January 22, 2015

St David’s Missing Clock

Hobart’s first public clock was requisitioned by Governor Davey in 1816 in order to “better regulate the hours and habits of the inhabitants of Hobart.” It was installed in the new tower of the old St David’s church, corner of Murray & Macquarie Streets in 1825. This is what the original tower of St David’s Continue reading →

July 2, 2014

Has Hobart always been this cold?

Hobart is the only Australian capital city with a mountain in the middle of it, and as you would expect, high mountains bring weather, and Mount Wellington is no exception. Standing proudly at just under 1300m (4,000 feet) The Mountain is put to good use as a weather gauge and a good indicator of whether Continue reading →

January 22, 2014

Behind the Red Awnings – 26 Murray St

As we tour Hobart on the History Walking Tour, many people are capitvated by the bright red awnings on the old Savings Bank building at 26 Murray St. If you have always wanted to know what it looks like inside, here is your chance:

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December 5, 2012

Where was Australia’s first vineyard?

This is it!

Well, ok – Australia’s first vineyard wasn’t quite this big, they didn’t have plastic buckets and it didn’t actually produce any grapes. But it was the first! And you won’t believe who planted it. Think back to 1788 – lots of maritime exploration happening, especially around the south of Tasmania, in particular Continue reading →

November 21, 2012

What has Captain Bligh got to do with Mt Wellington?

Most of us know about Captain Bligh and his reputation for being a bully which landed him in troubles with the crew of the Bounty. What most of us aren’t told about is the early years of his career which saw him busy navigating his way around the sountern end of Tasmanian in company with Continue reading →

June 29, 2012

Rocky Whelan – MURDERER ON THE MOUNTAIN!

Ok, I know, this doesn’t look like a convict – but it’s the closest I could get to Rocky – Rocky Whelan, that is. In 1855, the notorious bushranger John Rocky Whelan had one of his hiding places on the east face of Mount Wellington, as well as another bolt hole near Kingston. Continue reading →

June 24, 2012

What’s out the window today?

This is a great view to wake up to in the morning, and having Mount Wellington just outside our backdoor is great. But have a look at what’s on top of our favourite mountain – SNOW! Hooray – snow walking time. As a visitor to Hobart, you may not have expected snow but don’t Continue reading →

March 10, 2012

What do you know about Mt Wellington?

Without a doubt, Mt Wellington is the most dominant feature of Hobart. So much so that many people forget to notice it and think about it. Here is some interesting information about Mt Wellington in the early years of the British colony. 1798 – The first record of a European climbing Mt Wellington – was Continue reading →