Yes, we are still alive and kicking and currently travelling around Yorke Peninsula in South Australia with Victorian friends. What with frequent moves between towns, some serious fishing to be done and so on, our Tassie travels have been on the back burner for a week or so (but you knew that already!).
Let's return to 2018 and the charming and historic town of Ross, and as an introduction to our quick town tour I can do not better than the words from 'Aussie Towns':
"There are many beautiful, historic towns in Tasmania but few compare
with Ross. It is arguably the most beautiful of all the island's 19th
century colonial towns.
Places like Campbell Town and Richmond are
justifiably famous for their historic buildings, gift shops and
attractive vistas but they do not compare to Ross which, apart from
having one of Australia's most impressive bridges, has a special quality
because it has not been overrun by tourism.
In many ways the town is
very typically English and, with its warm Ross sandstone, is reminiscent
of the towns which can be seen in the Cotswolds or in north
Oxfordshire. It is a town which is beautifully preserved and as such
needs to be savoured in a leisurely way. Its quiet ambiance is truly
timeless."
Having now seen all three of the mentioned towns my reaction can only be, "hear, hear"! The one small quibble I would have with this wonderful description relates to tourism. On the day of our first visit the town was absolutely crawling, but then again that was during the height of the Xmas holiday season, and was to be expected.
Now, in late February, Ross had reverted to its usual pace and this was truly welcomed.
The location of Ross was chosen by Governor Lachlan Macquarie on his second journey through the island in 1821 (he had been before in 1811). He liked the location beside the river and he decided that the new settlement should be called Ross after the name of the home of his friend H.M. Buchanan who lived on Loch Lomond in Scotland.
There are over forty buildings of historical significance in this small town including its famous bridge, and once again I've had to be selective lest I bore you all to death.
Let me begin our town tour along the banks of the Macquarie River, where a small opening from our caravan park allowed us access to the quaintly named 'Lovers' Lane' (complete with sign),
a narrow path which meanders along the northern bank of the river near the bridge. We were not the only visitor to enjoy this riparian ramble...'The Black Panther' could not get enough of it.
The 'lovers' theme was maintained in the form of this odd back to back twin seat metal chair, but the real highlight of a stroll along this pathway
was the view of the famous Ross bridge it offers.
This convict built bridge, completed in 1836, is the third oldest in Australia, pre-dated only by its better known counterpart at Richmond and the Lennox Bridge at Glenbrook, NSW. At this time Ross stood on the main road between Hobart and Launceston, and a good river crossing was critical (the highway now by-passes Ross as we know).
This beautiful bridge was designed by that doyen of early Tasmanian colonial architecture, John Lee Archer. The stone masonry and carvings, described by experts as "possibly the richest achievement of the earlier colonial period if not the most significant sculpture on any edifice in the Commonwealth" were the work of Daniel Herbert and James Colbeck.
Herbert had been sentenced to death for the crime of highway robbery, but fortunately for us his skills were not lost when this was commuted to transportation for life and he arrived in Hobart Town in 1827. By 1835 he had risen to the position of overseer of stonemasons, and engaged in the construction of the Ross bridge.
As the plaque on the bridge notes, the efforts of Herbert and Colbeck certainly resulted in a significant improvement in their respective lots!
Curved stairways lead down to the banks on both ends of the bridge,
seen here from an upstream position.
Notwithstanding its inherent grace and beauty, the outstanding and unique feature of this river crossing are its 186 keystones (or voussoirs) carved by Herbert (or completed under his supervision).
These intricate carvings decorate each of the three span arches. They are difficult to see from the banks, but thanks again to 'Aussie Towns' for this close-up photograph, you can see that the detail is remarkable.
No-one seems quite sure what all these represent, but it has been suggested that many of the carved heads are in fact stone portraits of Herbert, his wife, another famous local rogue, Jorgen Jorgenson (of Highfield House fame), colonial officials and local personalities.
Whatever their source of inspiration, the renowned scholar and Egyptologist Leslie Greener wrote of them "Ross Bridge is the most beautiful of its kind today. The carvings have in them that delight in the shapes themselves that our sculptors lost somewhere in the 13th century." It is a shame that they cannot be more readily seen.
Let me leave the subject of the Ross bridge with an obligatory 'reflection' photo as we make our way
back along the roadway of Bridge Street (what a surprise that name is),
past the remains of the old Ross stables (with the spire of the church in the background),
the stone wall of the caravan park and the interesting stone pillar and chain roadside 'fence', on towards the central street of Ross, Church Street.
Church Street, again most aptly named as you will soon see, is lined with building after building of interest and historical significance. It can be almost too much. Before we begin our jaunt, a touch of Google Earth perspective may be useful.
The two red arrows show our caravan site and the bridge and the row of trees which cover Lovers' Lane. The blue arrow points to the most prominent of the Ross churches (and that which we are about to visit),
the yellow to the site of the Ross female factory whilst the white shows the position of the Man O' Ross hotel. Nothing in Ross is far from anything else!
The location of Ross was chosen by Governor Lachlan Macquarie on his second journey through the island in 1821 (he had been before in 1811). He liked the location beside the river and he decided that the new settlement should be called Ross after the name of the home of his friend H.M. Buchanan who lived on Loch Lomond in Scotland.
There are over forty buildings of historical significance in this small town including its famous bridge, and once again I've had to be selective lest I bore you all to death.
Let me begin our town tour along the banks of the Macquarie River, where a small opening from our caravan park allowed us access to the quaintly named 'Lovers' Lane' (complete with sign),
a narrow path which meanders along the northern bank of the river near the bridge. We were not the only visitor to enjoy this riparian ramble...'The Black Panther' could not get enough of it.
The 'lovers' theme was maintained in the form of this odd back to back twin seat metal chair, but the real highlight of a stroll along this pathway
was the view of the famous Ross bridge it offers.
This convict built bridge, completed in 1836, is the third oldest in Australia, pre-dated only by its better known counterpart at Richmond and the Lennox Bridge at Glenbrook, NSW. At this time Ross stood on the main road between Hobart and Launceston, and a good river crossing was critical (the highway now by-passes Ross as we know).
This beautiful bridge was designed by that doyen of early Tasmanian colonial architecture, John Lee Archer. The stone masonry and carvings, described by experts as "possibly the richest achievement of the earlier colonial period if not the most significant sculpture on any edifice in the Commonwealth" were the work of Daniel Herbert and James Colbeck.
Herbert had been sentenced to death for the crime of highway robbery, but fortunately for us his skills were not lost when this was commuted to transportation for life and he arrived in Hobart Town in 1827. By 1835 he had risen to the position of overseer of stonemasons, and engaged in the construction of the Ross bridge.
As the plaque on the bridge notes, the efforts of Herbert and Colbeck certainly resulted in a significant improvement in their respective lots!
Curved stairways lead down to the banks on both ends of the bridge,
seen here from an upstream position.
Notwithstanding its inherent grace and beauty, the outstanding and unique feature of this river crossing are its 186 keystones (or voussoirs) carved by Herbert (or completed under his supervision).
These intricate carvings decorate each of the three span arches. They are difficult to see from the banks, but thanks again to 'Aussie Towns' for this close-up photograph, you can see that the detail is remarkable.
No-one seems quite sure what all these represent, but it has been suggested that many of the carved heads are in fact stone portraits of Herbert, his wife, another famous local rogue, Jorgen Jorgenson (of Highfield House fame), colonial officials and local personalities.
Whatever their source of inspiration, the renowned scholar and Egyptologist Leslie Greener wrote of them "Ross Bridge is the most beautiful of its kind today. The carvings have in them that delight in the shapes themselves that our sculptors lost somewhere in the 13th century." It is a shame that they cannot be more readily seen.
Let me leave the subject of the Ross bridge with an obligatory 'reflection' photo as we make our way
back along the roadway of Bridge Street (what a surprise that name is),
past the remains of the old Ross stables (with the spire of the church in the background),
the stone wall of the caravan park and the interesting stone pillar and chain roadside 'fence', on towards the central street of Ross, Church Street.
Church Street, again most aptly named as you will soon see, is lined with building after building of interest and historical significance. It can be almost too much. Before we begin our jaunt, a touch of Google Earth perspective may be useful.
The two red arrows show our caravan site and the bridge and the row of trees which cover Lovers' Lane. The blue arrow points to the most prominent of the Ross churches (and that which we are about to visit),
the yellow to the site of the Ross female factory whilst the white shows the position of the Man O' Ross hotel. Nothing in Ross is far from anything else!
This pretty little street map produced by the Ross Visitor Centre provides another overview of many of the buildings of significance in this utterly delightful town. We are about to begin with the church at the far right,
the magnificent Uniting Church which overlooks the town from the rise at the eastern end of Church Street. Built of stone quarried from nearby Beaufront, this impressive house of worship opened its doors in 1885. As we have already seen, its spire forms the backdrop of many views of Ross.
The divided roadway of upper Church Street took us down from the Uniting Church
past one of the few wooden buildings of significance in this predominately 'stone' town.
Even its explanatory wall plaque was of wood.
Stone walls again feature in the buildings next to the Drill Hall, the Tasmanian Wool Centre and next to that, the original home of the Headquarters of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.
Beyond this we came to the major town intersection, where Church and Bridge Streets cross. Here we found the local War Memorial where even the old field gun has a history. This cannon was actually used during the Boer War and is one of only two remaining in the country. What is even more surprising is the fact that no-one is quite sure how it came to be here in Ross!
The building behind the memorial is the Ross Town Hall
whilst that on the other side, now a private home, was originally the town gaol (with the old police station just to its right in this shot).
The western corners of this large intersection are home to the Man O' Ross Hotel, the town's only remaining functioning waterhole
and by way of complete contrast opposite, the second of the impressive Ross churches, that of the Catholic faith.
Both have an interesting history. The pub, circa 1835 (with the verandah and gable ends added in the early 20th Century) was very well patronised in the early days (as is the case today), although as we shall soon see it did have some competition.
The grand hotel building is complemented by lovely gardens in which we found
a couple of old carved milestones
showing distances between Hobart and Launceston. Oddly, the Roman numeral carvings were never completed, nor were the stones formally set in place. The reason for this has been lost in the mists of time.
Let me divert from history for a second and take a quick look inside. The interior of this pub was just what we had expected...all grand and 'Scottish'. We visited more than once and for some reason or other I did not take the camera, so Liz did the honours with her phone (with the somewhat blurry result).
Stone walls, rich timber and thick patterned carpets were featured throughout (as did your scribe...glass in hand!).
The dark furnishing of the spacious dining room and the rich pattern of the carpet provided just the right atmosphere on the last night of our visit,
when we scurried down to the hotel from the caravan park as storm clouds gathered threateningly over the old gaol building. We just made it before the heavens opened and dined to the accompaniment of flashes of lightening and the rumble of thunder.
So, here on this intersection we have the hotel, the town hall, the gaol and a church, all of which have been brought together in this interesting commentary on early life in Ross!
Immediately behind the church this solid stone building once housed various groups of troops stationed here in Ross.
This well done sign lists all the British Army elements stationed here in the Ross Barracks during the era in which it was a garrison town. I was amazed to read just how many different Regiments were represented in what was such a relatively short period of only thirty years.
The beautifully restored and maintained buildings of Church Street lie shaded beneath a grand avenue of large trees, and as I mentioned earlier, these photos were taken during the peak holiday season. Vehicles lined the street from one end to the other
The beautifully restored and maintained buildings of Church Street lie shaded beneath a grand avenue of large trees, and as I mentioned earlier, these photos were taken during the peak holiday season. Vehicles lined the street from one end to the other
and the crowds were jostling everywhere, particularly at the different food outlets.
But we pressed on undeterred, past what is now the Ross convenience store housed in a small building which rose here in 1830 and began life as the local Post Office. The much larger building immediately to the right of the store began its existence as the stables for one of the early coaching inns in Ross.
Now with whitewashed walls and used as a private residence, the original Scotch Thistle Inn, licensed in 1840, once bustled with travellers making the coach trip from Hobart to Launceston. With the bars, dining hall and bedrooms closed as trade diminished, this building was put to many subsequent uses, including as a store, school, hospital and restaurant. What stories these walls could tell!
But we pressed on undeterred, past what is now the Ross convenience store housed in a small building which rose here in 1830 and began life as the local Post Office. The much larger building immediately to the right of the store began its existence as the stables for one of the early coaching inns in Ross.Now with whitewashed walls and used as a private residence, the original Scotch Thistle Inn, licensed in 1840, once bustled with travellers making the coach trip from Hobart to Launceston. With the bars, dining hall and bedrooms closed as trade diminished, this building was put to many subsequent uses, including as a store, school, hospital and restaurant. What stories these walls could tell!
With the original Post Office now a store, the good folk of Ross transact postal business in this charming 'modern' Post Office (c 1896!), where the cast iron columns supporting the roof overhang are an unique feature.
By now our jaunt along Church Street had brought us to the intersection with High Street, where I detoured for a short distance to snap three of the old stone cottages which can be found throughout the back streets of this remarkable town.
Back on Church Street, the old Macquarie House and Store, from which railway gangs in the district during the 1870's and the troops gathering nearby during WW11 were supplied with goods and provisions, was built on land granted to one William Carter in 1846. That in itself is not particularly remarkable, but the fact that this building has been continuously occupied by six generations of his descendants did seem worth a mention!
The imposing 'block' of stone walls next door began life as yet another of Ross's coaching inns, the Sherwood Castle. It is now home to the historic wood fired ovens of the Ross Bakery,
where a poster at the front of the building explained just what went on inside.
This can be a very busy place, particularly during the peak tourist season.
Some may even be lucky enough to be invited to watch the artisan bakers at work. As a previous photo showed you, this place was heaving with humanity as we walked past....we continued on,
but not before we had spotted this odd sign. We were used to seeing Chinese characters dotted throughout commercial areas, but not Japanese. There had to be a story here, and there was. This very bakery has special significance to Japanese visitors who associate it with Hayao Miyazaki’s film ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’. Who would have guessed!
The last of the really significant old buildings we found was the third town church. St John's Anglican Church, with its spire rising 50 feet in the air, welcomed worshippers for the first time in 1869. We were a little disappointed its doors were closed as we walked by. The organ inside this grand building is over 100 years old.
By now we understood why the street along which we had been roaming was named as it was and we were yet again struck by the significance formal religion played in the lives of the early settlers in Tasmania and the lengths to which they went to raise funds and build magnificent places of worship, even in small towns like Ross.
Before we leave this beautiful boulevard I must point out that not all the buildings which line it are of solid stone. The wooden walls of what is now the second main street bakery in Ross, Bakery 31 and Tasmanian Scallop Pie Company (of course....even in Ross!) was first the home of the Standaloft family before being converted to a shop in 1880.
As could be expected in a town which relies so heavily on tourism, not all commercial enterprises designed to part visitors with their money were food based.
The goods on offer in this very classy store were something special......and priced accordingly!
And then, there were proprietors with a real sense of humour. Full marks to this one!
Let me conclude our first town tour of Ross virtually where I began, with this wonderful photo of the bridge showing more of its extraordinary carvings, the towering spire of the Uniting Church, the roof of the RAOC HQ and the old town gaol building all captured in this
photo courtesy of the truly magnificent 'Visit Ross' website.
In my next from this wonderful town I shall take a wander around some of the back streets and bring you a snippet of Tassie history which just blew me away.
No comments:
Post a Comment