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 you’ll need a warmer coat today or not. This was the same in the early days of the colony, and while we don’t have any photos of Mt Wellington under snow for the fist 100 years or so, we do have this lovely one above from 1900 by Beattie, showing the harbour, ships & a generous snow cover on the mountain. Entries from Robert Knopwood’s diary for 2nd July 1814 record: “This morn the snow was ankle-deep on the ground; we never saw so much before. The native shrubs, &c., in full blossom. The scene is beautiful beyond description, the beauty of the shrubs through the white snow, and the water looking so very cold. Now 11 a.m., and snowing very hard.” Today – 200 years later –  the weather in Hobart is proving to be much more mild, and a good 10′ warmer today – but still remember to bring your warm coat and hat, as Hobart has been known to lay on some surprises occasionally.