Towns Villages & Areas

Andover was named by Lieutenant Francis Tabart in 1831 after his arrival in Van Diemen's Land from Andover in England.

Andover has always been more a locality than a town, although the siting of a Tasmanian Government Railway station here did provide a boost. However, Andover is probably best known for the ‘Fonthill’ estate, founded by Lieutenant Francis Tabart in the early 1830s.

Lt Tabart and his family emigrated to Van Diemen’s Land in 1830, and was granted land at the ‘Eastern Marshes’ (now Andover). By the mid 1830s, Tabart had built a substantial log house (still standing), gardens, sheep yards and mens’ huts. By 1842, when Canadian convict William Gates took up work on the estate, Fonthill had grown to more than 6,000 acres, including a flock of 10,000 sheep. Having succeeded in his ambitions, Tabart proceeded to build a homestead “fit to set himself alongside the best of the country gentry in the land”. The result was Fonthill homestead, one of the most picturesque homes in colonial Van Diemen’s Land. Built in the Gothic style popular in 1830s England, the sandstone homestead is built on the side of a hill, overlooking the estate which takes its name.

Baden was originally known as ‘Rumney’s Hut’, after the first free settler in the area, William Rumney. Emigrating to Van Diemen’s Land in 1823, Rumney was appointed a poundkeeper and constable and built the historic ‘Acton’ property near Cambridge.

For many years the only building to be seen at Rumney’s Hut was, of course, Rumney’s Hut. But this changed in 1860 with the establishment of a substantial stone police station which formed an out-station of the Oatlands Municipal Police. This station, the ruins of which can still be seen today at the intersection of Tunnack, Stonor and Whitefoord Roads, became the centre around which a township grew. By 1875, the ‘Woodbanks Hotel’ was completed under licensee Tom Dolan, and even included a skittles alley for the amusement of patrons. Regular stock sales were held in the adjoining yards.

George Nettlefold, son of a Hobart blacksmith, bought land at Rumney’s Huts where he supplemented his farm income by opening a shop and post office. Nettlefold was a leading figure in local affairs, serving as Warden of the Oatlands Municipality from 1895 to 1897 and 1907 to 1910.  He was also instrumental in community fundraising to build the Baden Hall, officially opened in 1902. Around this time, following the Boer War, the town was renamed Baden after Robert Baden Powell, hero of the siege of Mafeking and founder of the Boy Scouts movement. By this stage there was a growing population in the district, mostly small farmers. In 1902 Baden held its first horticultural and agricultural show. In 1911 the Midlands Co-operative Butter Factory was established at Baden, with cream being collected from local suppliers three times a week. The butter factory proved to be very successful, providing both jobs at the factory and a market for local dairy farmers.

Bagdad is small rural community of approximately 650 residents. Bagdad is 40km north of Hobart on the Midlands Highway. Bagdad boasts a modern well-equipped Community Club with a Golf Course, Sporting Oval and Hall.

The town of Bagdad is one of the earliest settlement sites in the Southern Midlands. Before the 1850s, the name ‘Bagdad’ covered the area all the way from the old ‘Horseshoe Bridge’ near Bridgewater to the foot of Constitution Hill. In the early 1820s, a number of settlers with substantial means were granted land in the ‘Bagdad Plains’ area (roughly speaking, the area from Pontville to the foot of Constitution Hill). These settlers included men such as William Kimberley and Gamaliel Butler, both of whom were granted large tracts of land in the area. By 1835, Butler had cleared several hundred acres of land for cultivation and built the first phase of a grand sandstone homestead which would later be called ‘Shene’. The Butler family were keen hunting and racing enthusiasts, which is reflected in the massive and very elegant neo-Tudor stables at Shene which to this day form a landmark on the Midlands Highway.

The town of Bagdad formed around the highway, and of course included a number of coaching inns. Amongst these were two very large and comfortable establishments offering the weary traveller rest and refreshment. At the beginning of the ‘Mangalore Mile’, Thomas New ran the ‘Crown Inn’, a commodious two storey stone inn with ample stabling for the numerous horses travelling the highway. Just a few miles further north, at the foot of Constitution Hill, John Palmer established the Swan Inn in 1825, offering travellers a respite before the very steep climb up Constitution Hill. Travellers at the time noted that the Swan was a very good inn, but infested with bugs. Today the inn is long gone, but the name is commemorated in Swan Street, Bagdad.

As well as the grand homesteads of wealthy settlers, Bagdad also boasted a number of small farms belonging to families of more modest means. Many were ex-convicts or the children of ex-convicts, and their farms at Bagdad offered them the opportunity to become self sufficient. By the end of the nineteenth century, Bagdad was famous for its agricultural output. On the hills behind Shene, Mrs Fool was famous for her berries and jam-making, with a complicated irrigation system maintaining the crop. Further north, the ‘Vale of Bagdad’ was a major producer of apples, with orchards dotting the landscape well into the twentieth century. To this day, many of the descendants of the early farming family still live in the district, with the history of Bagdad echoed in names such as Butler, Foster and Bantick, to name but a few.

Information currently being updated

The farmlands of the Campania District are rich and diverse and the occupants have largely been farming these lands for generations. This is evidenced by the great success of the local vineyards within the valley, making it one of the most important regions for wine production within Tasmania.

The small township of Campania contains several notable examples of colonial architecture and the Flour Mill Park with it's bronze sculpture is a nice place to stop for a rest, picinc, bbq or just relax. There are BBQ huts and large areas of open space to spread out and relax, making it a popular spot with travellers looking to break the journey from the Midlands Highway to Richmond.

Francis Smith purchased land on the Coal River in 1829, and named his property Campania Estate. The completion of the Tasmanian Mainline Railway in 1876 saw the construction of a railway station on part of the Campania Estate. Around the railway station a township rapidly grew, including several stores, a hotel, flour mill, church, school and sale yards. Campania was proclaimed a township in 1882.

Grapevines were first cultivated by George Weston Gunning at Campania in 1825, a cask of wine being produced the following year. Gunning also pioneered the cultivation of hops at Campania, a crop essential for the development of the brewing industry in Tasmania.
Campania Estate was the childhood home of Sir Francis Villeneuve Smith, Chief Justice and Premier of Tasmania. The property passed from the Smith family to Bassett Dickson of Richmond in 1868.
James Brock purchased the Campania Estate from Bassett Dickson's widow in 1873. In 1882 H.J. Brock, his brother William Brock and several other shareholders registered the Campania Gold Mining Company. H.J. Brock invested 5,000 in the unsuccessful venture.
In 1920, Campania Estate was subdivided into twenty-six lots for soldier settlement.

Buildings

The Old Flour Mill (1884) was designed by William Greenlaw for his cousin H.J. Brock. The two-story mill and storage was built adjacent to the railway. Wheat grown on the Campania Estate and flour ground in the mill won a gold medal at the Centennial Exhibition in Melbourne in 1888.
The General Store (1879) was built by J.W. Nichols of Richmond. Subsequent storekeepers included P.J. Nichols, Robert Spencer, John Nichols, Arthur Nichols and Thomas Bidgood.
The Campania Tavern (1877) was first licensed to John White. White was the first stationmaster at Campania, and prior to the opening of the Campania Hotel had run a refreshment bar at the railway station.
St. George's Church (1894) was built and furnished at a cost of 450. Mr. and Mrs. H.J. Brock donated 300 towards the completion of the church.

The district was first named Jerusalem Plains. A tradition held that Jorge Jorgenson named it when a District Constable was searching for stock thieves. However, the district was marked on Thomas Scott's chart of 1824 and was still named that in 1832.

By February 1834 it was called Colebrook Dale, although the use of both names continued for many years. In March 1894 the name Colebrook was officially gazetted. It is thought that the Seven Hills surrounding the town gave the inspiration for the name Jerusalem. The railway station, which burned down in 1967 had a Star of David worked in the fretwork.

Historic Walks

The Colebrook Progress Association offers a chance to take a stroll through history and enjoy country hospitality on the 1st Sunday of each month (depending on numbers).
Walk through the village of Colebrook and visit the old Jerusalem Probation Station, St James' Anglican Church, with it's beautiful stain glass window, and St Patrick's Catholic Church designed by Augustus Welby Pugin.

Information currently being updated

Information currently being updated

Jericho is one of the earliest towns in the Southern Midlands, with land grants in the area going back to Thomas Salmon’s 1818 grant, ‘Hollow Tree Bottom’.

In the early 1820s Jericho became the administrative centre of what would later become known as the Oatlands district. As early as 1821, Jericho boasted a ‘Government Hut’, a gaol and a small military detachment. The gaol, a small structure built of logs, was run by a Mr Liddell who was eventually dismissed for keeping company with disreputable women and convicts. By 1827, Governor Arthur had decided to found a new government post further north, and on the suggestion of Thomas Anstey chose Oatlands for its central location and large (if unreliable) freshwater lake. Late in 1827, the government stores, military and gaol were all relocated to Oatlands, leaving Jericho simply a traveller’s rest on the Hobart Town to Launceston road.

The name ‘Jericho’ is believed to have been bestowed by Hugh Germain, an early explorer. Legend has it that Germain and his comrades carried with them a copy of the Arabian Nights and a bible, from which such names as Jericho, Bagdad and Jerusalem derived. By the mid 1820s, most of the good land around Jericho had been granted, and European agriculture began to take over the landscape. Amongst the free settlers to be granted land here were Peter Harrison and Dr Hudspeth, both of whom kept journals which have survived to this day, providing a fascinating glimpse of colonial Jericho. Hudspeth, who named his grant ‘Bowsden’, also served as local medical officer, and his diary includes snippets of daily life (such as his convict servants stealing anything they could get their hands on). Harrison, on the other hand, kept his journal in the form of advice to potential emigrants, and mentions such details as the four days needed to get from Hobart Town to Jericho with bullock and cart. Harrison and Hudspeth were joined by emigrants such as William Pike (‘Park Farm’), Thomas Gregson (‘Northumbria’), Thomas Anstey (‘Anstey Barton’), James and Edmund Bryant (‘Sandhill’) and Benjamin Jones (‘Rosehill’). Many of the substantial homesteads built by these early settlers remain to this day.

Jericho was also the location of a substantial ‘probation station’. Work began on the station in 1840, with the unusual choice of ‘pise’ construction. This method uses rammed earth forced into timber formwork, and a small section of the station (which gave its name to the Mud Walls Road) survives to this day on the old Midlands Highway. At its peak, the station could house over 300 convicts, most of whom were set to work on the roads. Convicts from this station also built the stone bridge over Jericho, with an outstation in the tiers above Jericho providing the timbers for the bridge decking.

Today Jericho is a much quieter place, with far fewer people working in agriculture and the old highway bypassed in the 1970s. However Jericho’s rich heritage is still very visible in both the landscape and the many early buildings.

Kempton is situated on the Midlands Highway to Launceston just 35 minutes from Hobart. It is now by-passed, but certainly not to be passed by.

Kempton was originally known as ‘Green Ponds’ or ‘Green Water Holes’ from the pools of water left by the course of the Green Ponds Rivulet during summer months. At the base of Constitution Hill, it was a natural stopping place on the early track between Hobart Town and Launceston.

The first known land grant in the area was to Anthony Fenn Kemp, a former military officer. By all accounts a highly tempestuous character, Kemp had been deeply involved with the ‘Rum Rebellion’ of 1808 but escaped prosecution. Arriving in Van Diemen’s Land in 1816, Kemp was granted 700 acres at Green Ponds, which he named Mount Vernon after George Washington’s homestead in America. Kemp had republican leanings, supporting the independence of Van Diemen’s Land from New South Wales, freedom of the press, and trial by jury. On his Mount Vernon estate, Kemp bred first class sheep and helped pioneer the Tasmanian wool industry. In the late 1840s, the township of Green Ponds began to be referred to as ‘Kempton’ (or ‘Kemp Town’), and one of Kemp’s eleven children, George Anthony Kemp, became the first Warden of the Green Ponds municipality in 1861.

Within a few years of Kemp’s original 1816 grant, a number of free settlers took up land at Green Ponds. By 1823, a number of settlers – such as Thomas Gorringe, John & Charles Franks, George Ashton and Joseph Johnson – were farming at Green Ponds. The development of the township soon followed, with the establishment of inns such as the ‘Royal Oak’ and ‘Three Jolly Farmers’. By 1829 Green Ponds had three inns and a simple log chapel; 1834 saw the establishment of a convict road station on the Green Ponds glebe. The station closed in 1841, but the Superintendent’s Cottage (1837) survives as part of the Southern Midlands Council Kempton offices.

Following closure of the convict station, much of the former glebe was sold into private ownership, with many new houses being built in the 1840s. By the time Green Ponds became a municipality in its own right (1862) Kempton boasted a number of coaching inns and shops. At Ellis’ or Lumsden’s stores almost everything was available, from farm equipment and ironmongery through to ladies’ fashions and wallpaper. For the thirsty traveller, hostelries such as the Good Woman, Exchange, Wilmot Arms or the Turf Hotel offered rest and refreshment. Kempton is also home to perhaps the grandest coaching inn on the old highway, William Henry Ellis’ Commercial Hotel, now known as Dysart House. The enterprising Ellis, an emancipated embezzler, added a 20-stall stable to his grand hotel, allowing him to open up a Hobart to Green Ponds coaching service. With such reliance on horse drawn transport, Kempton was also home to a number of tradesmen such as wheelwrights, ostlers, blacksmiths, and even a watchmaker.

Today Kempton is bypassed by the new Midlands Highway, but the township still retains its village atmosphere. In the 1890s Kempton was known for its annual agricultural show, which today takes the form of the Kempton Festival. With the changing times, prizes are no longer awarded for the best chook or pumpkin, but new innovations such as the very popular sheep racing event at the 2014 Kempton Festival are continuing a venerable tradition.

Information currently being updated

Information currently being updated

Oatlands has a population of around 600 people, which is steadily growing. It is situated 115 Km South of Launceston and 83 Km North of Hobart. Oatlands has a unique reputation for its historic buildings. It is said to be home to the most pre-1837 sandstone buildings in all of Australia. There is a collection of 138 sandstone buildings within Oatlands, of which 87 are situated on The Main Street.

Oatlands is a unique place, seamlessly blending the past with the present.The town offers visitors the opportunity to connect with their heritage in an authentic genuine environment whilst enjoying all the benefits of contemporary township services.
Visit Callington Mill the only fully restored and working Lincolshire wind driven flour mill in the Southern Hemisphere.

Original buildings have been reinvented as retail outlets, galleries, bakeries, cafes and accommodation. Uncover a hidden treasure at one of Oatlands antiques or craft shops, meet local artisans and learn the stories behind the Oatlands made wares or relax by the lake.

The story of Oatlands combines the convict and military system, settlement by gentry farmers, colonial entrepreneurs looking to make their fortune and notorious bushrangers. Walk in the footsteps of the past and hear the stories of the people with one of our self guided or professionally guided walking tours.

A major point of interest in Oatlands is the sheer number of historic sandstone buildings – 87 in the main street alone and the largest collection in Australia. Other building of interest include Callington Mill (1837), Supreme Court House (1829), St Peters Church (1838), St Pauls Pugin Church (1850), Campbell Memorial Uniting Church (opened 1856), Oatlands Gaol & Gaoler’s Residence (1834 & 1836), The Commissariat (1828)

Watch Oatlands Village Tasmania video on YouTube

Parattah (Aboriginal word for ‘ice and cold’)

Parattah is a railway town, established mainly to service the old Main Line railway, with the station at Parattah being known as ‘Oatlands Station’. The station began operating in 1876, and at that time, was as close as the Main Line Railway got to Oatlands. Thanks to the presence of the station, a thriving township soon formed in Parattah. The coming of the railway brought enormous changes both for Oatlands and the entire district, as it enabled not only easy travel for passengers, but provided farmers with a much more efficient means of getting their produce to Hobart and Launceston. Today, the railway still passes through Parattah, but only as a freight service.

In 1906 the Tasmanian Government enacted the Closer Settlement Act, which enabled government to buy large estates and subdivide them to provide smaller farming blocks which would allow families to become self-sufficient on the land. The first property purchased by the Closer Settlement Board was Mount Pleasant, an 11,780 acre property which had been owned by the O’Connor family since 1836. The estate had no permanent water, but dams could be built, the land was suitable for mixed farming and the nearby York Plains rail siding provided the means for farmers to transport their produce.

In 1908 the Closer Settlement Board began selling subdivided portions of the estate to interested farmers on generous terms, intended to encourage the new owners to transform former grazing land into homestead blocks and mixed farming. The experiment at Mount Pleasant (renamed Pawtella) proved a success, and by 1911 had a population of 117 and plans afoot for the construction of a State School. By 1914, the community had raised enough money to construct the Mount Pleasant Hall, which became the venue for regular dances, concerts, football club trophy nights, meetings, polling booths and Christmas functions. With the nearby State School and Post Office, the Hall became the centre of community life. By 1927, the district was connected to the telephone service, although the exchange at the post office was only open at certain hours of the day.

Before electricity came to Pawtella in around 1945, the hall was lit with carbide gas lamps. A large ‘switching on’ function, including a wonderful feast in the nearby State School building, was held to celebrate the arrival of electricity to the district. Premier Robert Cosgrove’s representative Minister Fagan performed the official ‘switching on’ ceremony. The State School building was also used to conduct church services. Along the school ground boundary a row of pine trees were planted in memory of those soldiers from the district who died during wartime.

The Mt Pleasant Football Club was formed around 1926. After several changes of location (often because farmers wished to plough the paddock /football ground for cropping) the Mt Pleasant Football Club found a permanent home at the current site in the early 1970’s. The construction of clubrooms as a war memorial with money raised from the community with council and government assistance meant that this became the centre of most activities in the district. The Mt Pleasant Football and Cricket clubs have become the main social focus of the area. The football club has enjoyed recent success with 5 premierships in the last 12 years, including back to back premierships in 2013 and 2014. The cricket club also won the premiership in the 2014/15 season. This success is due to the continuing support from the district. Many players may not live in the district but have a strong connection having either grown up in the area or have had relatives play for the club. It is with a lot of pride that Mt Pleasant competes against teams from the Tasman Peninsula to Swansea to Bothwell and has not only continued to survive, but is also competitive against sides with much larger populations to draw upon.

Information currently being updated

Information currently being updated

Historic coaching town on the Midland Highway originally known as Tunbridge Wells (after the famous English spa town), Tunbridge is a small town located 92 km from Launceston and 107 km from Hobart. It has been by-passed by the main Midland Highway and consequently has a quiet charm well removed from the urgency of the highway.

The town came into existence in 1809 and quickly developed into an important coaching stop between Hobart and Launceston. The area grew rapidly in the 1810s as convicts worked on the road from the north to the south of the island. In recent times the town has been by-passed which has meant that it has been able to maintain much of its historic charm. There are no antique or gift shops and no accommodation.

Historic Buildings

Tunbridge Manor is at the centre of town and dominates the townscape. Other buildings of importance include the Colonial Homestead was built in 1820, the Tunbridge Wells Inn (now closed down), The Victoria Inn (outside is a sandstone roller used to roll the roads by the convicts), the Coaching Stables (1843), The Blind Chapel (now the Masonic Hall and reputedly 'blind' - no windows - on one side so the parishioners didn't have to look at the local pub, and Bowerman's General Store (a handsome two-storey Georgian building with a five bay facade and slim columns)

Tunbridge Convict Bridge

This bridge crosses the Blackman River at the northern end of Tunbridge. This bridge is an important symbol of the north/south boundary of Tasmania, the Blackman River being the traditional boundary between the northern and southern regions of Tasmania. It is an impressive structure with a timber deck on top of three intermediate piers of picked stone with four spans. Each stone pier is topped with a short tower with corbelled top. Timber balustrades link the towers on either side of the bridge. It is said to be the oldest timber-decked bridge in Australia.

Information currently being updated

Information currently being updated

York Plains (Named in honour of the Duke of York, second son of George II)

York Plains, like many towns in Tasmania, was named by Governor Lachlan Macquarie on his tour of Van Diemen’s Land in 1811. It had previously been known as Scantling’s Plains, after the bushranger Richard Scantling, a confederate of the notorious Richard Lemon.  Scantling met a gruesome end at the hands of Lemon, who shot Scantling and hung his corpse by the heels from a tree.

York Plains was very close to the main road between Hobart and Launceston. However, by 1836, convict road gangs had completed the alternative route (what we now call the ‘old Midlands Highway’) and York Plains was effectively bypassed.

The first settler to establish a home in the York Plains district was Joseph Wright, who was granted 50 acres.  Wright built a stone and rubble dwelling which for a time served as an inn; Wright’s inn also served as a de facto military post, with a corporal and several soldiers stationed there to discourage the booming trade in stolen goods, especially livestock.  After the soldiers were transferred to Jericho, Wright’s inn became notorious as a den of sheep and cattle thieves.

The district of York Plains is closely associated with the family of James Lord, a fustian (cloth) maker from Bolton who came to Van Diemen’s Land as a convict on the Calcutta in 1804.  By 1815, James Lord had accumulated a large fortune through farming, trading, and ‘sly grog selling’.  With his new found wealth, James petitioned to have his son David and family emigrate to the colony.  David Lord, through land grants and purchases, acquired a property portfolio of 10,283 acres, including grazing rights at York Plains.  In 1832, Lord built the Hill House homestead, by which point he owned the greater part of York Plains, including the properties York House, Hanroyd and Sorell Springs. With his vast land and trading interests, Lord never actually resided in the district; but his sons, John and James, inherited these properties when their father died in 1847.  John Lord, of York House and Hanroyd, was renowned for his fine Merino stud and Devon cattle, which regularly won prizes at agricultural shows.  Both brothers were keen sportsmen, with James a stalwart of the Midlands Hunt Club and John a renowned breeder of racehorses.

By the end of the nineteenth century, the population of the York Plains district had grown considerably.  In March 1892, the first Post Office was established, and served the community for the next 76 years.  The state school followed soon after, opening its doors to the area’s children in 1898.  As with most of the small towns in the midlands, York Plains’ population diminished in the twentieth century, as new farm machinery led to less and less jobs for agricultural labourers.  The York Plains School closed in 1936, with the children now attending the Oatlands State School and the Post Office closed in 1968. However, the future of York Plains is looking brighter now, with the imminent completion of the Midlands Irrigation Scheme, which promises to open up many new opportunities for the farmers of York Plains.