Tasmania Attractions

Devonport
Tasmania's largest industrial centre is Devonport, which is situated at the mouth of the river Mersey. The place is located at a distance of 278 kms to the north-west of Hobart. The city has been named after a coastal town in Devon, England. It was previously known as Port Frederick. The aboriginals killed the first Europeans in the area in 1829. This happened three years after the establishment of the first settlement. A terminal for vehicular ferries from Melbourne was established in 1959 and Devonport is as yet, the Ferry port.

This place has been a perfect base for exploring Northern Tasmania and is a major tourist attraction. The tourists can be well impressed by the peaceful and well kept appearance of such a busy town. The narrow roads are framed by hedgerows and the color of the surrounding countryside after rain is moss green against the brownish landscape. Since, the place is a renowned industrial area; multiple industries are housed into the surrounding hillsides. Devonport offers cultural and leisure activities with beautiful beaches close by.

The place houses the maritime museum, Early Motoring and Folk museum, the Tiagarra Aboriginal Cultural and Art Centre. The original railway named the Don River tourist railway, installed to haul limestone has now been modified for tourists.

Launceston
This beautiful city of Launceston is an eminent administrative centre for northern Tasmania. Hobart and Launceston have always been arch rivals where recognition was concerned. The place boasts beautiful Georgian buildings having an equally interesting history; the city was originally termed as Pattersonia after its founder. The name was later changed to Launceston in 1824, to honour the Governor King. The King was believed to be born in Launceston, Cornmall, England close to the Tamar River. Two rivers have their conjunction at this place. They are the North and South Esk.

Launceston also known as The Garden City is surrounded with lush greenery throughout the city. World class Lavendar is produced here and most of the year, the trees are full of beautiful flowers. Launceston is at a distance of 198 kms from Hobart. The journey takes around half a day and the route passes between the two cities. The town was, in the true sense, established in 1888. The railway joining the two cities was opened in 1876. Launceston became the first city in the southern hemisphere to have electricity generated by water power in 1895.

Cataract Gorge is the garden centre of this city. The place is at a distance of ten minutes from the city centre and offers many beautiful picnic spots to enjoy. There are two main gardens here called First and the Cliff Grounds. These gardens are linked by the world's longest single span chairlift across the interesting waterways running through the gorge.

The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery possess a fine collection of colonial art works, interesting Tasmanian exhibits and a planetarium. the place is located in Royal Park, near the Tamar River. There are a number of restored buildings in Yorktown Square that lie to the east. The Launceston Maritime Museum offers a very detailed exhibition and recordings of the early beginnings of the city. The National Trust has listed the Old Umbrella Shop lined with Tasmanian Blackwood timber. The shop was built in 1860.

The Tamar River or Trout in the Trevallyn Dam are the ideal places for fishing for flounder. The Launceston regatta is held every February and brings all the sailors to party in the city. The city hosts many music festivals throughout the year. The month of May witnesses a three day equestrian event, every year.

Port Arthur
The 100 metre wide peninsular Port, built on the Tasman Peninsula at Eaglehawk Neck has today, become a very beautiful park and is a piece of valuable history. The Port could be easily guarded by dogs and the surrounding waters were said to contain many sharks to deter the prisoners from attempting to escape. This splendid avenue offers majestic trees, lush green grass, cool shadows and scented.

This place has been the final destination for many hardened criminals as exile was a common form of punishment adopted since the late sixteenth century. Previously, the ration was considered sufficient. The officers and the families were able to receive the same quantity. The families were also able to supplement themselves with fruits and vegetables from their own gardens.

The port takes pride in offering many well-preserved and restored constructions. Some monuments were restored after the demolition of few old timbers due to fire. The granary, a large building consisting of four floors, was constructed in 1843. It was 70 meters in length and 11 meters in width. The mill failed due to erratic supplies of wheat and the building was converted to further accommodate prisoners. The cells were offered shelves for eating utensils, water containers and hammock. The second floor contained a chapel, a common mess room, a kitchen and bakery. The laundry and workshops were adjacent.

The Church building was constructed in 1836. From 1842, the tower was fitted with a wooden spire and in 1848 a peal of 8 bells was cast at the settlement and placed in the tower. A two-faced clock was put up in 1854. The Church was gutted by fire in 1884. The vast majority of the remaining buildings do not have sinister overtones. They were built to house the military detachment which eventually strengthened to over 300 men and their families.

The settlement was earlier called Carnarvon to encourage a new community to establish but the memories caused it to fail. Bushfires often occurred during these years in this place with dense forests. These fires swept through Port Arthur causing progressive damage. Later National Parks and Wildlife Service were constructed with available funds in 1973 to preserve and restore the most important historic site in Australia.