There is an island in the southern sea.
To its north is the vast continent of Australia.
Far to the south there is nothing but ocean until Antarctica is reached.
Here in the roaring 40s, New Zealand lies to the east and far away to the west, the
next landfall is South America.
The island is Tasmania, Australia's smallest and southernmost state.
An island so beautiful, so diverse in its nature that it has long held a magnetic
attraction to visitors from not only the Australian mainland but from overseas too
and increasingly so as the word spreads.
Tasmania's first official visitor was a captain of the Dutch East India Company,
Abel Tasman. He discovered the island in 1642 and named it Van Diemen's Land.
But it was not until 1803 that the island was settled by the British who 15 years
earlier had established their first Australian colony, Sydney Town on Botany
Bay. As a means of solving the problem of overcrowded cities, poverty and the
resulting high crime rate brought about to a large extent by the Industrial
Revolution, Britain transported many thousands of its lawbreakers to Australia.
The life of the convicts, the jailers, the soldiers and the free settlers is
mirrored today in the settlement at Port Arthur where many of the ruined
buildings are preserved and cottages and administration buildings faithfully
restored and furnished. Port Arthur is arguably Tasmania's top visitor
attraction. The aim of the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority is to
maintain the historical integrity of the site. Over the years the building
suffered from the disintegration of brick and stone due to the weathering,
made worse by the poor quality of the original materials and attacked by the
corrosive seaside environment. New techniques were adopted to help stabilize
the large ruins. Bricks from the tops of ruined walls were refired to help them
resist decay. Walls were damp-proofed and a stainless steel reinforcing system
used. As a result of its work the Authority has been recognised with an
International Tourism Award, a National Historic Conservation Award together
with architectural and other professional awards.
After the morning muster of the convicts they'd all be kept out there in the
assembly yard or the muster yard. Have a look up towards the hospital and at the
bottom of those steps there is where the triangles, the hogging paste was placed.
To this day's standards life for the convicts at Port Arthur was cruel and hard with its
solitary confinement cells and the frequent punishment of the lash. But in
the 1840s the British philosophy of prison life changed in the belief that
hard work under constant supervision in isolation and silence was a better way
to reform criminals rather than such physical punishment as the lash. At Port
Arthur the model or separate prison was thus built. Its solitary cells, separate
exercise yards and face masks reinforcing the regime of solitude and silence.
For those who behaved Port Arthur was far preferable to the life at the time in
Britain where for many squalor and starvation was all that could be
expected. Many convicts served their time and eventually became free settlers
contributing much to Van Diemen's land prosperity and themselves becoming
prosperous.
Many visitors find their way to the old Richmond jail whose history parallels
that of Port Arthur. In the 1820s Richmond was the colony's third largest
community responsible for growing and milling grain and the jail was rather a
necessity in view of the large number of convict road gangs, assigned servants and
natives whose enthusiasm often had to be contained.
Today Richmond offers the visitor a close look at many historic features. It
boasts the oldest post office in Australia still standing. Its remaining
hotel was once one of many most of them now converted to galleries or private
homes.
Whilst Tasmania is part of a relatively young country in terms of European
settlement it is nevertheless very conscious of its heritage. Indeed in
per capita terms Tasmania has the greatest number of historic buildings of
any state in Australia. They are reminders of the architects, engineers
and craftsmen who first came to the colony many of them as convicts. Throughout
cities, towns and the beautiful countryside there are fine examples of
the building craftsmanship of the 19th century. A number of mansions have been
faithfully restored and furnished and are open for public inspection.
An unusual and popular visitor attraction is the Battery Point Walk. A
chance to see the elegant homes of the early settlers and the humble cottages
of the soldiers, whalers and other colonial workers. The Tasmanian Division
of the National Trust welcomes visitors to a number of homes. This one is Runny
Mead where once lived a distinguished lawyer, later a bishop, then a well-known
ship owner.
In every room one is reminded of the elegance of a bygone age. Furniture,
household utensils, fine china and little reminders of a family growing up through
the years.
Another beautiful home is Clarendon, one of the great Georgian houses of
Australia completed in 1838 for a wealthy wool grower and merchant.
Clarendon is not far from the beautiful historic village of Evandale. It
contains fine examples of early architecture and many visitors find their
way there to enjoy the delightful museums, arts and craft shops and the
quaint old pubs. It's the home of the festival which now hosts the
internationally famous penny-farthing bicycle race. An unusual historic
building is the Shot Tower, the only remaining stone shot tower in the
southern hemisphere. It was completed in 1870 and today many energetic visitors
take the opportunity to climb to the top.
In every city, town, village, even remote rural spots, Tasmanian galleries reflect
the superb artistry of its potters, woodworkers, leather, glass and metal
workers, its spinners and weavers, furniture makers and painters.
It is not only buildings that reflect Tasmania's heritage, there are many other
fine examples of building. It's bridges for instance, simple structures crossing
the myriad streams throughout the countryside. The unique convict built
Spiky Bridge near Swansea on the East Coast. This bridge at Richmond is
Australia's oldest built by convict labour in 1823. It's said to be haunted
by the ghost of a too enthusiastic overseer who met an untimely end at the
hands of his convict charges.
Famous too is the bridge at Ross in the Midlands. Convict built with magnificent
carvings by convict stonemason Daniel Herbert, ably assisted by his burglar
mate, Jem Coldbeck. In awe, 50 convicts built the bridge which has 184 carvings
of Celtic symbols, heraldic animals and well-known figures of the day.
Filtering was a happy pastime in those days to the extent that even the iron
staples in the bridge had to be embossed with the convict broad-arrow symbol to
prevent theft.
Tasmania is an island of beautiful lakes and rivers. One of its longest rivers is
the Derwent which winds its way from the central highlands down through the
fertile Derwent Valley. This is sheep country. Famous too is the largest
producer of hops in the southern hemisphere.
The area has become famous for another reason. Over many years the beauty of
Tasmania has attracted numerous national and international filmmakers to the
island. But 1990 saw by far the biggest ever production, the 18 million dollar
Tasmania story produced by Japan's Fuji Sankai. The farming property chosen as
the location was here where the Derwent and Clyde rivers meet at Lake Meadow
Bank. And this is the film set, a typical Australian farmhouse of the 1920s except
that it was built in 1990 and cleverly aged 70 years.
Inside the house is furnished authentically too, just as a farm family
would have lived in the days when Australia was still a young nation. The
story concerns a Japanese boy searching for his father in Australia. He
discovers that he has dropped out of commercial life in Sydney and become a
conservationist in Tasmania. His main aim to find the Tasmanian tiger, an animal
which is believed to have been extinct for many years, but which many bush
people believe could still exist. The last known Tasmanian tiger died in 1936
and since then there have been countless efforts to establish if the elusive
thylacine still exists. Quite large rewards have been offered to anyone who
can prove a sighting. In the Tasmania story the father and son go in search of
the tiger and have many adventures. One star of the film still lives here, Max,
the farm sheepdog, who endeared himself to all actors and production crew alike.
Today the farm film set has become a tourist attraction with visitors being
shown the site, including the Wombats Borough and the lake where wild swans
live and where a romantic scene was played out on a little jetty built
specially for the occasion. Guests enjoy a typical Tasmanian billy tee and damper
a farm lunch and see sheep and cattle mastering.
The Derwent leaves Meadowbank and makes its way south. It passes salmon ponds
where a century ago the southern hemisphere's first successful hatching of
trout and salmon took place. All Australia and New Zealand fish stock
started here and it continues to operate to this day. One reason why Tasmania has
been known for a hundred years as the fisherman's paradise. The commercial
centre of the Derwent Valley is the town of New Norfolk. Norfolk because it was
here that the free people and former convicts of Norfolk Island were
resettled after its penal settlement was closed in 1808. Consecrated in 1823, St.
Matthew's Church is the oldest church in Australia still in use. The Bush Inn of
1825 is believed to be Australia's oldest continually licensed hotel. The
Derwent makes its way to the sea widening as it passes Australian newsprint mills.
The product from these mills supplies most of Australia's newsprint needs.
Bridgewater is where the first land crossing of the Derwent was made
possible. By a little park on the western approach is the old watch house where
soldiers and convicts were housed overnight on their long journeys north.
Further downstream is one of Tasmania's most popular visitor attractions and at
the same time one of the world's largest and most successful chocolate factories.
Each year some 40,000 tourists are shown over the Cadbury factory where they view
the chocolate making process and have the opportunity to taste and to buy.
The Bowen Bridge is Tasmania's most recent replacing the emergency Bailey
Bridge built in 1975 after the ship the Lake Illawarra hit the Tasman Bridge. Both
the ship and a large section of the two kilometer long bridge sank to the bottom
of the Derwent. Whilst the incident was an undoubted tragedy at the time it did
have its positive effect. From the myriad craft that came to the aid of commuters
who crossed the Derwent each day sprang a modern boatbuilding industry. The
world's largest ocean going wave piercing catamarans each costing 20
million dollars and now applying the English Channel with forward orders which
ensure viability for the new Tasmanian industry for many years to come.
The Derwent has almost reached the sea but not before opening up to become
Australia's deepest and second largest port Hobart Tasmania's capital city.
Whilst young Lieutenant Bowen decided in 1803 that the colony's settlement should
be further upriver the state's first governor John Collins on his arrival the
following year moved the settlement to Sullivan's Cove. There was a more
plentiful supply of water and a better harbor for the many trading and whaling
ships which were soon to begin to play an important part in the island's
prosperity. Whilst the early years of Hobart town were far from easy with
supplies from Sydney often delayed for weeks and months and sometimes not
arriving at all by the 1820s the colony was beginning to be self-sufficient.
Outlying towns were becoming established convict gangs were building roads the
government and free settlers were making the most of convict labor much of its
skilled in terms of architects engineers and builders.
As with any British settlement there were soon a great many pubs and taverns
and consequently breweries. Some like this one at Campbelltown in the Midlands
had a short life. Today however Tasmania boasts Australia's oldest brewery
Cascade. Its product admired by beer and stout enthusiasts in many parts of
Australia and indeed overseas. Adjoining the brewery is its museum Woodstock set
in beautiful European style gardens which are amongst Australia's oldest. The
brewery's founder Peter de Graves built here. The original cottages becoming one
single story and later the two-story residence. The sparkling waters flowing
from Mount Wellington watered Woodstock's gardens supplied the brewery and made
Peter de Graves a wealthy man. So much so that he decided Hobart town should have
a theatre and today the Theatre Royal remains the oldest continually operating
theatre in Australia. Many famous artists like Sir Lawrence and Lady Olivier
having performed there.
Recent years Tasmanian wines have become recognized for their superb quality.
And are now becoming an important export for Tasmania. It surprises many people to
learn that Tasmanians have been growing grapes for many years. This giant vine
planted early last century is the oldest in Australia. Today almost every visitor
to Hobart takes the opportunity to travel to the top of Mount Wellington
enjoying the panoramic views from the Pinnacle. The suburban sprawl along the
banks of the Derwent actually made up of three cities. Glenorchy to the north
Clarence across the river and the city of Hobart nestling below. In winter Mount
Wellington receives its mantle of snow and with Tasmania's clear blue skies
highlighting the surprisingly warm winter sun young visitors make the most
of it. Settled not long after Hobart town is Lonseston the state's northern capital
nestling in the Tamar Valley through which the river runs out into Bass
Strait.
Lonseston is proud of its rich architectural heritage. Evidence by its
many Georgian and Victorian buildings that have been faithfully preserved and
are still in use.
It was here at Lonseston that John Battinan planned the building of what is
today Australia's second largest city Melbourne. Lonseston is famous for its
beautiful public gardens which in themselves have a rich history too.
This magnificent fountain is actually here by accident. It was meant for
Lonseston in England but was addressed to Tasmania by mistake. A popular
attraction is the Pennyroyal corn mill and gunpowder mill.
Just out of Lonseston are the Ben Lomond skiing fields a popular place for
skiers of all ages. There's the opportunity to look back to Tasmania's
gold mining past at Beaconsfield just a 20-minute drive out of Lonseston.
Along the northern coast of Tasmania are many delightful towns and villages
popular beach resorts like Port Surrell, Ulverston, Boat Harbour and Wynyard.
The town of Penguin received its name from the fairy Penguin Rookeries there and
makes the most of this natural attraction.
Tasmania's most recently proclaimed city is Burnie on the northwest coast
gateway to the wilderness of the rugged and sometimes impenetrable west and
southwest. The rainforests, horizontal scrub, the wild rivers.
It was in 1825 that the Van Diemen's Land Company was floated in London with a
capital of 1 million pounds. Its aim to develop 100,000 hectares of uninhabited
land. The first settlement was on Emu Bay where today Burnie stands. It took many
years of backbreaking work by the early British migrants to fight their way
through the forests of immense trees to find land capable of pastoral
development. The company was administered from the coastal town of
Stanley nestling at the foot of the nut the core of an ancient volcano.
Today the citizens of Stanley proudly maintain the rich heritage of the old
town. Its other claim to fame is that it was the birthplace of Joe Lyons the only
Tasmanian ever to become an Australian Prime Minister.
Today the northwest with its rich chocolate brown soil is a garden
producing much of Australia's potato and other vegetable needs.
The lush pastures feed the nation's finest beef and dairy cattle. A very good
reason why Tasmanian steaks are an important part of any menu worth talking
about and why Tasmanian butter and in particular cheese have become such a
major interstate and overseas export.
Tasmania has developed an important goat breeding industry and the state's
spinners and weavers produce many fine mohair garments but it was sheep which
came to Tasmania with the first settlers and it is sheep that have long been of
great importance to the island's economy. Today the state is internationally known
as one of the premier areas for the production of superfine wool. In the past
two decades it has consistently achieved world record prices at its wool sales.
Corsa wool supply the raw material for the making of carpet another important
Tasmanian industry.
Tasmania's forests have earned many millions of export dollars over the years.
Australian pulp and paper mills supplying an important world market with its
quality product. Around 40% of Tasmania is forested. Timber and paper products
account for more than a quarter of a billion dollars earnings annually.
Tasmanian oak is the main timber harvested and exotic species like myrtle
and blackwood are in demand for high quality linings and furniture and as
veneers. Much of Tasmania's forests are closed to logging. Government owned and
private production forests are controlled by the Forestry Commission
which is responsible for their management and reforestation as a
renewable resource.
Forestry has always been important to the state and tourist attractions like
the Bushmill play an important role in recalling the early days of the industry.
In those times environmental concerns were of little importance. In fact it
must have seemed to many that the state's natural resources were limitless.
Consequently when the West Coast's mineral riches were discovered and the
smelters went into production last century it was logical that the hills
surrounding Queenstown should give up their abundance of hewn and kingbilly
pine, myrtle and sassafras to feed the hungry furnaces. In just 20 years three
million tons of timber was cut down for fuel. The hills denuded, the sulfur fumes
killed the undergrowth, the bushfires destroyed what was left, the rain washed
the topsoil into the rivers and the result the most amazing lunar light
landscape which has become one of Tasmania's most popular visitor
attractions. West coasters are proud of their mining tradition despite the fact
that market fluctuations in the industry cause concern and heartache from time to
time. The museums and conducted tours are an important part of any visit to the
area.
Tasmania is blessed with areas which have great world heritage significance.
More than a third of the total land area is designated as National Park State
Forest. Visitors can enjoy the state's wilderness in a number of ways depending
on their energy and the time they have to spare. There are bush walks, wild water
rafting and canoeing excursions that can be taken, mountain climbing, four-wheel
drive tours and scenic flights.
Each year many thousands of visitors take the magical cruise on the Gordon
River almost to the point where it meets its tributary the Franklin one of
Tasmania's most famous wild rivers. The Gordon flows into Macquarie Harbour on
the shores of which is the historic fishing town of Strawn. In the northern
highlands Cradle Mountain has become a highly popular tourist resort offering
excellent accommodation and the chance to view some of the most spectacular
scenery in the state.
Many thousands of years ago Tasmania's highland glaciers were replaced by a
thousand lakes varying in size from small ponds to vast waterways like the
Great Lake, Australia's largest. It was natural that these should be harnessed to
supply electricity to industries the state wished to attract and to the cities
and towns far below in the valleys and coastal areas. Above and below ground
power stations were built in many cases the same waters driving the giant
turbines of a number of stations as the rivers flowed down to the sea. The
creation and availability of low-cost hydroelectric power is one reason why air
pollution has been less of a problem here than elsewhere in Australia and
overseas.
It is Tasmania's lakes which for more than a hundred years have made the state
famous for its trout fishing. It's surprising how many of the world's
famous actors, musicians, politicians, artists and industrialists arrive and
depart quite anonymously to fish these waters. The waters that rush to the
northern valleys provide much more than electricity, fishing, canoeing and
rafting. Lake Barrington has become the centre for international rowing
competition. From the lake the waters of the Mersey and Forth Rivers continue to
the sea and to Devonport the first northwest coast town to become a city.
There is much to interest the visitor here in particular Tiagara the Tasmanian
Aboriginal Culture and Art Centre. Tiagara is the Tasmanian Aboriginal word
for keep. This unique centre is built to resemble a bark hut and is surrounded by
Aboriginal rock engravings. Devonport seems to have a fixation for
historic transport much to the visitors delight. Every year thousands of
Tasmanians and visitors alike enjoy a nostalgic trip on the Don River Railway.
In fact the railway enthusiast is catered for superbly in every way in
Tasmania. The Bushmills steam railway at Port Arthur is one of the world's great
little railways.
And for those who like to stand and marvel at the precision of model trains
there is Alpenrail an amazingly detailed Swiss electric train system which
delights visitors of all ages.
It's not only the children who enjoy many of Tasmania's unique miniature
attractions. Mole Hill is a delightful fantasy world. It features 43 moles in
23 settings a series of caves with moles dressed in period costume.
There's the model Tudor village a scale model of an English Tudor village of the
15th and 16th centuries. The display is all the more remarkable when one learns
that it is the life's work of a man crippled with polio from childhood. He
used matchsticks dental plaster wire and paint to create the delightful model
village.
Transport to and from Tasmania is surprisingly varied.
The introduction of the luxury cruise ferry Abel Tasman in 1985
created a significant boost to state tourism. It's a pleasant overnight trip
leaving Melbourne at six o'clock and arriving off the Tasmanian coast
in time for passengers to go on deck as she berths at Devonport.
Upwards of 900 passengers can bring their cars and caravans across Bass Strait,
enjoy full cabin facilities, even luxury suites, relax in comfortable lounges
with full bar service, entertainment and enjoy snacks, cafe style meals and full
a la carte dining.
A quite different Bass Strait crossing is aboard the sister ship of the new
Tasmanian built state-of-the-art wave piercing catamarans now plying the
English Channel. From Victoria to Tasmania in a little over four hours of
35 knot excitement and comfort for 350 passengers and 90 cars.
Every summer season many international luxury cruise ships call into Hobart as
part of their Pacific tours.
Tasmania is linked by air, nationally and internationally. It's four major domestic
airports and Hobart's international airport offering excellent travel
services. Dotted around Tasmania are a number of wildlife parks which attract
visitors by the thousand, eager to see animals and birds many of which are
unique to Tasmania and indeed Australia, many of them eager to be fed and cuddled.
The Tasmanian devil once roamed widely over mainland Australia but was
extinct there well before European settlement. Its spine-chilling
screeches, black colour and bad temper earned it its name from the early
settlers. Although only the size of a small dog it sounds and looks incredibly
fierce. Its powerful jaws and teeth enabling it to completely devour its prey,
thaw, bones and all. Because the devil had the reputation for taking the early
settlers poultry, stealing animals caught in snares and making a nuisance of
itself amongst newborn lambs, it was almost hunted to extinction. However it
has been protected by law since 1941 and now flourishes in abundance.
Tasmania offers the opportunity to step back in time a million years and more. In
both the north and south of the state are limestone caves. In some past age
carved out by the underground streams which still flow there. The constant
drip of water through the limestone has created stalagmites and stalactites,
pillars, columns, shawls in a fairyland spectacle where one's imagination can
give name to a multitude of nature's carvings. Visitors are fascinated too by
the magic of the spectacular glow worm grottoes.
Captain Cook logged Tasmania's first weather report describing the climate as
the most temperate in the world. A climate without extremes although there
are times when we have heat waves and the occasion when snow settles for an
hour or so on suburban lawns. Tasmania has four very distinct seasons warm
pleasant summers, autumns and winters when more often than not the chill of
the night gives way to sparkling clear sunny days and spring times which
transfer the island into a wondrous array of color.
Tasmania is the size of Ireland its population under 450,000. The largest
population concentration is Hobart with a hundred and forty thousand people. Thus
the state offers a relaxed lifestyle that is the envy of other Australians so
much so that many families choose to leave the rat race of the big mainland
cities to come and live here.
It's possible to live in a rural setting yet be only 15 or 20 minutes drive from
the city or town centre.
Tasmania's education system has always been regarded as one of Australia's best.
Children having the opportunity to attend kindergarten, primary, high school,
college and university with excellent facilities.
The countryside is uncluttered wide open spaces on the plains in the valleys the
highlands where one can enjoy the luxury of breathing clean fresh air. Contained
in this relatively small area are all the contrasts of terrain, climate and
activity that one would have to travel hundreds even thousands of kilometers to
find elsewhere.
Tasmanians are a warm friendly people and they invite you to join in their
indoor and outdoor social life carnivals, festivals, their culture and their sport.
Tasmania is perhaps one of the best served states in Australia in terms of
sporting facilities. Visitors for example can enjoy their golf on delightful
courses throughout the state many of them of national or international standard.
Visitors are also invited to watch Royal Tennis at the court in Hobart one of
only three in Australia and less than 40 in the world. From Royal Tennis the first
racket game sprang lawn tennis because ladies weren't permitted to watch let
alone play Royal Tennis in the time of Henry VIII and later came squash
introduced in the rather confined quarters of the prisons. The first white
Tasmanians were almost entirely of British stock so they brought their
eating and drinking traditions with them.
Today Tasmania is far more multicultural and that's reflected in the wide range
of food offered in hotels, restaurants, country cottages and even the roadside
stands. Naturally visitors like to enjoy meals that reflect the produce of
Tasmanian fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products and of course its fish, scale
and shellfish from its sea and rivers, Atlantic salmon, oysters, mussels, abalone
and scallops from its aquaculture farms. The state's clean air and pure water make
it a perfect centre for its aquaculture industry.
Tasmanian towns, villages and cities have their popular marketplaces. Very well
known is Salamanca Place on Hobart's waterfront. Originally the busy shipping
offices and warehouses in the early whaling and commercial days of the new
colony. Today the area houses community art centres, craft shops, theatres and
restaurants. Every Saturday Salamanca becomes a fascinating marketplace
thronged by locals and visitors alike as they explore the incredibly wide range
of produce offered for sale.
Tasmania long ago learned that it had to cater for all visitors needs in terms of
accommodation. Thus today the full spectrum is covered ranging from
backpackers rooms and cabins, caravan parks and camping grounds to private
homestay, the traditional Australian pub, motels right through to international
standard hotels.
Particularly sought after is colonial
accommodation. The opportunity for the visitor to live a part of the state's
history by staying in 19th century cottages faithfully restored and furnished.
Tasmania was the first state in Australia to introduce legal gambling
casinos and today Hobart's Rest Point Federal and Lonsiston Federal Country
Club provide a wide range of games to suit both the casually interested and
the high flyers.
Tasmania Australia it's a secret we don't mind sharing in the least.