WELCOME TO HOBART, AUSTRALIA

Map in Hobart, Australia

Introduction

Hobart the second-oldest of Australia's state capitals, with a wild convict past and rich history still evident in its beautifully-restored Georgian buildings and colonial cottages. Hobart lies in the foothills of Mt Wellington, humping reluctantly down to the slate-grey waters of the Derwent River.

The town’s rich colonial heritage and natural charms are accented by a spirited, rootsy atmosphere: festivals, top-notch restaurants and hip urban bars abound. Laid-back to near-horizontal, Hobartians hang out in cafés joking about the daily rush-minute, dressed ready to plunge into the wilderness at any moment. On summer afternoons the sea breeze blows and yachts tack across the river; on winter mornings the pea-soup ‘Bridgewater Jerry’ fog lifts to reveal the snow-capped summit of the mountain.

Hobart is the capital of Tasmania, the heart-shaped island off the south-east coast of Australia. Hobart is the financial and administrative heart of Tasmania, and also serves as the home port for both Australian and French Antarctic operations.

Hobart is located in the state's south-east on the estuary of the Derwent River. The skyline is dominated by Mount Wellington at 1,271 metres high.

Hobart City, Australia

History of Hobart

The first settlement began in 1803 as a penal colony at Risdon Cove on the eastern shores of the Derwent River, amid British concerns over the presence of French explorers. In 1804 it was moved to a better location at the present site of Hobart at Sullivan's Cove. The city, initially known as Hobart Town or Hobarton, was named after Lord Hobart, the Colonial Secretary. The area's original inhabitants were members of the semi-nomadic Mouheneener tribe.

A series of bloody encounters with the Europeans and the effects of diseases brought by the settlers forced away the aboriginal population, which was rapidly replaced by free settlers and the convict population. Charles Darwin visited Hobart Town in February, 1836 as part of the Beagle expedition. He writes of Hobart and the Derwent estuary in his Voyage of the Beagle.

But since the Derwent River was one of Australia's finest deepwater ports and was the centre of the Southern Ocean whaling and the sealing trade, it rapidly grew into a major port, with allied industries such as shipbuilding. Hobart Town became a city on 21 August 1842, and was renamed Hobart in 1875.

Derwent River, Hobart Tasmania

About of Hobart

Hobart is located on the estuary of the Derwent River in the state's south-east at 42°52S 147°19E. Hobart is the central business district is located on the western shore, adjacent to Sullivan's Cove, with the inner suburbs spread out along the shores of the Derwent and climbing up the hills at the foot of Mount Wellington. The Port of Hobart occupies the whole of the original Sullivan's Cove.

View from the Domain looking to Mount Wellington towering over Hobart city

The Greater Hobart Metropolitan area consists of three self-governing cities, City of Hobart, City of Glenorchy and City of Clarence, plus the urbanised areas of the Municipality of Kingborough and Municipality of Brighton. The suburban areas cover a significant amount of both the western and eastern sides of the river. A part from the city, the main commercial centres are Glenorchy (the northern suburbs) and Rosny Park (the eastern shore). The satellite town Kingston, south of the city, is fast becoming an outlying suburb of Hobart. Other surrounding towns such as Sorell, Margate, Brighton and New Norfolk are popular residential areas for commuters.

The Port of Hobart occupies the harbour on the eastern side, at Sullivan's Cove, while the greater city spreads northwards and over the river to the east. The inumerable inlets and coves of the harbour and river are dotted with thousands of boats, yachts and pleasure craft of all kinds. Like all the world's great cities, it is Hobart's waterfront and the buildings relating to it that give it its character, history and charm. Today chandleries, shipwrights, customs agents and 'yachties' continue the history laid down by the seafarers, whalers and maritime merchants of the past. Nowadays the city acts as a preparation point for Antarctic expeditions and gateway to the sub-Antarctic islands of the Southern Ocean.

A pretty greenhouse in the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens

Hobart is internationally famous among the yachting community as the finish of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race which starts in Sydney on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas Day). The arrival of the yachts is celebrated as part of the Hobart Summer Festival, a food and wine festival beginning just after Christmas and ending in mid-January. The Taste of Tasmania is a major part of the festival, where locals and visitors can taste fine local and international food and wine.

Hobart is the finish point of the Targa Tasmania rally car event held annually in April since 1991.

The annual Tulip Festival at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is a popular Spring celebration in the City.

The Australian Wooden Boat Festival is a bi-annual event held in Hobart celebrating wooden boats. It is held concurrently with the Royal Hobart Regatta, which began in 1830 and is therefore Tasmania's oldest sporting event.

Hobart also hosts the bulk of the 10 Days on the Island festival, a biannual international arts festival.

Salamanca Place, Hobart Tasmania

Salamanca is the name used loosely to describe areas or activities associated with Salamanca Place in Hobart, capital city of the Australian state of Tasmania.

Salamanca Place itself consists of rows of sandstone buildings, formerly warehouses for the port of Hobart Town that have since been converted into restaurants, galleries, craft shops and offices. It was named after the victory in 1812 of the Duke of Wellington in the Battle of Salamanca in the Spanish province of Salamanca. It was previously called "The Cottage Green".

Each Saturday, Salamanca Place is the site for Salamanca Market which is popular with tourists and locals.

Salamanca Place is also popular after dark with both locals and visitors enjoying bars and eateries located there and the nearby wharves.

Salamanca Market, Hobart Tasmania

Salamanca Place consists of a splendid row of Georgian sandstone warehouses dating back to the 1830s, now converted into cafes, craft shops, galleries and restaurants.

The Hobart nightlife primarily revolves around Salamanca Place, the waterfront area and Elizabeth St in North Hobart, but popular pubs, bars and nightclubs exist around the city as well. Major national and international music events are usually held at the Derwent Entertainment Centre, or the Casino.

Popular restaurant strips include Elizabeth Street in North Hobart, and Salamanca Place near the waterfront. These include a large number of ethnic restaurants including Chinese, Thai, Greek, Italian, Indian and Mexican.

Hobart is home to Australia's oldest theatre, the Theatre Royal Hobart. Hibart also has three Village Cinema complexes, one each in the city, Glenorchy and Rosny. The State Cinema in North Hobart specializes in arthouse and foreign films.

Hobart is home to the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, which is resident at the Federation Concert Hall on the city's waterfront. It offers a year-round program of concerts and is thought to be one of the finest small orchestras in the world.

Campus of the University of Tasmania contains the Art School

Hobart also plays host to the University of Tasmania's acclaimed Australian International Summer Orchestra Institute (AISOI) which brings pre-professional advanced young musicians to town from all over Australia and internationally. The AISOI plays host to a public concert season during the first two weeks of December every year focusing on large symphonic music. Like the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, the AISOI uses the Federation Concert Hall as its performing base.

The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is an Australian university, with three campuses in Tasmania. A 'sandstone university', it is the fourth-oldest university in Australia. It was founded on 1 January 1890, and is a member of the international Association of Commonwealth Universities. University of Tasmania is consistently named in the top seven universities in the nation.

University of Tasmania is two main campuses are the Sandy Bay Campus, about 5 minutes from the centre of the city of Hobart, and the Newnham Campus, about 10 minutes from the city of Launceston. The third is the Cradle Coast Campus (formerly called the North-West Study Centre), located in the city of Burnie, offers a small number of full degrees, and also offers first year studies in a number of subjects to attract students from that area of the state, and to facilitate rural/regional studies in particular areas.

The university, Australian Maritime College and TAFE Tasmania are the only institutions of higher education in Tasmania and, in 2008, the AMC and UTAS integrated into a single organisation.

Hobart, Tasmania

Hobart has also long been home to a thriving classical, jazz, folk, punk, hip-hop, electro, metal and rock music scene. Nationally recognised musicians such as singer/songwriters Michael Noga (of The Drones), two thirds of indie rock band Love Of Diagrams, Tim Evans (of bands Sea Scouts, Mouth and Bird Blobs), Monique Brumby, blues guitarist Phil Manning (of blues-rock band Chain), power-pop group The Innocents and metal band Psycroptic are all successful expatriates. In addition, founding member of Violent Femmes, Brian Ritchie, now calls Hobart home, and has formed a local band, The Green Mist.

Bellerive Oval, Hobart Tasmania

Due to Tasmania's widely distributed population, most Hobart sporting teams in national competitions are statewide teams rather than exclusively city teams. These include the Tasmanian Tigers cricket team, which plays home games at Bellerive Oval on the eastern shore. Current Australian Cricket Captain Ricky Ponting's Home Ground is Hobart, even though he was born in Launceston. Despite Australian rules football's huge popularity in the state, Tasmania does not have a team in the Australian Football League. It does, though, have a team (the Tasmanian Devils) in the VFL (Victorian league), and a team in the national league is a popular topic among supporters as well as the state government (one of the potential sponsors of such a team).

Tasmania's small population and low sponsorship potential results in the state not being represented in national, rugby union, rugby league, netball, soccer and basketball leagues; although the Oasis Hobart Chargers do represent Hobart in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL). Also, there are bids lobbying for Tasmania to receive teams in the AFL and in the A-League.

With boat registrations reportedly doubling in recent years, many residents follow the strong maritime history of the Island State by participating in a range of water sports including sailing and fishing.