Midlands

Introducing Midlands

Baked, straw-coloured plains, hawthorn hedgerows, fertile river valleys lined with willows and poplars, Georgian mansions by the roadside: Tasmania’s Midlands have a distinctly English-countryside feel. The area’s agricultural potential fuelled Tasmania’s settlement – coach stations, garrison towns, stone villages and pastoral properties sprang up as convict gangs hammered out the road between Hobart and Launceston.

The course of the Midland Hwy (aka the Heritage Highway) has changed from its original route. Many old towns are now bypassed, so it’s worth making a few detours to explore their Georgian main streets, cottage gardens and antique shops.

See www.southernmidlands.tas.gov.au and www.northernmidlands.tas.gov.au for more information.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009