Facts at a Glance
History
When to Go
Orientation
Attractions
Off the Beaten Track
Activities
Events
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Recommended Reading
Lonely Planet Guides
Travellers' Reports on Australia
On-line Info
Population: 127,000
Country: Australia
Time Zone: GMT/UTC plus 10 hours
Telephone Area Code: 03
The first inhabitants of the city area were members of the Aboriginal Mouheneer tribe, who lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle. Tasmania's Aboriginal people were removed so quicky that almost nothing of their history, culture or language was recorded. During Tasmania's Black War, Aboriginal people, fighting to retain their land, speared sherperds and stock and, in turn, were hunted and shot. In 1828 martial law was proclaimed by governor Arthur, giveing soldiers the right to arrest or shoot on sight any Aboriginal found in an area of European settlement. Between the 1820s and 1840s most remaining Aboriginals were rounded up and moved to a camp on Bruny Island. Most of these died of despair, malnutrition or respiratory disease and by 1876 Tasmania's las full-blooded Aboriginie was dead.
The city of Hobart was established in 1804 at the mouth of the Derwent River, one year after Tasmania's first settlement was secured at nearby Risdon Cove. It began as a collection of tents and huts, with a population of 178 convicts, 25 marines, 15 women, 21 children, 13 free settlers and 10 civil officers. The colony's location on the Derwent River - one of the world's finest deep-water harbours - was a key to its successful development, and Hobart Town (as it was known until 1881) was proclaimed a city in 1842.
 "Hear ye, hear ye, for crying out loud!" (23K)
Tasmania, or Van Diemen's Land as it was originally known, was best-known as a penal colony in its early days, with prisons for recurring offenders established on Sarah Island, Maria Island and Port Arthur. Free settlers, however, were often opposed to the idea of living with criminals, and in 1856 transportation to the island was abandoned. Parliamentary elections took place the same year and the island renamed itself Tasmania. Hobart's merchants took advantage of the city's excellent harbour and many made their fortunes from the whaling trade, ship-building and the export of products like corn and merino wool.
Hobart is most popular in summer (December to February) when it's warm enough for swimming and great to be outdoors. Accommodation is heavily booked and restaurants are crowded, but it's also when you'll see the big events, such as the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Winter (June to August) is often cold, wet and cloudy; spring (September to November) can be very windy and the hills around Hobart may still get snow. Autumn, from March to May, is mild and there are plenty of festivals.
Hobart is in the south-east of the state, in the middle of a series of islands and peninsulas which surround Storm Bay. It lies at the foot of Mt Wellington, and is approached from the north by the Tasman bridge and highway. Queen's Domain and the botanical gardens feed into the grid of the central business area, which is just minutes away from the wharves which line Sullivans Cove. The waterfront area is the focus for the city's events and the location of most tourist attractions. South from here is Sandy Bay, the site of Hobart's university and the Wrest Point Hotel Casino.
The airport is in Hobart's eastern suburbs, 16km (10mi) from the city centre. Buses leave from the Transit Centre, to the west of the city centre, and Hobart Coaches, right in the city.
Accommodation in Hobart ranges from backpackers' hostels and quaint but sometimes expensive B&Bs and guesthouses to harbourside pubs and four-star hotels. Because of the city's tiny proportions, it's possible to stay conveniently close to the city's attractions and food outlets. The main areas for budget accommodation are the city centre and the older suburbs to the north and west. Middle and upper-end accommodation is spread all over town.
Salamanca Place
The row of beautiful sandstone warehouses on the harbourfront at Salamanca Place is a prime example of Australian colonial architecture. Dating back to the whaling days of the 1830s, these warehouses were the centre of Hobart Town's trade and commerce. Today they have been tastefully developed (if you like that sort of thing) to house galleries, restaurants, nightspots and shops selling everything from vegetables to antiques. An open-air market is held at Salamanca Place every Saturday morning.
Constitution Dock at night (15K)
Battery Point
Behind Princes Wharf is the historic core of Hobart, the old port area known as Battery Point. Its name comes from the gun battery that stood on the promontory by the guardhouse, built in 1818. During colonial times this area was a colourful maritime village, home to master mariners, shipwrights, sailors, fishermen, coopers and merchants.
Warehouses, Victoria Dock (20K)
Don't miss Arthur's Circus - a small circle of quaint cottages built around a village green - or St George's Anglican Church. Anglesea Barracks was built in Battery Point in 1811, and is the oldest military establishment in Australia. You can visit the barracks' free museum or take a guided tour of the restored buildings. The Van Diemen's Land Folk Museum, which lives in a fine Georgian home in Battery Point, is the oldest folk museum in the country. It stands in beautiful grounds and has a large and fascinating collection of relics from Tasmania's early pioneering days.
Cascade Brewery
Australia's oldest brewery is still producing some of the finest beer in the country (and we challenge anyone who disagrees to a sculling competition). Although you can't wander around the place unaccompanied, the brewery tours are a worthwhile diversion and will give you a real insight into the brewing process. Highlights include a cheesy video on the brewery's history and - of course - the free samples handed out at the tour's conclusion. The gardens around the brewery are also gorgeous.
Mt Wellington
Hobart is dominated by the 1270m (4165ft) Mt Wellington. There's a web of walking tracks over and around the summit, and the views (when the lowering fog allows) are fabulous. There's no public transport to the top of the mountain, but you can get buses to Ferntree, one of Hobart's outer suburbs, and do the return walk to the summit in about six hours. Organised bus tours run all the way to the top. It's always cold at the top of Mt Wellington, even at the height of summer, so bring a cardie (or a pullover, if you prefer).
Richmond
Richmond is packed full of 19th century buildings, and with its abundance of 'oldests' is known as Tasmania's premier historic town. The town was once a strategic military base and convict station, but in 1872 a new highway, which bypassed Richmond, was built, and the town has stood stuck in time ever since.
Richmond is now best-known for its photogenic bridge - built in 1823, it's the oldest road bridge in Australia. The northern wing of Richmond Gaol was built in 1825, five years before the settlement at Port Arthur, and is the best-preserved convict jail in Australia. Richmond also has the oldest Catholic church in Australia - St John's Church.
As you'd expect, Richmond suffers from an epidemic of chintz-and-colonial bed & breakfasts. You'll never be short a place to stay here, but most lodgings will make a dent in your money bag. If you'd rather not stay overnight, Richmond is only 24km (15mi) north of Hobart and an easy day-trip by car. Buses run during the week.
Mt Field National Park
Mt Field, 80km (50mi) west of Hobart, was declared a national park in 1916, and was one of the first national parks in Australia. The park is well known for its spectacular mountain scenery, alpine moorland, dense rainforest, lakes, abundant wildlife and spectacular waterfalls. The major attraction for most people is in the valley close to the park entrance: the magnificent 40m (130ft) Russell Falls are an easy 15 minute walk from the carpark. In summer rangers guide nightly walks to the falls, where you'll see glow worms.
There are magnificent walks on the plateau on top of the range, but be prepared for wet or cold weather. In winter there is snow on the park's highest peaks, and a low-key ski resort of club huts and rope tows has grown up around Mt Mawson. There is a campground just inside the park entrance and cabins on the plateau, as well as a hostel and a few hotels near the park. Buses run between Hobart and Mt Field, but they're a little sporadic.
Apart from looking up and around at the very special architecture, poking through the bits and bobs at the Salamanca Place craft market and signing petitions urging that the right to sexual choice be introduced to Tasmania, activities include cruising on the Derwent River, taking the National Trust walking tour, ascending Mt Wellington to experience the views from the top and scenic flights.
Salamanca Market (25K)
The New Year arrival of the yachts competing in the Sydney to Hobart and Melbourne to Hobart yacht races is celebrated with a Mardi Gras. The Royal Hobart Regatta in February is the largest boating carnival in the southern hemisphere. In March, sharpen your quill for the Salamanca Writers' Weekend. The Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Show is in October.
Australia's two major airlines, as well as a host of smaller services, fly to Hobart, mostly from Australian state capitals and smaller Victorian cities. The only international flights are to and from Christchurch in New Zealand. Buses run from Hobart to most major towns around the state, although services can be sparse or non-existent on public holidays. Tasmanian Wilderness Travel, a small bus company, runs services off the main roads and to some of the more interesting destinations.
Renting a car is a pretty good idea in Tasmania, as public transport can be a bit infrequent, particularly if you've only got a short time in the state. There are heaps of rental firms in Hobart, so you shouldn't have much trouble getting a decent deal. If you're coming over from the mainland, you can bring your own car on the ferry which travels between Melbourne and Devonport, in Tasmania's north. Tasmania is one of the few places in the world where hitching is a good option - if you want to hitch a lift out of Hobart, catch a bus north to Bridgewater or east to Sorell for starters.
There is a bus shuttle between the airport and the city centre, or you can shell out about US$15 for a taxi ride. Hobart is small and well-planned enough to make getting around on foot to most places possible. The local bus service is operated by Metro, and their user-friendly timetable is very handy. Day Rover tickets can be used during off-peak hours and all day at weekends. Alternatively you could hire a bike. A ferry runs between Franklin Wharf and Bellerive Wharf on weekdays.
- There's plenty of literature available on the massacre of Tasmania's Aboriginal people - among the best is Bruce Elder's Blood on the Wattle.
- Robert Hughes' mighty tome, The Fatal Shore, has a few chapters on Tasmania's convict heritage, and a fine read they are too.
- The accounts of early European explorers can be almost as hard going as the Tassie wilderness, but there are plenty of nuggets in Ralph and Kathleen Gowlland's summary of explorers' acheivements, Trampled Wilderness.
- If you're keen to do some day walks around Hobart, keep an eye out for Jan Hardy and Bert Elson's bushwalking guides.
- Hal Porter's 1961 novel, The Tilted Cross, is set in old Hobart Town, while Christopher Koch's The Boys in the Island is an acclaimed account of growing up in the state.
 Travellers' Reports
 On-line Info
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Facts at a Glance
History
When to Go
Orientation
Attractions
Off the Beaten Track
Activities
Events
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Recommended Reading
Lonely Planet Guides
