Sights in Hobart
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Port Arthur
Port Arthur is the name of the small settlement in which the well-preserved Port Arthur Historic Site is situated. In 1830, Governor Arthur chose the Tasman Peninsula as the place where prisoners who had committed further crimes in the colony would be confined in an allegedly 'escape-proof' natural prison. The town is also the site of the tragic April 1996 massacre in which a lone gunman opened fire on visitors and staff, killing 35 people.
Between 1830 and 1877, about 12,500 convicts served sentences at Port Arthur and for many it was a living hell, though convicts who behaved well often lived in better conditions than those they'd experienced back home.
The penal establ…
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Cascade Brewery
The Cascade Brewery, in South Hobart, is a grand gothic edifice. It’s Australia’s oldest brewery, established in 1832 next to the clean-running Hobart Rivulet, and still pumps out superb beer and soft drinks today. Tours involve plenty of stair climbing with beer tastings at the end. Visitors must wear flat, enclosed shoes and long trousers (no shorts or skirts), and book in advance. You can take a tour on weekends, but none of the machinery will be operating (brewers have weekends, too).
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Island Cycle Tours
Island Cycle Tours, with its office inside the Pickled Frog backpackers, offers a van ride to the summit of Mt Wellington, followed by more than 20km of downhill riding (mostly on sealed roads, but with off-road options) back to sea level. There is also the option of combining a bike descent with kayaking trip - this 'pedal 'n' paddle' outing lasts about five hours and includes a meal.
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Mt Field National Park
Mt Field National Park is a favourite of both locals and visitors for its spectacular mountain scenery, alpine moorlands and lakes, rainforest and waterfalls. The area around Russell Falls was made a reserve in 1885 and by 1916 had become one of Australia's first national parks. The abundance of wildlife that can be viewed at dusk makes this a great place to stay overnight with kids. When nature sees fit to deposit snow, skiing is also an option.
The park's visitors centre has reams of information on the area's walks, and on the free, child-occupying, ranger-led activities usually held from late December until early February. Also inside are a cafe and displays on the ori…
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Richmond & the Coal River Valley
With more than 50 19th-century buildings and just 27km from Hobart, Richmond is arguably Tasmania's premier historic town. Straddling the Coal River and on the old route between Hobart and Port Arthur, Richmond was once a strategic military post and convict station. The town is surrounded by Tasmania's fastest-growing wine region - known as the Coal River Valley - and there are wineries in all directions.
With the completion of the Sorell Causeway in 1872, traffic travelling to the Tasman Peninsula and the east coast bypassed Richmond. The town remained the focus of a farming community but ceased to grow - in fact, for more than a century it changed very little. It has si…
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Arthur Circus
During colonial times this area was a colourful maritime village, home to master mariners, shipwrights, sailors, fishers, coopers and merchants. The houses reflect the occupants' varying lifestyles, ranging from tiny one- and two-room houses, such as those around Arthur Circus, to mansions. While most houses are still occupied by locals, many are now guesthouses where you can stay and experience the area's unique village atmosphere.
Battery Point's pubs, churches, conjoined houses and narrow winding streets have all been lovingly preserved and are a delight to wander around, especially when you get glimpses of the harbour between the buildings. Highlights of the area incl…
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Salamanca Place
Salamanca Place, a picturesque row of sandstone warehouses on Sullivans Cove, is a classic example of Australian colonial architecture. Dating from the 1830s, it was the hub of Hobart Town's trade and commerce, but by the mid-20th century, many of the buildings had fallen into ruin. The 1970s saw the dawning of Tasmania's sense of 'heritage', from which flowed a push to revive the warehouses as home to restaurants, cafes, bars and shops.
The development of the quarry behind the warehouses into Salamanca Square has bolstered the atmosphere. Operating behind the scenes here is a vibrant and creative arts community. The non-profit Salamanca Arts Centre occupies seven Salaman…
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Hunter Street
Hunter St has a row of fine Georgian warehouses (including the old IXL jam factory) that have recently been restored and now house the super-swish Henry Jones Art Hotel, Hobart's new hotspot, plus affiliated restaurants and a couple of art galleries. While this development has remained true to the heritage of the area and retains much of its original façade, not all of the hotel's neighbours can make the same claim.
It's no secret that the design of the large, modern hotel and apartment complex at the corner of Davey and Hunter Sts has few admirers; many Hobartians consider it totally inappropriate for the historic area (and you'd be forgiven for feeling the same way abo…
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Cadbury Chocolate Factory
For years kids have been pestering their parents to do the famous tour of the Cadbury Chocolate Factory, 15km north of the city centre. However, recent health-department regulations have put paid to the factory tours, so chocoholics and wannabe Willy Wonkas must now content themselves with ‘a comprehensive talk and short film’ in the Cadbury Visitor Centre… oooh! You can still stuff your pockets with cheap choc products, and there’s a cafe and souvenir shop. Bookings are essential. Some tour companies offer excursions that incorporate the Cadbury Chocolate Factory, or book directly with Cadbury and make your own way there.
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Moorilla Estate
Moorilla Estate sits on a saucepan-shaped peninsula on the Derwent River 12km north of Hobart’s centre. Since its founding in the 1950s, Moorilla has played a prominent role in Hobart society. Stop by for wine and beer tastings, have lunch or dinner at the outstanding restaurant The Source or splash some cash for a night in the deluxe accommodation (doubles $395). Moorilla also plays host to some great summer concerts on its grounds – Grinspoon, Cat Empire and The Pretenders have featured in recent times. Note that the renowned Mona museum here is closed for long-term redevelopment.
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Maritime Museum of Tasmania
Hobart is still the staging post for many voyages into the Southern Ocean and Antarctic, and its unbreakable bond with the sea is celebrated at the fascinating Maritime Museum of Tasmania. There are wonderful collections of old photos, paintings, models and relics – just try resisting ringing the huge brass bell from the Rhexenor. Upstairs you’ll find the Carnegie Gallery with its exhibitions of contemporary Tasmanian art, craft, design and photography.
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Botanical Discovery Centre
The small yet beguiling Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, located near Tasman Bridge, was established in 1818 and features more than 6000 exotic and native plant species. There's also an outstanding conservatory and the Sub-Antarctic Plant House. After wandering through the 14 hectares of flora, you can explore their world in more detail in the Botanical Discovery Centre, which also houses a gift shop, kiosk and restaurant.
Some paths are suitable for wheelchair-users.
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Mt Wellington
Cloaked in winter snow, Mt Wellington peaks at 1270m, towering above Hobart like a benevolent overlord. The citizens find reassurance in its constant, solid presence, while outdoorsy types find the space to hike and bike on its leafy flanks. And the view from the top is unbelievable! Don’t be deterred if the sky is overcast – often the peak rises above cloud level and looks out over a magical ocean of rolling white cloud-tops.
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Old Signal Station
If Mt Wellington is under a cloud, the much lower Old Signal Station on Mt Nelson still provides excellent views. When Port Arthur was operating as a penal site, a series of semaphore stations were positioned on all the high hills and used to transmit messages across the colony. The one on Mt Nelson - first established in 1811, though the current building dates from 1910 - served as the major link between Hobart and the rest of the colony.
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Penitentiary Chapel Historic Site
See the court rooms, and grim cells and gallows of the Penitentiary Chapel Historic Site. Writer TG Ford mused: ‘As the Devil was going through Hobart Gaol, he saw a solitary cell; and the Devil was pleased for it gave him a hint, for improving the prisons in hell’. For extra frisson take the excellent one-hour National Trust–run Ghost Tour held most nights (bookings essential).
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Battery Point
An empty rum bottle’s throw from the once notorious Sullivans Cove waterfront is a nest of tiny 19th-century cottages and laneways, packed together like herring fillets in a can. This is the old maritime village of Battery Point and its name derives from the 1818 gun battery that stood on the promontory, protecting Hobart Town from nautical threats both real and imagined.
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Franklin Wharf
Hobart's busy waterfront area, centred on Franklin Wharf, is a great place for a stroll. At Constitution Dock are several floating takeaway seafood stalls - it's an obligatory holiday activity to sit in the sun munching fresh fish and chips while watching the busy harbour (the docks also have some fine restaurants if you prefer something more formal).
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Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery
The excellent Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery is installed in Hobart’s oldest building, the Commissariat Store (1808). The museum features Aboriginal displays, colonial relics and shifting exhibitions, while the gallery curates a collection of Tasmanian colonial art. There are free guided tours at 2.30pm from Wednesday to Sunday.
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Royal Tennis Court
The royal tennis court dates from 1875 and is one of only three such courts in the southern hemisphere. Royal (or 'real') tennis is an ancient form of the highly-strung game, played in a four-walled indoor court. Visitors are welcome, but there's no guarantee a game will be in progress.
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Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens
The excellent little Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, established in 1818, showcase more than 6000 exotic and native plant species. Explore the flora in detail at the Botanical Discovery Centre, which also houses a gift shop, kiosk and restaurant.
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Government House
Next door to the Botanical gardens is Government House, the residence of the state's governor. Although it is not open to the public and not visible from the road, you can get a good view of the building's turrets and towers from high up on the hill in Queen's Domain.
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Allport Library & Museum of Fine Arts
The Allport Library & Museum of Fine Arts is inside the State Library. It has a collection of rare books on Australasia and the Pacific region, as well as colonial paintings, antiques, and a collection of artworks that it displays several times a year.
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Ghost Tours
The court rooms, cells, tunnels and gallows of the Penitentiary Chapel & Criminal Courts can be explored via the excellent National Trust-run tours. One-hour ghost tours are also held here most nights; they're popular, so bookings are essential.
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Parliament House
Presiding over an oak-studded park adjacent to Salamanca Place is the low-lying, sandstone Parliament House, completed in 1840 and originally used as a customs house. Tours don’t run when parliament is in session.
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Salamanca Arts Centre
The non-profit Salamanca Arts Centre occupies seven Salamanca warehouses and is home to 75-plus arts organisations and individuals, including shops, galleries, studios, performing arts venues and public spaces.
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