OUR TAKE ON HOBART - PART THREE - CITY BUILDINGS LIKE NO OTHER AND A WELL KNOWN PUB (OCTOBER 2017)

I know I said that I would begin to shorten these missives, but when it comes to Hobart I found it nigh on impossible. It is the most fascinating place. The city fathers and others have done a sterling job in retaining so much of what has existed from the very beginnings of the colony, and I have to comment that this is now paying off handsomely in the number of tourists attracted to this fine city to admire the architecture (and more). In fact, believe it or not, in 2016 1.8 million visitors wandered the streets of Hobart and beyond.

The Salamanca area and MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) are two of the most recognised draw cards (more of both later) but for us we also really enjoyed just wandering around the city taking in all we could see.   

So Liz and I have become part of the 2017 throng of Tassie tourists.  Goodness knows what the total for this year will be, but I can attest to the fact that we knew we were not on our own.....'The Asian Invasion' would sum things up!

With the bus tour under our tourist belts, it was time to do what we like doing most....just wandering about, not entirely without a plan, but happy to see where our feet will take us. In bringing this to you, I have to comment here that I have wielded the editorial pen as far as the photos go.....these I have presented are less than half the number which filled the relevant folder!

Additionally, I have departed from my usual practice of including historical notes, with the exception of a few which relate to the buildings we saw. As for the development of Hobart and Tasmania more broadly, I'll leave that up to you.

We began our jaunt in Campbell Street, at the corner of Macquarie, where the most imposing City Hall building dominates.

This huge building with its ornate towers and domes was completed in 1915. It is not, as its name suggests, the seat of civic power in Hobart, but was built to act as a public auditorium and concert hall, a role it continues to fulfil today.

Next, as we wandered west along Campbell Street, we came to the old Theatre Royal building, vaunted as the oldest continuously operating playhouse in the Australia.

Opening in 1837, this venue had an interesting beginning, to say the least. I'll let 'Wikipedia' take up the tale:

"In 1834, Peter Degraves, founder of Cascade Brewery [we have come across him before!], and a group of Hobart citizens purchased dock-side land for the purpose of building a public theatre. Architect John Lee Archer created a provincial Georgian design and the first stone was laid that year.

The location was not ideal for future gentry audiences; it was in a rough and foul-smelling area near an abattoir, brothels, factories, and pubs. The architect accommodated the local population by creating an entrance through a neighbouring pub directly into the theatre's pit seating, colloquially known as "the Shades." When a national economic downturn caused most of the original investors to pull out, Degraves stepped in and took complete ownership."

Now knowing a bit about Degraves and his antecedents, this extraordinary entrepreneurial effort cames as no real surprise, nor does the fact that a lot of the original entertainment included cockfights and boxing bouts. Given that the patrons of 'The Shades' were made up almost entirely of visiting seamen and the inhabitants of the nearby slums of the waterfront Wapping area of Hobart Town, this all makes some sense. Needless to say, the standard was raised considerably as years went by and the management changed after Degraves' death.

I have no idea if this is the hotel in question, but it is right next door, now no longer operating from what we could see. From my purely lay perspective, the building looked to be of the right age......let your imaginations be your guide!

The architecture of the Blundstone building

circa 1870, which we found on the next intersection where Campbell Liverpool Streets meet, is of a far more 'workman like' design, but as you can see, almost as old. And yes, these are the Blundstones of that Australian footwear brand, still going strong.

And then on the corner of Bathurst Street we came across something entirely different and unexpected, a beam engine no less, but not just any old engine...far from it,

as the accompanying plaque told us. 

And whilst in this locale, let me bring to you a building which is far from historical, but did stand out for reasons which are quite apparent. 










Just beyond this extraordinary looking edifice (which forms part of the local TAFE....I think) we could see some of the gardens of Hobart's Domain area, bordering Brooker Avenue, the road which eventually becomes the Heritage Highway and links Hobart and Launceston.

But back to Hobart history, this time in the form of the building which had prompted out venture down Campbell Street, here viewed from that street,

and here from Brisbane Street which it faces. So what was so special about this building that it prompted our pilgrimage to its location? I can do no better than to quote from the 'eventfinda' site, which has in turn relied on information provided by the National Trust of Tasmania.

"Regarded as one of the most significant convict sites in Australia, The Tench, as it was known by its inhabitants, was the convict prisoners' barracks for Hobart Town. It originally spanned over two acres and some 50,000 male convicts passed through the complex.

Following the end of convict transportation, the site became Hobart Gaol for more than 100 years. Sections of the chapel were converted into two Supreme Courts connected by tunnels to the gaol. An execution yard and gallows were added.

Today it is home to a wide variety of events - from a daily guided tour program, ghost evenings and live history theatre; to musicals, corporate cocktail functions and paranormal investigation nights.

Winner of a 2014 TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Award as the 6th top landmark in Australia - Penitentiary Chapel Historic Site is only a short walk or Red Decker bus ride from Hobart CBD (Old Hobart Gaol stop)."

We had seen this incredible building from the bus and had marked it down as one we had to visit. I had my coin at the ready.....a guided tour was certainly on our agenda. Until, that was, the girl at reception rather sheepishly informed us that there were to be no tours today. The entire facility was closed for a 'corporate function'. Not bloody happy, Jan, believe me (a matter which did form the subject of a rather lively discussion with the hapless lass on duty!) 

So, still muttering (well at least I was) we marched on, but not before I took the opportunity to look north from our location at these houses perched high over Brooker Avenue. For me, their style and location just screamed 'Hobart',

as did the old pub building opposite The Tench.

But a few steps further south along Brisbane Street this was the sight which greeted us, a modern building of an unusual style to say the least, and one which stood in complete contrast to many of those surrounding it. This odd architectural juxtaposition was something we came across quite regularly in our ramble around the city (not that I photographed much of it).

As we crossed Argyle Street and looked east along it, there was the imposing facade of the building which houses the Headquarters of the Tasmanian Fire Service. We had come across much more modern looking Tassie fire stations in our travels, but none as impressive as this.

It was now time to turn our attention to the more commercial part of the Hobart CBD. Elizabeth Street, which is in part a shopping mall, is at the hub of this. But before we got that far, this beautiful old building grabbed my attention.

Roxburgh House, circa 1860, began life as Hobart's original Scotch College. In 1893 allegiances were on the move....it then became Queens College. But all connections with education are long gone. Roxburgh House is now given over to inner city luxury apartment accommodation.

On the opposite side of the street this rather grand old Georgian sandstone building also caught my eye. It is a prime example of the comment I made earlier about Hobart 'oozing with history'.

'Westella' was built in 1835 and was the original home of Henry Hopkins who left England and had come ashore in Hobart in 1822.  Good old Henry prospered in business and soon acquired the wherewithall to build himself this fine home. This in itself was not too unusual, but apart from housing the Hopkins tribe, prior to the construction of the Hobart Town Hall, Westella played a unique role in the lives of the population of Hobart. 

It was from this building that 'The Governor's Orders' were proclaimed (as they were in those days). The news of such momentous events as the death of King William, the accession of Queen Victoria, the birth of Edward, Prince of Wales and the cessation of transportation are all examples of the news which was delivered from this hall.

And then there is the indelible mark Hopkins himself left on Australian society. He was a devout 'congregationalist', and is now widely recognised as the 'Father of the Congregational Church in Australia'.

But back to the present, as we looked further east along Elizabeth Street, where the street scape took on a more humble, but from my perspective, equally interesting appearance  as the facades of the many shops and other commercial buildings, jammed together side by side, all displayed varying facets of Hobart's history and development. And this just goes on and on, all around the city,

such as can be found here where Elizabeth Street intersects with Melville.

Grand churches, too, are an inescapable feature of the city. Elizabeth Street is no exception.

And here, a little further east, is another example of the contrasting architectural styles which is 'so Hobart'. 

Styles and colours, the buildings of Elizabeth Street present it all,

where there is probably no more striking example of both than the T.J Canes building.

Just past the intersection with Liverpool Street, the trees between the buildings shade shoppers in the Elizabeth Street mall. 

We had been here before. The mall is home to Hobart's Telstra shop which we had visited some days previously in an attempt to remedy an ongoing spat with this infuriating telco in respect of an unwarranted charge levied against our account when we altered services. Sound familiar? We think we have won, but will not know for sure until next month's bill arrives.

More arches and columns featured in the facades of the buildings which ran north along Liverpool Street,

whilst the street scape in the opposite direction was again typically Hobart....old buildings lining a road which climbed off into the distance to a backdrop of homes on a hill.

In this part of town we came across another classic example of 'the old and the new' which needs no further comment. 

Here is yet another example of the sort of buildings we found everywhere we roamed (I cannot now remember where this was) 

and, then, just for something completely different, we have the Shamrock Hotel,

not too far from which this typical old Hobart sandstone building 

displayed this title high above a window. I could not discover the history of this home, but I do know it was a far cry from the Airth Castle I visited many years ago in Scotland's Falkirk!

With a final splash of colour it is time to take our leave of 'commercial Hobart'

as we made our way past St Joseph's church

and on down to the intersection of Davey Street and Sandy Bay Road, where the rather gloomy looking bulk of the Mantra Hotel features on one corner

with one entrance to St David's Park on the other.

I'll return to the park shortly, but first on the other side of Davey Street we came across this group of old buildings. One was clearly a (now defunct) church, 

but it was the single storey building immediately north of it 

or more to the point, this sign hanging from the wall, which grabbed my immediate interest. 'Royal Tennis Club'....1875? Surly not. 

Yes indeed.......this modest stone building (by Hobart standards) was, and remains, the city home of 'Real Tennis', a game which can trace its origins to the late 1400's and which was popularised in England by King Henry 8th in 1528 when he included a court in Hampton Court Palace.

Real Tennis declined in popularity from the early 1800's and has long since been overtaken by the more modern version of the game, but here in Hobart it survives at the court built by Samuel Travers in 1875.

I was very keen to see what was inside, but of course this was impossible. I did, however, later discover a most excellent blog presented by Geoff Ritchie, a realtively recent arrival in Tasmania. 




Geoff has a penchant for local history and has had the privilege of peak inside this extraordinary reminder of the days of yore. This is some of what he found.











I have corresponded with Geoff, who most graciously invited me to use whatever material he has gathered. I do so with sincere thanks (quite probably not for the last time!)

Before I return to stroll through St David's park, one last photo of another of this city's fine old buildings.....and here I must again admit to having drawn a blank in my recollection of excatly where we found it.  

Now off to the park, which is the largest of several oases of green open space in this part of the city.

Here curved paths meander through the lawns and trees over the distance of a city block, from Sandy Bay Road to Salamanca Place. 

It really is a beautiful spot, with its different trees and shrubs and well kept gardens, 

and, of course, what's a really good park without a fine rotunda?

And then we made a real discovery, at the northern end of the park just inside the entrance on the corner of Davey Street and Salamanca Place.

Here amongst the trees stood a set of fine old stone memorials. Whilst their shapes,  sizes and designs varied considerably, they all had one thing in common.....Tasmanian history. Let me share a few.

This impressive tower stands over the burial site

of no less a personage than Sir John Eardley Eardley-Wilmot (now that's a name to impress), who as you can see was quite a chap, both here in early Tasmania

and previously in his home in the old mother country in County Warwick.

Not quite so grand is the memorial

to the redoubtable J.E. Bicheno Esq., but at least he has a town on the east coast named after him. Mind you, wouldn't a town called 'Eardley-Wilmot' have a ring to it!

These memorials could not be more varied in style



















and size,

and even included one which
















listed all the vessels and passengers who arrived in 'Van Diemen's Land', as erstwhile 'First Fleeters' out of Sydney Cove and  from the now defunct penal settlement on Norfolk Island....history on a granite stick!











But of all the graves and memorials we found in this extraordinary corner of St David's Park, the most modest of them was, for us, the most poignant. Why it was that the Kelly family found themselves interred and remembered here is something about which I remain unclear. They were clearly not of the ruling elite nor spectacularly successful in business, but reading the inscriptions on this otherwise unremarkable grave provided a real insight into the hardships faced by those who lived here in this era.

James Kelly lived until he was 66, but no so the remainder of his family. As this inscription tells us, his wife died at 33 and of these five of their children, only Elizabeth made it beyond infancy, and even she died as a teenager.

And here, at this end of the tomb, we learn that another son, James, survived the travails of his youth only to be killed whilst whaling at the age of 21. 





I must confess that wandering through graveyards has never quite been my thing, but I am glad that here in St David's Park I took the time to tarry....and reflect on the vastly differing aspects of early Tasmanian life presented here on marble, granite and bronze.

My interest was clearly not shared by this bloke. For him the most important piece of park infrastructure was a bench in the sun. Must be a local!

So, after these few moments spent here in quite reflection, we returned to reality and continued on towards the end of today's ramble which took us back into the Macquarie - Davey Street precinct and the section of it which is just brimming with architectural grandeur, including





St David's Cathedral,

the Treasury building, 
















an old bank











the Hobart Town Hall (the genuine article as opposed to 'City Hall')













the GPO















and the Colonial Mutual Life building (one we found remarkably reminiscent of its counterpart in Adelaide)









A little further north along Macquarie Street, Franklin Square provides another leafy oasis in the surrounding mass of sandstone. This is the spot from which many of the Hobart commuter buses arrive and depart.










It also provides the space for another commemorative statue












and paved pedestrian thoroughfares.

By now we were just about done. So, with a last glance at the Victoria Tavern and other typical Hobart CBD buildings,








we wandered back north along Macquarie Street, past the Old Woolshed (of UN reunion memories)












and the distinctive chimney and buildings of Hobart's old gasworks opposite, now the venue as a showcase of Tasmanian wines, a bottle shop and a Hog's Breath restaurant.




The trusty Cruiser was parked nearby, and the Mobile Marshies were, by now, anything but. We had walked for nearly four hours. I had but one last task....a sentimental trip along Argyle Street to rediscover another of Hobart's city pubs.






And there it still was, the Waggon and Horses Hotel. So? An explanation is warranted, I agree.









I have visited Tassie but once before, in 1968, when the Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships were held at Hobart's Clifton Beach, and this was where I stayed. 'The Waggon' was then owned by John Devine, a retired local AFL footballer of great repute. John ran a very tight ship, believe me, including locking the house at 2300 hours sharp, to the exclusion of all guests who were not by then, abed or breasting the bar for a final nightcap.

You guessed it. My mate and I did run foul of Mr Devine's curfew on the final night of the titles (well, we were only 22 and there was much to celebrate!). Now looking at the upper right hand bedroom window (as it was then) I spent some minutes reflecting on just how we managed to shinny up the front woodwork and edge our way along the narrow ledge until we could finally flop into our room through the (thankfully) unlocked window.

And that was just the beginning of our concerns. We were sure Mr Devine (and that's what we did call him) would have been aware that two of his lodgers were MIA at lockup, but here we were, somewhat jaded but on deck downstairs the following morning for breakfast. 

Well, do we tell him or not? I decided to bite the bullet....the tension was just too much. To my great relief, after a suitable period of feigned outrage, John roared laughing, thanked me for my honesty, and lamented the fact that such a feat would now be well beyond his football ravaged joints!  And, as a postscript to this tale, I can tell you we did not pay a great deal for the departing beers we enjoyed at the bar that evening. Mr Devine was a top bloke!

So with that snippet of personal nostalgia (and yes, the pub was just as I had remembered it) it was back to our Margate digs for the day. I do hope that this highly edited presentation of what we saw (and snapped) has given you some flavour of what we found in Hobart. 

We did cover much more ground than I have presented in this offering. In my next we'll visit the famous Salamanca area and my favourite area of Hobart, the waterfront.