocean Beach which stretches for 33km. Of particular
interest at Strahan to tourists is the availability of seaplane tours,
which offer exhilarating views of the coastal landscape.
From the town turn left into route B27 towards Zeehan (which can also be reached direct from Queenstown), 47km north. Zeehan (population 1200) derives its name from Abel Tasman's ship, which passed by the coast in 1642 and sighted the peak named Mount Zeehan by later explorers Bass and Flinders. At the height of the mining boom in 1901, Zeehan had 26 hotels and a population over 5000; its near demise by the 1950s perhaps accounts for the air of melancholy which still pervades the town, despite it modest resurgence as a tourist destination and with the opening of Renison Bell tin mine. Of interest is the Zeehan School of Mines and Metallurgy, established in 1892 and now housing the West Coast Pioneers' Memorial Museum (03 6471 6225, open daily 9.00-17.00). The museum has a characteristically eclectic assortment of mining paraphernalia, a mineral collection, a railway car, photos, stuffed animals and historical objects. Along the same street are many examples of buildings from the pioneer days, including the Gaiety Theatre where Nellie Melba and Lola Montez purportedly gave concerts.
National Trust