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Tasmania is Australia’s southern natural gem with its large temperate rainforests, plenty of wildlife in true wilderness and new picturesque panoramas around every turn on the road in the center of Hobart and around the well-located city all over Tasmania.
For the historically interested, Tasmania offers a wide range of cities from the early British settlements; the island’s two largest cities, Hobart and Launceston, are, for example, the country’s second and third oldest towns, but also the many nice villages are worth a visit.
Hobart is the capital of the island state and the largest city. Historic buildings, green parks, shopping centers, markets as well as gastronomic experiences await everywhere in the city, whose immediate surroundings include the 1,270 meter/4,167 feet high mountain, Mount Wellington, whales in the Southern Ocean and the penal colony of Port Arthur.
In Hobart, you can experience distinguished residential areas from the 19th century, and in many cities on the road between Hobart and Launceston the street scenes are almost as originally constructed. It cannot be experienced at the same intensity elsewhere in Australia.
St. David’s Cathedral is a Neo-Gothic Anglican cathedral that was built in the period 1868-1936. However, the cathedral was already consecrated in 1874. The church is considered one of the Victorian architect George F. Bodley’s most beautiful works outside Great Britain.
The Anglican Cathedral in Hobart contains one of Australia’s finest organs, and you can regularly experience concerts in the church room, where, for example, choirs and the city’s symphony orchestra sing and play.
Franklin Wharf is the street that runs along Hobart’s central harbor area, and from here there is a view of all the life around the harbor and on the water. There are many restaurants that offer themselves, and from Franklin Wharf you can also go on boat trips. One of the excursions is with the ship MV Cartela, which is the oldest ferry in the whole of Australia, which has sailed ever since it was launched. MV Cartela was built at the Battery Point shipyard in Hobart and the ferry entered service in 1912.
Franklin Wharf could handle Hobart’s traffic until large and numerous steamships began to dominate much of sea transport from the latter half of the 19th century. A total of nine piers were built out from Franklin Wharf when the harbor was the active traffic port. Of these, only Elizabeth Pier and a small part of Bourke Street Pier remain today.
Salamanca Place is an elongated area of Hobart’s streetscape. The area consists of a series of sandstone buildings that were originally warehouses for the nearby port. The name Salamanca Place comes from the Battle of Salamanca in Spain, which was a successful battle fought by Arthur Wellesley’s troops. The square got its name in 1812.
Every Saturday, Salamanca Place forms the setting for one of Australia’s best-known markets, Salamanca Market, where there are many interesting stalls for both locals and tourists. The many bars and restaurants also make the place popular for a trip around the city.
Battery Point is a district in Hobart, where you can feel the former settlement of the 19th century, Hobart Town, by strolling through the streets. Due to, among other things, low land prices in the 1900s, the beautiful and almost rural residential area was allowed to lie almost untouched here, just a few minutes’ walk from the center.
Battery Point takes its name from the cannon battery that was erected on the site in 1818. The battery is not preserved to this day, but many of the original houses exude atmosphere.
You can advantageously walk up the Kelly’s Steps when you want to visit Battery Point. Hewn out of the rock in 1839 by James Kelly, the steps connect Salamanca Place with Battery Point.
The Hobart Cenotaph is Tasmania’s most important military memorial. The monument consists of an obelisk that was erected in the Queens Domain park that opened in 1860. The obelisk stands on the site of the historic Queens Battery defence.
The Hobart Cenotaph was dedicated on 13 December 1925 and was originally a memorial to Tasmania’s 522 fallen during the First World War. Since then, the 23 meter high obelisk has been expanded with other constructions to be a monument to fallen in all of Australia’s wars.
Victoria Dock is one of the dock basins in Hobart Harbour. Victoria Dock was built in 1840 at the behest of Queen Victoria. The harbor was intended for Hobart’s fishermen, and the large and varied fishing fleet is still based here.
On the edge of Victoria Dock in the area towards Constitution Dock is the famous fish restaurant, Mures, where some believe some of the world’s best seafood is served.
Hobart’s development in the 19th century was rapid, and both fishing and the merchant fleet demanded ever larger and more harbor basins. About 10 years after the construction of Victoria Dock, Constitution Dock was established and this part of Hobart’s harbor also became an active part of the fishing port.
At the corner of the harbor you can see the boat Matilda, which was built in 1886. With that age, Matilda thus belongs to the time when the harbor area was Hobart’s lifeline to the outside world.
Today, Constitution Dock is known for being the destination of the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. It is a race where the start of the 630 nautical miles goes in Sydney on December 26.
St. David’s Park is a formally landscaped park that formerly formed the city’s first cemetery. It was converted into a park in 1926 and on this occasion many of the early headstones were retained and incorporated into new facilities. For example, you can see a wall where you can follow names all the way back to the first ship against settlers from Great Britain.
There are many different plants in the park, which also offers some monuments. One of them is the grave monument of Lieutenant Governor David Collins, who founded Hobart.
St. Mary’s Cathedral is the cathedral in the Archbishopric of Hobart for the Roman Catholic Church. The cathedral dates back to 1860-1866, when construction was carried out by the church that replaced the first wooden one from 1822. However, due to construction errors, the church had to be almost rebuilt in the years 1876-1881.
The cathedral’s architectural style is Gothic, and in the building you can see many characteristic features from the style. In the church room you can see, among other things, the baptismal font that Bishop Willson brought with him to Hobart from England. It is believed to date from the Norman era between 1066 and 1200.
One should also notice the fine organ, produced in 1893, and the church’s beautiful rose window, which was made in the traditional Gothic style of European cathedrals.
Another beautiful building is the school St. Mary’s College, located immediately next to St. Mary’s Cathedral. The school was established in 1868 by sisters in the so-called Presentation Sisters, who as an institute arose in Cork, Ireland in 1775. For many years, the sisters oversaw the teaching on site, while today they are at the head of the administration.
Cascade is the name of Australia’s oldest brewery. It was established in 1824 by the English settler Peter Degraves. The brewery produces, among other things, beer, cider and juice, and on the labels you can find an image of the legendary Tasmanian tiger.
The brewery is very picturesquely located on the outskirts of Hobart with the mountains in the background. Tours are arranged here, and you can also taste the products in the visitor centre.
As an island community, Tasmania has always been active in seafaring, and at the Maritime Museum of Tasmania you can see the rich maritime history described. Among the themes are European exploration in the area, the importance of whaling to the island’s population and the significant shipbuilding that has taken place in Tasmania over the centuries.
With the different themes in the exhibition, during a visit you get a good impression of shipping and the importance it has had for the development of the island from the early colonial times to the present day.
Mount Nelson is one of the ridges around Hobart. From the mountain there is a fine view of the city and the area around the Derwent River. Mount Nelson is easily accessible, and in addition to the view itself, one of the city’s signal stations is intact at the top.
The signal station was one of the stations in the chain that ran from Port Arthur to Hobart. With signaling, a message could be quickly passed on to the city, and it could be important when, for example, ships arrived at the colony.
Mount Nelson’s slopes offer good opportunities for a hike in the beautiful surroundings. You can, among other things, take the trip between the mountain and the suburb of Sandy Bay.
Elizabeth Street Pier is a pier that stands as the only fully preserved of Hobart’s many harbor piers from the time when the inner harbor was busy with fishing, freight and other things coming in by sea.
You can see a magazine building that runs almost the entire length of the pier, and since 1999 it has been used as the activity and conference center Hobart Function & Conference Centre, where everything from weddings to exhibitions has been held.
Elizabeth Street is one of Hobart’s main streets, and in the middle of it is the pedestrianized Elizabeth Street Mall between Collins Street and Liverpool Street. Elizabeth Street was named after Elizabeth Macquarie, who was the wife of one of New South Wales’ former governors, Lachlan Macquarie.
Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is Hobart’s botanical garden. The lovely facility was established in 1818, and it spreads over an area of 14 hectares. There are many different gardens in the garden, which naturally contain a large variety of Tasmanian flora.
In the garden you can also see plants from the subantarctic climate, and it is a special experience. The plants have been collected on the Australian island of Macquarie Island, which lies between New Zealand and Antarctica.
Port Arthur is a former convict colony that now stands beautifully as one of Australia’s finest collections of ruins from the former English era. At its establishment, Port Arthur was named after the lieutenant governor of Van Diemen’s Land, George Arthur.
The start was in 1830, and at that time Port Arthur was a lumber station. The facility’s best-known function and time was its role as a reception area for some of Britain’s toughest criminals. They arrived from 1833 to the 1850s, and Port Arthur was well chosen due to, among other things, its location on a peninsula that was only connected to the rest of Tasmania by a narrow isthmus.
When Port Arthur was closed as a prison, a smaller town developed around the old buildings, and tourism to the large prison grounds soon became a source of income.
The most famous ruin in Port Arthur is the large prison building penitentiary, which is located along the water Mason Cove. It is not far from the boat terminal, which is one of the access roads to the site. Around there are many other buildings that have functioned as part of the prison or as administration.
Mount Wellington is a mountain that lies as a backdrop to the west of Hobart, and from almost everywhere there is a view of the 1,270 meter high peak. Until 1832, the mountain was called Table Mountain. It was a name that had come from its resemblance to Cape Town’s famous ridge.
In 1832, it was decided to name the mountain after Arthur Wellesley, who was the Duke of Wellington. Wellesley was the commander in the victorious battle over Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815.
The top of Mount Wellington is relatively often covered in snow, even if the weather is warm and fine in Hobart. It makes its way up the mountain to a vantage point from which there is a unique view of all of Hobart and the surrounding islands and peninsulas. In clear weather, there is also a view of the green wilderness that lies many kilometers west of Mount Wellington.
Richmond is Australia’s best-preserved Georgian village, where the buildings from the first half of the 19th century still dominate the streetscape. It is a particularly pleasant place to visit, and Richmond provides a nice contrast to life in the big city of Hobart.
Among Richmond’s buildings there are many that have been milestones in Australia’s history. You can see, for example, the country’s oldest bridge, called Richmond Bridge (Bridge Street), which was built in 1823. Two years later, the Richmond Gaol (37 Bathurst Street) was built, and it was also Australia’s first and thus the oldest. The prison was in operation for over a hundred years from 1825 to 1928. Since the 1940s it has been open to visitors.
The Catholic Church of St. John’s Church (St. John’s Circle) was built in 1836, making it the country’s oldest Catholic church building. The church is located by Richmond Bridge, and in the evening the illumination of the two buildings gives a special atmosphere.
You should also take a walk down Bridge Street, which is Richmond’s main street. It is here, however, that you will find most of the old buildings that make Richmond’s history contemporary. Two popular attractions are also located here. One is the model town of old Hobart, Old Hobart Town (corner of Bridge Street and Henry Street), which shows the Tasmanian capital in the 1820s. Further south-west along Bridge Street, you can try your hand at the labyrinths in the Richmond Maze (13 Bridge Street).
Richmond is located in the valley of the Coal River. The area is among Tasmania’s premier wine regions and vineyards and wineries surround the village. In several places you can take a closer look and taste the grapes, and this also applies along the road between Hobart and Richmond.
Launceston is a city that, with over 100,000 inhabitants, is Tasmania’s second largest city after the capital Hobart. The forerunner to Launceston was founded in 1804, but only after two relocations was the town of Patersonia established in 1806. Patersonia was named after the local garrison commander Paterson, but Paterson himself renamed the town Launceston after the governor of New South Wales, who was born in Launceston, England in Cornwall.
Today, Launceston is one of the cities in the country where you can see the most Victorian style houses. However, the street scene is nicely mixed, and therefore you can also see examples of, for example, Tasmania’s early colonial architecture and 1900s art deco.
A few of the city’s central buildings are the town hall, City Hall (Civic Square), and the post office, General Post Office (Cameron Street). The town hall was built in an Italian-inspired style in 1864-1867, and it has since been extended a number of times. The General Post Office was built in the 1880s, but the tower was only built in the early 1900s.
At the Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery (Invermay Road) you can see a number of Tasmanian works of art, a collection from the convict era and an exhibition about the island’s natural history. The museum is located on the site of the historic Inveresk railway, and the site is also home to a collection of trams and motor vehicles.
The business The Old Umbrella Shop (60 George Street) belongs to the last shop premises where the interior from the early 1900s is largely intact.
Launceston is also a green city where the parks are a major asset. In City Park (Tamar Street) you can see the Albert Hall building, and along the Tamar River are the Royal Park and Kings Park parks. It is worth taking a stroll in one or more of the parks.
Immediately west of the center of Launceston is the natural gem Cataract Gorge, which can be viewed from the Kings Bridge. The bridge was built in the 1890s, and for many years it was the city’s only way to the north over the rivers. To the southwest from Kings Bridge you can take a chairlift over the beautiful scenery (Basin Road). The lift’s route is 457 meters and its longest span is 308 meters.
Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park is a 161,443 hectare national park located in the mountainous highlands of central Tasmania. It is known for its natural beauty and as an excursion destination for hikes along, among other things, the Overland Track, which stretches 65 kilometers through the park between Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Clair.
Nature is omnipresent in the national park, and about half of the flora is endemic to the park, which also contains some wildlife such as smaller species of kangaroo, wombat, quoll, possum, anteaters, Tasmanian devils and a wide variety of birds. The park itself was established in 1922 by an Austrian, which is why you can see some German names here.
The majority of the park’s guests come from the north, where Dove Lake lies like a pearl immediately below the 1,545 meter high Cradle Mountain. There is a visitor center at the park entrance, and you can either walk or be driven to Dove Lake from here.
The tour around Dove Lake takes a few hours on foot, and it offers varied scenery and lots of beautiful views over the lake and the area’s hilly terrain. It is a special sight when Cradle Mountain is reflected in the still water.
Immediately north of the national park visitor center and entrance is a center for Tasmanian devils; Devils@Cradle (Cradle Mountain Road). The center works to protect the devils, which are threatened in nature not least because of a deadly disease that has spread violently among the island’s free-living devils. The center conveys knowledge about the devils and the work to ensure a viable population. At the end of the day, there is feeding of the devils, and it can get quite violent.
70 Murray Street
Bligh Street
eastlandsshopping.com.au
179 Macquarie Street
myer.com.au
387 Main Road, Glenorchy
Elizabeth Street Mall, Cat & Fiddle Arcade, Liverpool Street, Murray Street, Collins Street, Salamanca Place, Salamanca Square
Alpenrail Swiss Model Village
82 Abbotsford Road, Claremont
alpenrail.com.au
Antarctic Adventure
2 Salamanca Square
Bonorong Wildlife Park
Briggs Road, Brighton
bonorong.com.au
Dead Man’s Gold
17 Hunter Street
The Fun Factory
6 Bayfield Street, Rosny Park
Old Hobart Town Model Village
21 Bridge Street, Richmond
Richmond Maze
13 Bridge Street, Richmond
Tasmania’s European history began on November 24, 1642, when Dutch explorer Abel Tasman spotted the land now known as Tasmania. Abel Tasman named the new country Anthoonij van Diemenslandt (Van Diemens Land) after the Dutch general governor of Dutch India, Anthonie van Diemen.
However, it took many years for Europeans to land on the island. A French expedition went ashore in 1772, and among several other explorers over the years English James Cook sailed here in 1777.
In 1798, George Bass and Matthew Flinders determined that Van Diemen’s Land was separate from the mainland where the New South Wales colony was established. The fact that the British claim on the east coast of Australia did not include Van Diemen’s Land, which was the subject of increased French interest in what the British thought could be a competing colony.
By this time, some thousands Aborigines are believed to have lived in eight different tribal groups. During the first European landings on the island, the Aborigines welcomed visitors, but following the permanent settlements, tensions between the two populations increased. The weapons and efficiency of Europeans quickly did away with the majority of Aborigines. In 1831 there were a few hundred left, in 1847 44, and in 1876 Truganini, who became the last full-blood Aboriginal from Tasmania, died.
The first European settlement occurred in 1803, when New South Wales Governor Philip Gidley King would not risk a French base and colony on Van Diemen’s Land. That was why he sent 23-year-old Lieutenant John Bowen and crew on board the HMS Albion. Bowen established a settlement at Risdon Cove, north of present-day Hobart, and after that Britain claimed all of Van Diemen’s Land.
Bowen had been sent off on Governor King’s own initiative; he did not dare to wait for London approvals, which however approved the settlement of the new land. An official settlement expedition was sent with Captain David Collins in the lead. Collins came to Sullivan’s Cove, the center of present-day Hobart, on February 16, 1804. Here the town was to be located, with easier access to fresh water and less tides than at Risdon Cove, which was abandoned. The new place became Australia’s second city. Collins’ settlement was called Hobart Town and Hobarton, named after the British colonial minister of that time, Lord Hobart.
The first settlers of Tasmania, then called Van Diemen’s Land, were mainly prisoners and their guards. Their task, at the same time as to get their prison sentence, was to help establish agriculture and industry. Thus, in the first 50 years, 75,000 prisoners were sent to Tasmania. Several prison camps were set up; the best known are Port Arthur and Sarah Island, but in many places on the island there were prisoners. In Hobart Town there was also a special women’s prison. However, the vast majority of prisoners were not interned in prisons, but on the other hand worked on various construction works such as the Sorell Causeway dam.
In 1825, Van Diemen’s Land was separated as an independent colony, and it no longer belonged to the New South Wales colony on the Australian mainland. In 1856, the colony achieved a form of self-government with its own parliament, and on that occasion the colony changed its name to Tasmania, named after Abel Tasman.
Hobart Town was from the beginning in 1804 the colony’s capital, although other early settlements such as Launceston also saw its beginnings in 1804. Hobart Town’s location as the perfect haven for lucrative fishing was one of the reasons for the dominance of this place. At the census of 1835, 13,826 of the colony’s total 36,505 inhabitants lived in Hobart Town.
However, the start had not been easy. Hobart Town and Van Diemen’s Land were far from the rest of the British Empire, supplies were not stable, labor was uneducated, and attacks from the island’s Aborigine inhabitants were often at risk. However, Hobart Town grew and in 1842 it was recognized as a city. By the increased autonomy of 1856, the city became the capital of the colony, and in 1875 it was given its present name, Hobart.
Hobart’s isolated location from many parts of the world, including from the remaining Australia, has contributed to the fact that, despite growth, the city has not experienced the same rapid development as, for example, Melbourne and Sydney. Throughout the 19th century, some of the major industries were whaling and shipbuilding. From 1891 Henry Jones’ jam factory was also a major employer, exporting from Hobart to the British Empire.
The growing trade of the mid-1800s created an almost constant pressure on the port of Hobart, which had to be expanded several times with new basins, quays and warehouse buildings. In addition, following the city’s status as a capital, a number of administrative buildings were constructed, and the many buildings brought renewed growth after a few years in which the gold finds in the colony of Victoria had been a draw of people, also of Tasmanian labor.
New suburbs arose; including the wealthy neighborhoods of Battery Point and Sandy Bay as well as several others. Public transportation was widely thought to get people around town, and in 1893 the city’s first tram ran on one of the southern hemisphere’s first electric tram networks.
After an economic downturn in the 1890s, growth reappeared in Hobart from the early 1900s. The port was expanding again, and new large buildings such as the main post office and the customs office were built. It was also during these years that Tasmania’s hydropower began. Inspired by Germany’s use of hydropower in the Ruhr area, facilities were built in Tasmania. The desire of politicians was to attract industries with access to cheaper power than many other places, and some did establish factories here; such as Cadburys with a chocolate factory in 1920. Agriculture and fisheries, however, played a major role in the state’s economy.
As far back as the 1900s, the town was only located on the western bank of the Derwent River, but by 1832 the first plan for a bridge over the broad river was proposed. In 1943, the Hobart Bridge pontoon opened, and the city suddenly developed into new easily accessible areas to the east. Development was strong, and in the 1950s the pressure on Hobart Bridge was so great that a new and larger bridge was planned. The Tasman Bridge opened after four years of construction in 1964 and created a connection between the boroughs, which could handle the large volumes of traffic that tourism also made use of.
In 1956, Hobart’s airport opened, and a few years later the Princess Ferry of Tasmania car ferry was launched as the first of a new series of ferries between Tasmania’s Devonport and Melbourne on the Australian mainland. Capacity was greatly increased and access to and from the island state eased a lot. Tourism boomed, and as a result of the focus in this field, Australia’s first casino opened here in 1973.
Today, Hobart remains an important fishing port, and it is also the supply port for Australia’s and other countries’ scientific voyages to Antarctica. Tourism has also continued its growth in recent years, and with its long history on a European-Australian scale, there is much heritage to experience. The city has in recent years also invested heavily in culture, where today there is a varied range of activities to enjoy.
Overview of Hobart
Tasmania is Australia’s southern natural gem with its large temperate rainforests, plenty of wildlife in true wilderness and new picturesque panoramas around every turn on the road in the center of the largest city and around the well-located city all over Tasmania.
For the historically interested, Tasmania offers a wide range of cities from the early British settlements; the island’s two largest cities, Hobart and Launceston, are, for example, the country’s second and third oldest towns, but also the many nice villages are worth a visit.
About the upcoming Hobart travel guide
About the travel guide
The Hobart travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Australian city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
Hobart is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.
Read more about Hobart and Australia
Buy the travel guide
Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.
Use the travel guide
When you buy the travel guide to Hobart you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.
Salamanca Market • Cathedrals • Docks and Wharves • Mount Wellington
Overview of Hobart
Tasmania is Australia’s southern natural gem with its large temperate rainforests, plenty of wildlife in true wilderness and new picturesque panoramas around every turn on the road in the center of the largest city and around the well-located city all over Tasmania.
For the historically interested, Tasmania offers a wide range of cities from the early British settlements; the island’s two largest cities, Hobart and Launceston, are, for example, the country’s second and third oldest towns, but also the many nice villages are worth a visit.
About the upcoming Hobart travel guide
About the travel guide
The Hobart travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Australian city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
Hobart is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.
Read more about Hobart and Australia
Buy the travel guide
Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.
Use the travel guide
When you buy the travel guide to Hobart you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.
Victoria Dock is one of the dock basins in Hobart Harbour. Victoria Dock was built in 1840 at the behest of Queen Victoria. The harbor was intended for Hobart’s fishermen, and the large and varied fishing fleet is still based here.
On the edge of Victoria Dock in the area towards Constitution Dock is the famous fish restaurant, Mures, where some believe some of the world’s best seafood is served.
Hobart’s development in the 19th century was rapid, and both fishing and the merchant fleet demanded ever larger and more harbor basins. About 10 years after the construction of Victoria Dock, Constitution Dock was established and this part of Hobart’s harbor also became an active part of the fishing port.
At the corner of the harbor you can see the boat Matilda, which was built in 1886. With that age, Matilda thus belongs to the time when the harbor area was Hobart’s lifeline to the outside world.
Today, Constitution Dock is known for being the destination of the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. It is a race where the start of the 630 nautical miles goes in Sydney on December 26.
St. David’s Park is a formally landscaped park that formerly formed the city’s first cemetery. It was converted into a park in 1926 and on this occasion many of the early headstones were retained and incorporated into new facilities. For example, you can see a wall where you can follow names all the way back to the first ship against settlers from Great Britain.
There are many different plants in the park, which also offers some monuments. One of them is the grave monument of Lieutenant Governor David Collins, who founded Hobart.
St. Mary’s Cathedral is the cathedral in the Archbishopric of Hobart for the Roman Catholic Church. The cathedral dates back to 1860-1866, when construction was carried out by the church that replaced the first wooden one from 1822. However, due to construction errors, the church had to be almost rebuilt in the years 1876-1881.
The cathedral’s architectural style is Gothic, and in the building you can see many characteristic features from the style. In the church room you can see, among other things, the baptismal font that Bishop Willson brought with him to Hobart from England. It is believed to date from the Norman era between 1066 and 1200.
One should also notice the fine organ, produced in 1893, and the church’s beautiful rose window, which was made in the traditional Gothic style of European cathedrals.
Another beautiful building is the school St. Mary’s College, located immediately next to St. Mary’s Cathedral. The school was established in 1868 by sisters in the so-called Presentation Sisters, who as an institute arose in Cork, Ireland in 1775. For many years, the sisters oversaw the teaching on site, while today they are at the head of the administration.
Cascade is the name of Australia’s oldest brewery. It was established in 1824 by the English settler Peter Degraves. The brewery produces, among other things, beer, cider and juice, and on the labels you can find an image of the legendary Tasmanian tiger.
The brewery is very picturesquely located on the outskirts of Hobart with the mountains in the background. Tours are arranged here, and you can also taste the products in the visitor centre.
As an island community, Tasmania has always been active in seafaring, and at the Maritime Museum of Tasmania you can see the rich maritime history described. Among the themes are European exploration in the area, the importance of whaling to the island’s population and the significant shipbuilding that has taken place in Tasmania over the centuries.
With the different themes in the exhibition, during a visit you get a good impression of shipping and the importance it has had for the development of the island from the early colonial times to the present day.
Mount Nelson is one of the ridges around Hobart. From the mountain there is a fine view of the city and the area around the Derwent River. Mount Nelson is easily accessible, and in addition to the view itself, one of the city’s signal stations is intact at the top.
The signal station was one of the stations in the chain that ran from Port Arthur to Hobart. With signaling, a message could be quickly passed on to the city, and it could be important when, for example, ships arrived at the colony.
Mount Nelson’s slopes offer good opportunities for a hike in the beautiful surroundings. You can, among other things, take the trip between the mountain and the suburb of Sandy Bay.
Elizabeth Street Pier is a pier that stands as the only fully preserved of Hobart’s many harbor piers from the time when the inner harbor was busy with fishing, freight and other things coming in by sea.
You can see a magazine building that runs almost the entire length of the pier, and since 1999 it has been used as the activity and conference center Hobart Function & Conference Centre, where everything from weddings to exhibitions has been held.
Elizabeth Street is one of Hobart’s main streets, and in the middle of it is the pedestrianized Elizabeth Street Mall between Collins Street and Liverpool Street. Elizabeth Street was named after Elizabeth Macquarie, who was the wife of one of New South Wales’ former governors, Lachlan Macquarie.
Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is Hobart’s botanical garden. The lovely facility was established in 1818, and it spreads over an area of 14 hectares. There are many different gardens in the garden, which naturally contain a large variety of Tasmanian flora.
In the garden you can also see plants from the subantarctic climate, and it is a special experience. The plants have been collected on the Australian island of Macquarie Island, which lies between New Zealand and Antarctica.
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