131-674: North Hobart is a suburb of the city of Hobart , Tasmania , Australia. As its name suggests, it lies directly north of the CBD . The main street of North Hobart is Elizabeth Street , which extends northward from the Elizabeth Street Mall in the city, through North Hobart, and then becomes the Main Road in New Town and continues through many suburbs to Glenorchy and beyond. The most recent median house price for North Hobart
262-488: A ticket of leave , permitting some prescribed freedoms . This enabled some convicts to resume a more normal life, to marry and raise a family, and to contribute to the development of the colony. In England in the 17th and 18th centuries criminal justice was severe, later termed the Bloody Code . This was due to both the particularly large number of offences which were punishable by execution (usually by hanging), and to
393-512: A bill was proposed to the House of Commons to allow the transporting of felons, and was followed by another bill presented to the Lords to allow the transportation of criminals convicted of felony within clergy or petty larceny. These bills failed, but it was clear that change was needed. Transportation was not a sentence in itself, but could be arranged by indirect means. The reading test, crucial for
524-454: A bulk ore carrier collided with and destroyed the concrete span bridge that connected the city to its eastern suburbs. In the 21st century, Hobart benefited as Tasmania's economy recovered from the 1990s recession, and the city's long-stagnant population growth began to reverse. A period of significant growth has followed, including the redevelopment of the former Macquarie Point railyards, Parliament Square, and new hotel developments throughout
655-465: A business: merchants chose from among the prisoners on the basis of the demand for labour and their likely profits. They obtained a contract from the sheriffs, and after the voyage to the colonies they sold the convicts as indentured servants . The payment they received also covered the jail fees, the fees for granting the pardon, the clerk's fees, and everything necessary to authorise the transportation. These arrangements for transportation continued until
786-643: A classical tower designed by James Blackburn (who also designed the Holy Trinity Church ) was added in 1847. St Joseph's was built in 1840 and the Davey Street Congregational Church in 1857. St David's Cathedral , Hobart's first, was consecrated in 1874. The grand Queen Anne style Mount Saint Canice (1893) sits above Sandy Bay. The Edwardian Baroque GPO was built in 1905, and the Hobart City Hall
917-446: A diverse array of natural areas, parks and gardens. It is most notably defined by its large areas of native bushland owing to its location. The most prominent of these is Wellington Park which encompasses the plateau of kunanyi / Mt Wellington itself as well as much of the surrounding alpine woodland and dense forests. This is taken advantage of with a large number of trails for walking, hiking and mountain biking activities all across
1048-724: A free settlement was established and this settlement later accepted some convict transportation. Until the massive influx of immigrants during the Australian gold rushes of the 1850s, free settlers had been outnumbered by penal convicts and their descendants. However, compared to the British American colonies , Australia received a larger number of convicts. Convicts were generally treated harshly, forced to work against their will, often doing hard physical labour and dangerous jobs. In some cases they were cuffed and chained in work gangs. The majority of convicts were men, although
1179-536: A group of convict ships departed from England to establish the first colonial settlement in Australia, as a penal colony . The First Fleet included boats containing food and animals from London. The ships and boats of the fleet would explore the coast of Australia by sailing all around it looking for suitable farming land and resources. The fleet arrived at Botany Bay , Sydney on 18 January 1788, then moved to Sydney Cove (modern-day Circular Quay ) and established
1310-435: A major port, with allied industries such as shipbuilding. Hobart Town became a city on 21 August 1842, and was renamed Hobart from the beginning of 1881. The post-transportation era saw the city shift between periods of economic uncertainty in the 1860s and 1890s: "...While brash Victorians talked of the future, Tasmanians nurtured memories of a more prosperous past. In the 'sixties Martineau found elderly ladies lamenting
1441-576: A new Second Empire style Customs House, is situated on Constitution Dock and incorporates the Bond (1824) and Commisariat Store buildings (1810), the latter of which contributed to Hobart's early street layout when the Hobart Rivulet passed beside it. Away from the mouth of the rivulet was Hunter Island and after 1820 was also used for extensive warehousing. Hobart is home to many historic churches. The Scots Church (formerly known as St Andrew's)
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#17327764843841572-573: A number of years. The American Revolution brought transportation to the North American mainland to an end. The remaining British colonies (in what is now Canada) were regarded as unsuitable for various reasons, including the possibility that transportation might increase dissatisfaction with British rule among settlers and/or the possibility of annexation by the United States – as well as the ease with which prisoners could escape across
1703-661: A proposal to release women who could not be transported, but this solution was considered absurd: this caused the Lords Justices to order that no distinction be made between men and women. Women were sent to the Leeward Islands , the only colony that accepted them, and the government had to pay to send them overseas. In 1696 Jamaica refused to welcome a group of prisoners because most of them were women; Barbados similarly accepted convicts but not "women, children nor other infirm persons". Thanks to transportation,
1834-420: A public exhibition of the king's mercy. It was a solution to a real problem in the domestic penal system. There was also the hope that transported convicts could be rehabilitated and reformed by starting a new life in the colonies. In 1615, in the reign of James I , a committee of the council had already obtained the power to choose from the prisoners those that deserved pardon and, consequently, transportation to
1965-521: A reputation as a "cool" and creative cultural capital with increasing numbers of tourists drawn to its unconventional or quirky events and art projects, many spurred by the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). The term "MONA effect" refers to the museum's significant impact on the local economy and Tasmanian tourism. The city's nightlife is primarily concentrated in Salamanca Place , North Hobart,
2096-605: A result of the act. The Transportation, etc. Act 1784 ( 24 Geo. 3. Sess. 2 . c. 56) and the Transportation, etc. Act 1785 ( 25 Geo. 3 . c. 46) also resulted to help alleviate overcrowding. Both acts empowered the Crown to appoint certain places within his dominions, or outside them, as the destination for transported criminals; the acts would move convicts around the country as needed for labour, or where they could be utilized and accommodated. The overcrowding situation and
2227-616: A short-cut to Battery Point , a largely residential suburb known for its weatherboard cottages and multi-storey terraces. Government architect John Lee Archer designed the Regency -style Customs House (1840), facing Sullivans Cove and now used as Parliament House. He also designed the Gothic revival Engineers Building (1847) later used as the Tasmanian Main Line Company headquarters. Nearby are more buildings in
2358-590: A significant portion were women. Some were as young as 10 when convicted and transported to Australia. Most were guilty of relatively minor crimes like theft of food/clothes/small items, but some were convicted of serious crimes like rape or murder. Convict status was not inherited by children, and convicts were generally freed after serving their sentence, although many died during transportation or during their sentence. Convict assignment (sending convicts to work for private individuals) occurred in all penal colonies aside from Western Australia , and can be compared with
2489-656: A source of discomfiture about the city's convict past, but is now a draw card for tourists. The city centre contains many of the city's oldest buildings, including the Hope and Anchor Tavern (1807) and Ingle Hall (1811–14). The Cascade Brewery (1824), Australia's longest operating brewery, was built using convict labour, as was the Cascades Female Factory (1828), now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other notable early buildings include: Hadley's Orient Hotel (1834), Australia's oldest continuously operating hotel;
2620-567: A specific term. To provide confinement facilities, the general change in sentencing was passed in conjunction with the Convict Prisons Act 1853 ( 16 & 17 Vict. c. 121), long titled "An Act for providing Places of Confinement in England or Wales for Female Offenders under Sentence or Order of Transportation." The Penal Servitude Act 1857 ( 20 & 21 Vict. c. 3) ended the sentence of transportation in virtually all cases, with
2751-521: A tourist attraction—in 1956 the Lanherne Airport (now Hobart Airport ) was opened. Australia's first legal casino, Wrest Point Hotel Casino , opened in 1973. Despite these successes, Hobart faced significant challenges during the 20th century, including the 1967 Tasmanian fires , which claimed 64 lives in Hobart itself and destroyed over 1200 homes, and the 1975 Tasman Bridge disaster , when
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#17327764843842882-682: A truce with Governor George Arthur . They were forcibly exiled ten days later to Flinders Island . Charles Darwin visited Hobart Town in February 1836 as part of the Beagle expedition. He compares it to Sydney and compliments the " noble forest ". He writes of Hobart and the Derwent estuary in The Voyage of the Beagle : "...The lower parts of the hills which skirt the bay are cleared; and
3013-423: Is $ 420,855 and the median unit price is $ 410,000. Two colleges are located in the area - Elizabeth College , one of Hobart's four public secondary colleges, and The Friends' School , a private school for years K-12 . North Hobart was also home of the former Hobart High School from 1918 to 1984 - one of the first schools in the city. The building has been preserved and used by many educational establishments over
3144-432: Is located near TMAG on the waterfront and has been in operation since 1974. Penal transportation Penal transportation (or simply transportation ) was the relocation of convicted criminals, or other persons regarded as undesirable, to a distant place, often a colony , for a specified term; later, specifically established penal colonies became their destination. While the prisoners may have been released once
3275-746: Is located on the edge of the Tasmanian South East and Tasmanian Southern Ranges IBRA bioregions as well as being surrounded by parts of the South-east Tasmania Important Bird Area (such as the Meehan and Wellington Ranges ) which provide important habitat for Tasmanian birds . The East Risdon State Reserve contains the wattles Derwent cascade and Acacia riceana , as well as the rare or endangered Risdon peppermint and Eucalyptus morrisbyi . Other local plant species like heartleaf silver gum and
3406-472: Is often referred to as Greater Hobart , to differentiate it from the City of Hobart , one of the seven local government areas that cover the city. It has a mild maritime climate . The city lies on country which was known by the local Muwinina people as nipaluna, a name which includes surrounding features such as kunanyi / Mount Wellington and timtumili minanya (River Derwent). Prior to British colonisation,
3537-404: Is still difficult to achieve approval. As of 2024, Hobart is the least dense Australian capital with the highest costs per capita (alongside Sydney ) for housing and car-ownership (19.7% cost-to-income in 2024). This is credited with contributing to the broader Tasmanian demographic crisis and emigration. The median house price of inner Hobart was A$ 1,026,500 in 2021, which would be 12.8x
3668-886: Is the Playhouse Theatre. Built in the 1860s, it was originally a chapel designed by Henry Bastow . Today, it is owned by the Hobart Repertory Theatre Society. Hobart's largest arthouse cinema, the State Cinema in North Hobart , was established as the North Hobart Picture Palace in 1913. It was acquired by the Reading Cinemas chain in 2019. Located in New Town , the Rewind Cinema, formerly
3799-773: Is the centrally-located Queens Domain which contains the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens established in 1818 (which, though ringed by expressways , remain a highly popular destination with a variety of attractions), the Hobart Cenotaph (accessed via the Bridge of Remembrance and Hobart Regatta grounds which link to the Intercity Cycleway ), the University Rose Gardens , a number of sporting facilities (like
3930-401: Is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-smallest by population and area after Darwin if territories are taken into account. Its skyline is dominated by the 1,271-metre (4,170 ft) kunanyi / Mount Wellington , and its harbour forms the second-deepest natural port in the world, with much of the city's waterfront consisting of reclaimed land. The metropolitan area
4061-487: The Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart. During WW2 , the city performed drills and built shelters, with German mines found in the estuary and a Japanese scout plane flyover in 1942. While Hobart was isolated, it also contained the not insignificant Electrolytic Zinc Company which was essential for ammunition production. During the mid 20th century, the state and local governments invested in building Hobart's reputation as
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4192-938: The Colonial Mutual Life buildings (1936) on Elizabeth Street . The 1939 Streamline Moderne Riviera Hotel is joined by what remains the tallest building in Tasmania, the Wrest Point Casino (1973) designed by Roy Grounds in Moderne . Several of the tallest buildings in Hobart were built in this era, such as the International Style MLC building (1958–77), the Empress Towers (1967), the Brutalist NAB House (1968) and former Reserve Bank Building (1977), and
4323-675: The Domain Athletic Centre and Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre ), and formerly the Hobart Zoo (a role now taken up by Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in Brighton ). Areas along the eastern shore also provide recreation, including many coastal walks to areas like Kangaroo Bluff (one of many former Hobart coastal defences which are now parks) and the Kangaroo Bay Parkland (near Charles Hand Park and
4454-668: The Dreyfus Affair , and Dreyfus was fully exonerated in 1906. Unlike normal penal transportation, many Soviet people were transported as criminals in forms of deportation being proclaimed as enemies of people in a form of collective punishment . During the Second World War , the Soviet Union transported up to 1.9 million people from its western republics to Siberia and the Central Asian republics of
4585-583: The Home Counties . The "Felons' Act" (as the Transportation Act was called) was printed and distributed in 1718, and in April twenty-seven men and women were sentenced to transportation. The Act led to significant changes: both petty and grand larceny were punished by transportation (seven years), and the sentence for any non-capital offence was at the judge's discretion. In 1723 an Act
4716-624: The Indian Rebellion of 1857 . As the Indian independence movement swelled, so did the number of prisoners who were penally transported. The Cellular Jail in Port Blair , South Andaman Island , also called Kālā Pānī or Kalapani (Hindi for black waters), was constructed between 1896 and 1906 as a high-security prison with 698 individual cells for solitary confinement . Surviving prisoners were repatriated in 1937. The penal settlement
4847-717: The Montrose Boardwalk, Giblins Reserve and Cornelian Bay to the north, and the Battery Point Sculpture Trail, Errol Flynn Reserve, Long Beach Reserve by Nutgrove Beach and the Alexandra Battery, and Kingston Park to the south. Hobart's architecture is stylistically eclectic and reflects various periods of Australian history. The city is known for its well-preserved Georgian and Victorian-era buildings, giving specific areas an " old world " feel. For locals, this became
4978-650: The Myall Creek Massacre . In the Hawkesbury and Nepean Wars , a group of Irish convicts joined the Aboriginal coalition of Eora , Gandangara , Dharug and Tharawal nations in their fight against the colonists. Norfolk Island , east of the Australian mainland, was a convict penal settlement from 1788 to 1794, and again from 1824 to 1847. In 1803, Van Diemen's Land (modern-day Tasmania)
5109-668: The Nine Years' War ) and the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–14) adversely affected merchant shipping and hence transportation. In the post-war period there was more crime and hence potentially more executions, and something needed to be done. In the reigns of Queen Anne (1702–14) and George I (1714–27), transportation was not easily arranged, but imprisonment was not considered enough to punish hardened criminals or those who had committed capital offences, so transportation
5240-557: The Octopus tree ) remain there. A rare patch of non- sclerophyll Tasmanian rainforest dominated by myrtle beech and blackheart sassafras is located near Collinsvale . A famous tree within the city of Hobart is the Anglesea Barracks blue gum which may have been a seedling before the colonial era . Hobart has a mild temperate oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ; Trewartha : Cflk ). The highest temperature recorded
5371-522: The Restoration , the penal transportation system and the number of people subjected to it, started to change inexorably between 1660 and 1720, with transportation replacing the simple discharge of clergyable felons after branding the thumb . Alternatively, under the second act dealing with Moss-trooper brigands on the Scottish border, offenders had their benefit of clergy taken away, or otherwise at
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5502-830: The Rosny Parklands ) in Bellerive , Anzac Park and Simmons Park in Lindisfarne , Wentworth park at Howrah Beach , as well as hills within the urban area such as Gordons Hill , Natone Hill , Rokeby Hills , Waverly Flora Park and the panoramic lookout at Rosny Hill . In the city, many urban parks and gardens have sprung up over the years, like St David's Park , Franklin Square , the Parliament or Salamanca Gardens, Boat Park ( Princes Park ), Fitzroy Gardens and St Andrews Park , along with newer pocket parks like
5633-720: The Royal Society of Tasmania (the oldest Royal Society outside England) founded the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG). Its first permanent home opened in 1863 and the museum has gradually expanded to occupy several surrounding buildings, including the Commisariat Store , built in 1810. The TMAG-run Narryna was founded in 1955 as the Van Diemen's Land Memorial Folk Museum and is housed within an 1830s Georgian town house. Maritime Museum Tasmania
5764-647: The Theatre Royal (1837), Australia's oldest continually operating theatre; the Greek revival Lady Franklin Gallery (1843), Australia's first private museum; and the Hobart Synagogue (1845), which is Australia's oldest synagogue and a rare example of an Egyptian revival synagogue. Salamanca Place contains many Georgian era buildings, as well as Kelly's Steps , which were built in 1839 to provide
5895-483: The benefit of clergy , was a fundamental feature of the penal system, but to prevent its abuse, this pardoning process was used more strictly. Prisoners were carefully selected for transportation based on information about their character and previous criminal record. It was arranged that they fail the reading test, but they were then reprieved and held in jail, without bail, to allow time for a royal pardon (subject to transportation) to be organised. Transportation became
6026-474: The rule of law , it was equally unreasonable for them to escape punishment entirely. With the development of colonies, transportation was introduced as an alternative punishment, although legally it was considered a condition of a pardon, rather than a sentence in itself. Convicts who represented a menace to the community were sent away to distant lands. A secondary aim was to discourage crime for fear of being transported. Transportation continued to be described as
6157-417: The 1820s until the 1860s, convicts were sent to the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda (part of British North America ) to work on the construction of the Royal Naval Dockyard and other defence works, including at the East End of the archipelago, where they were accommodated aboard the hulk of HMS Thames at an area still known as " Convict Bay ", at St. George's town. In 1787, the First Fleet ,
6288-465: The 2020 K-Block redevelopment of the Royal Hobart Hospital was based on the street grid and convict-made Rajah Quilt . Nearby is the Menzies Institute and UTAS Medical Science Precinct, which features two 2009 examples of avant-garde styles inspired by land-water interplay. On Castray Esplanade, the Salamanca Wharf Hotel was built in 2013 and combines Antarctic colours with the surrounding former-ordnance warehouses. The Myer Centre Icon Complex
6419-442: The Americas from the 1610s until early in the American Revolution in 1776, when transportation to America was temporarily suspended by the Criminal Law Act 1776 ( 16 Geo. 3 . c. 43). The practice was mandated in Scotland by an act of 1785, but was less used there than in England. Transportation on a large scale resumed with the departure of the First Fleet to Australia in 1787, and continued there until 1868 . Transportation
6550-439: The Australian population (about 7 million) had Irish ancestry – the highest percentage outside of Ireland – thanks partially to historical convict transportation. In British India – including the province of Burma (now Myanmar ) and the port of Karachi (now part of Pakistan ) – Indian independence activists were penally transported to the Andaman Islands . A penal colony was established there in 1857 with prisoners from
6681-479: The Crown to merchants contracted to take the convicts to America. The Transportation Act made returning from transportation a capital offence . The number of convicts transported to North America is not verified: John Dunmore Lang has estimated 50,000, and Thomas Keneally has proposed 120,000. Maryland received a larger felon quota than any other province. Many prisoners were taken in battle from Ireland or Scotland and sold into indentured servitude , usually for
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#17327764843846812-406: The Derwent in a southeasterly direction hugging the Meehan Range (which hovers around 400 metres (1,300 ft) with distinctive summits such as Mt Direction and Gunners Quoin towards the irregular valleys of Brighton ) before sprawling into flatter land in suburbs such as Bellerive. These flatter areas of the eastern shore rest on far younger Quaternary deposits. From there the city wraps around
6943-490: The European settlers, and the effects of diseases brought by them, dramatically reduced the Aboriginal population, which was rapidly replaced by free settlers and the convict population. In 1832, four years after martial law had been declared, 26 people, including Tongerlongeter (Tukalunginta) and Montpelliatta (Muntipiliyata) of the combined Big River and Oyster Bay nations, surrendered to G. A. Robinson 's "friendly mission" and were marched into Hobart to negotiate
7074-501: The Garden of Memories on Elizabeth Street . Inner suburban parks like Wellesley Park in South Hobart , the Train Park (Caldew Park) in West Hobart , and the Cultural Skatepark and Soundy Park in North Hobart are also popular. Parks continue to extend along the complex coastline of the estuary, from the birdwatching area of Goulds Lagoon , Old Beach 's " little doors ", the Claremont Cenotaph by Windermere Beach, Moorilla Estate winery, Glenorchy Art and Sculpture Park (GASP) with
7205-449: The Hidden Theatre, is housed in a 19th-century convict-built structure. Another popular live entertainment location is the Hanging Garden precinct, which contains several venues and hosts Dark Mofo and Hobart Festival of Comedy events. Australia's first privately funded museum, the Lady Franklin Gallery , was established in Acanthe Park by Lady Jane Franklin in 1843 and is now run by The Art Society of Tasmania . Three years later,
7336-456: The Hobart metropolitan area, some of which follow watercourses like the Hobart Linear Park ( Cascade Gardens ), Lambert Park , New Town Rivulet ( Ancanthe Park ) and Tolosa Park , or ridgelines to viewing points in places like the Truganini Conservation Area and Bicentennial Park. The former Fern Tree Bower of Dicksonia antarctica can be visited on the Pipeline Track. The city also has many urban bushland areas, most prominent of which
7467-416: The Old Bailey and the man who gave important information about capital offenders to the cabinet. One reason for the success of this Act was that transportation was financially costly. The system of sponsorship by merchants had to be improved. Initially the government rejected Thomson's proposal to pay merchants to transport convicts, but three months after the first transportation sentences were pronounced at
7598-413: The Old Bailey, his suggestion was proposed again, and the Treasury contracted Jonathan Forward , a London merchant, for the transportation to the colonies. The business was entrusted to Forward in 1718: for each prisoner transported overseas, he was paid £3 (equivalent to £590 in 2023), rising to £5 in 1727 (equivalent to £940 in 2023). The Treasury also paid for the transportation of prisoners from
7729-406: The Union. Most were persons accused of treasonous collaboration with Nazi Germany, or of Anti-Soviet rebellion. Following death of Joseph Stalin , most of them were rehabilitated. Populations targeted included Volga Germans , Chechens , and Caucasian Turkic populations. The transportations had a twofold objective: to remove potential liabilities from the warfront, and to provide human capital for
7860-560: The abundant blue gum are also planted horticulturally, while many exotic species were planted as a result of aesthetic preferences from British colonisation. Black peppermint , silver peppermint , blue wattle , blackwood , drooping sheoak and cherry ballart are another common woodland combination. Threatened species of wildlife found in Hobart include the swift parrot , grey goshawk , Tasmanian masked owl , eastern barred bandicoot and eastern quoll . These amount to 11 species of fauna, 10 of flora and 4 vegetation communities. 5 of
7991-399: The area. Hobart Hobart / ˈ h oʊ b ɑːr t / HOH -bart ; ( palawa kani : nipaluna ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania , Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent , it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly half of Tasmania's population, Hobart
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#17327764843848122-477: The border. After the termination of transportation to North America, British prisons became overcrowded, and dilapidated ships moored in various ports were pressed into service as floating gaols known as "hulks". Following an 18th-century experiment in transporting convicted prisoners to Cape Coast Castle (modern Ghana) and the Gorée (Senegal) in West Africa, British authorities turned their attention to New South Wales (in what would become Australia). From
8253-454: The bright yellow fields of corn, and dark green ones of potatoes, appear very luxuriant... I was chiefly struck with the comparative fewness of the large houses, either built or building. Hobart Town, from the census of 1835, contained 13,826 inhabitants, and the whole of Tasmania 36,505." The River Derwent was one of Australia's finest deepwater ports and was the centre of South Seas whaling and sealing trades. The settlement rapidly grew into
8384-469: The brown-coloured Modernist Marine Board Building (1972) and Jaffa Building (1978). Dorney House (1978) at the former Fort Nelson is an example of residential modernism. The postmodern Hotel Grand Chancellor was built in 1987 in what was the Wapping neighbourhood, which now features many examples of contemporary architecture , such as the 2001 Federation Concert Hall and The Hedberg , designed in 2013 around Conceptualism . The distinctive shapes of
8515-414: The captain John Hayes , and the river after the River Derwent, Cumbria (also briefly named by Bruni D'Entrecasteaux as La Rivière du Nord ). The city was named the singular Hobart in 1881, and an inhabitant is known as a Hobartian . Though the city is not officially dual-named , the 'saltwater country' of the western shore where the city is located has the Palawa kani name nipaluna which
8646-409: The city experienced periods of growth and decline. The early 20th century saw an economic boom on the back of mining, agriculture and other primary industries, and the loss of men who served in the world wars was counteracted by an influx of immigration. Despite the rise in migration from Asia and other non-English speaking regions, Hobart's population is predominantly ethnically Anglo-Celtic and has
8777-610: The city. Hobart is located on the estuary of the River Derwent in the state's south-east. It is built predominantly on Jurassic dolerite around the foothills interspersed with smaller areas of Triassic siltstone and Permian mudstone , straddling the River Derwent . The Western Shore extends from the Derwent Valley in the northwest through the flatter areas around Glenorchy (which rests on older Triassic sediment) bounded by peaks averaging around 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) (including kunanyi / Mount Wellington , Mt Hull, Mt Faulkner and Mt Dromedary ). The hilly inner areas rest on
8908-414: The colonial labour force, for the overall benefit of the realm. Initially based on the royal prerogative of mercy , and later under English law , transportation was an alternative sentence imposed for a felony . It was typically imposed for offences for which death was deemed too severe. By 1670, as new felonies were defined, the option of being sentenced to transportation was allowed. Depending on
9039-468: The colonies. Convicts were chosen carefully: the Acts of the Privy Council showed that prisoners "for strength of bodie or other abilities shall be thought fit to be employed in foreign discoveries or other services beyond the Seas". During the Commonwealth , Oliver Cromwell overcame the popular prejudice against subjecting Christians to slavery or selling them into foreign parts, and initiated group transportation of military and civilian prisoners. With
9170-588: The commercial legacy of a former tramway) and narrow lanes lined with timber and brick cottages, townhouses and small apartment buildings. Social housing was usually organised by private societies and entities as outreach to those in need until crises brought greater attention from government authorities, such as the Homes Act (1919) and Housing Agreement (1945). The Housing Department focused mainly on mixing these with broad-acre suburban estates, which were sometimes expensive to service with adequate infrastructure. Architects such as Margaret Findlay were employed by
9301-504: The community, and who, by proper care and correction, might be reclaimed from their evil course"; they then passed the Criminal Law Act 1776 ( 16 Geo. 3 . c. 43) "An act to authorize ... the punishment by hard labour of offenders who, for certain crimes, are or shall become liable to be transported to any of his Majesty's colonies and plantations." For the ensuing decade, men were instead sentenced to hard labour and women were imprisoned. Finding alternative locations to send convicts
9432-523: The conditions of convicts in the colonies were inhumane. Although a concerted programme of prison building ensued, the Short Titles Act 1896 lists seven other laws relating to penal transportation in the first half of the 19th century. The system of criminal punishment by transportation, as it had developed over nearly 150 years, was officially ended in Britain in the 1850s, when that sentence
9563-597: The constantly-evolving city centre). With the development of streets and public transport , such as a railway in 1876 and Australia's first fully-electric tram network in 1893, further growth of the urban area was enabled. Inner suburbs from this era typically have orderly streets (around planned subdivisions of former agriculture grants, often inspired by the City Beautiful movement ) with shopfronts (the Hill Street Grocer franchise derives from
9694-438: The continent, would differentiate it from America, where the use of convicts was only a minor adjunct to its overall policy. In 1787, when transportation resumed to the chosen Australian colonies, the far greater distance added to the terrible experience of exile, and it was considered more severe than the methods of imprisonment employed for the previous decade. The Transportation Act 1790 ( 30 Geo. 3 . c. 47) officially enacted
9825-524: The crime, the sentence was imposed for life or for a set period of years. If imposed for a period of years, the offender was permitted to return home after serving their time, but had to make their own way back. Many offenders thus stayed in the colony as free persons, and might obtain employment as jailers or other servants of the penal colony. England transported an estimated 50,000 to 120,000 convicts and political prisoners, as well as prisoners of war from Scotland and Ireland , to its overseas colonies in
9956-769: The early 1600s until the American Revolution of 1776, the British colonies in North America received transported British criminals. Destinations were the island colonies of the West Indies and the mainland colonies that became the United States of America. In the 17th century transportation was carried out at the expense of the convicts or the shipowners. The Transportation Act 1717 allowed courts to sentence convicts to seven years' transportation to America. In 1720, an extension authorized payments by
10087-423: The end of the 17th century and beyond, but they diminished in 1670 due to certain complications. The colonial opposition was one of the main obstacles: colonies were unwilling to collaborate in accepting prisoners: the convicts represented a danger to the colony and were unwelcome. Maryland and Virginia enacted laws to prohibit transportation in 1670, and the king was persuaded to respect these. The penal system
10218-607: The estuary to peninsulas and extends across the hills in an easterly direction into the valley area of Rokeby , before reaching into the tidal flatland area of Lauderdale (between Ralphs Bay and Frederick Henry Bay ). Hobart has access to a number of beach areas including those in the Derwent estuary itself: Long Beach , Nutgrove Beach , Bellerive Beach , Cornelian Bay, Kingston, and Howrah Beaches, as well as many more in Frederick Henry Bay such as Seven Mile , Roaches, Cremorne, Clifton and Goats Beaches. Hobart
10349-510: The exception of those years, the Transportation Act led to a decrease in whipping of convicts, thus avoiding potentially inflammatory public displays. Clergyable discharge continued to be used when the accused could not be transported for reasons of age or infirmity. Penal transportation was not limited to men or even to adults. Men, women, and children were sentenced to transportation, but its implementation varied by sex and age. From 1660 to 1670, highway robbery, burglary , and horse theft were
10480-605: The first permanent European settlement in Australia. This marked the beginning of the European colonisation of Australia . Violent conflict on the Australian frontier between indigenous Australians and the colonists began only months after the First Fleet landed, lasting over a century. Convicts forced to work in the bush on the frontier were sometimes the victims of indigenous attacks, while convicts and ex-convicts also attacked indigenous people in some instances, such as
10611-473: The gaiety of the old days and merchants the time when 'Hobart Town promised to be the emporium if not the metropolis of Australia'." However, this was mixed in with evolving politics, a greater connection with mainland Australia, tourism in the 1880s and the establishment of important cultural and social institutions including The University of Tasmania . "When the Town Hall was opened in 1866 it symbolised
10742-527: The highest percentage of Australian-born residents among Australia's capital cities. Today, Hobart is the financial and administrative hub of Tasmania, serving as the home port for both Australian and French Antarctic operations and acting as a tourist destination. Well-known drawcards include its convict-era architecture, Salamanca Market and the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), the Southern Hemisphere's largest private museum. In 1804,
10873-471: The hope of future greatness for the city". The Russian navy visited the port multiple times, which had become a leading reason for the Hobart coastal defences . Mark Twain also visited in 1895 when he wrote "Hobart has a peculiarity—it is the neatest town that the sun shines on; and I incline to believe that it is also the cleanest." On 7 September 1936, one of the last known surviving thylacines died at
11004-450: The inner city being converted into parking ) further made Hobart a sprawling city. Zoning now applies and specific area plans can also be prepared (with the land use near Hobart's northern suburbs transit corridor under particular focus), though planning reform and new provisions schedules are being prepared. While community and social housing projects do occur in expensive areas (such as 25 apartments on Goulburn Street in 2021), it
11135-401: The judge's discretion, were to be transported to America, "there to remaine and not to returne". There were various influential agents of change: judges' discretionary powers influenced the law significantly, but the king's and Privy Council's opinions were decisive in granting a royal pardon from execution. The system changed one step at a time: in February 1663, after that first experiment,
11266-474: The land had been occupied for possibly as long as 35,000 years by Aboriginal Tasmanians . Founded in 1804 as a British penal colony , Hobart is Australia's second-oldest capital city after Sydney , New South Wales. Whaling quickly emerged as a major industry in the area, and for a time Hobart served as the Southern Ocean 's main whaling port. Penal transportation ended in the 1850s, after which
11397-468: The limited choice of sentences available to judges for convicted criminals. With modifications to the traditional benefit of clergy , which originally exempted only clergymen from the general criminal law, it developed into a legal fiction by which many common offenders of "clergyable" offences were extended the privilege to avoid execution. Many offenders were pardoned as it was considered unreasonable to execute them for relatively minor offences, but under
11528-754: The more exposed position coupled with them resting at higher altitude. These snow-bearing winds often carry on through Tasmania and Victoria to the Snowy Mountains in Victoria and southern New South Wales. Nevertheless, sleet can occur in Hobart during the peak Tasmanian snow season (typically defined as being between May to September, with the most snowfalls in July and August). Average sea temperatures range from 12.5 °C (54.5 °F) in September to 16.5 °C (61.7 °F) in February. Hobart has
11659-464: The novel Papillon , a semi-autobiographical novel of his incarceration in and escape from a penal colony in French Guiana . The most significant individual transported prisoner is probably French army officer Alfred Dreyfus , wrongly convicted of treason in a trial in 1894, held in an atmosphere of antisemitism . He was sent to Devil's Island. The case became a cause célèbre known as
11790-526: The number of men whipped and released diminished, but whipping and discharge were chosen more often for women. The reverse was true when women were sentenced for a capital offence, but actually served a lesser sentence due to a manipulation of the penal system: one advantage of this sentence was that they could be discharged thanks to benefit of clergy while men were whipped. Women with young children were also supported since transportation unavoidably separated them. The facts and numbers revealed how transportation
11921-473: The offences most often punishable with transportation for men. In those years, five of the nine women who were transported after being sentenced to death were guilty of simple larceny, an offence for which benefit of clergy was not available for women until 1692. Also, merchants preferred young and able-bodied men for whom there was a demand in the colonies. All these factors meant that most women and children were simply left in jail. Some magistrates supported
12052-554: The practice of convict leasing in the United States. Transportation from Great Britain and Ireland ended at different times in different colonies, with the last being in 1868, although it had become uncommon several years earlier thanks to the loosening of laws in Britain, changing sentiment in Australia, and groups such as the Anti-Transportation League . In 2015, an estimated 20% of the Australian population had convict ancestry. In 2013, an estimated 30% of
12183-506: The presence of French explorers . It was the site of the 1804 Risdon Cove massacre . Later that year, along with the military, settlers and convicts from the abandoned Port Phillip settlement, the camp at Risdon Cove was moved by Captain David Collins to a better location at the present site of Hobart at Sullivans Cove . The area's Indigenous inhabitants were members of the semi-nomadic Mouheneener tribe. Violent conflict with
12314-495: The previous orders in council into law, stating "his Majesty hath declared and appointed... that the eastern coast of New South Wales, and the islands thereunto adjacent, should be the place or places beyond the seas to which certain felons, and other offenders, should be conveyed and transported ... or other places". The act also gave "authority to remit or shorten the time or term" of the sentence "in cases where it shall appear that such felons, or other offenders, are proper objects of
12445-468: The public works department. Bungalows were mass-produced in weatherboard and then fibro materials. The 1944 Town and Country Planning Act was the instrument to transfer control of urban housing to municipalities, which automatically resulted in tightly restricted homebuilding in existing urban areas. The advent of the automotive city and the 1965 Hobart Area Transportation Study (which ultimately resulted in cuts to public transport and parts of
12576-419: The rate consistenly under 3% and listings 50.5% lower in southern Tasmania over 11 years. Renting is also typically less protected than other states. Tenant-oriented housing models may become more common, with a few examples in Hobart such as 2020's all-electric The Commons Hobart where expensive parking mandates were waivered to enable an affordable green lifestyle . Since the 2000s, Hobart has gained
12707-708: The region's median household income per year. Of the 76,686 total dwellings in urban Greater Hobart in 2021 , only 10% were a flat or apartment and 7.2% semi-detached or terrace. Greater Hobart builds on average 700 new dwellings per year, which equates to between 3–3.5 per 1000 people (lower than the 6–9 of other states), mostly concentrated in outer suburbs like Bridgewater (which has the lowest life expectancy in Hobart at 67) which studies show can cost 8x more than infill, meaning they require more infrastructure per dwelling to service than areas closer to existing services (which are more often under-capacity ). Rental vacancies have generally been on decline since about 2013 with
12838-533: The resumption of transportation would be initially resolved by Orders in Council on 6 December 1786, by the decision to establish a penal colony in New South Wales , on land previously claimed for Britain in 1770, but as yet not settled by Britain or any other European power. The British policy toward Australia, specifically for use as a penal colony , within their overall plans to populate and colonise
12969-410: The royal mercy" At the beginning of the 19th century, transportation for life became the maximum penalty for several offences which had previously been punishable by death. With complaints starting in the 1830s, sentences of transportation became less common in 1840 since the system was perceived to be a failure: crime continued at high levels, people were not dissuaded from committing felonies, and
13100-574: The same style, Australia's oldest tertiary institution was based in the former Hobart High School from 1848 (Domain House, now owned by UTAS), and the Government House building was built in 1857 and is the third iteration . Henry Hunter was an architect known for churches such as St Mary's Cathedral (1898), but he also designed Hobart Town Hall (1866), located on the site of the old Government House. The TMAG building, built in 1902 as
13231-547: The sentences were served, they generally did not have the resources to return home. Banishment or forced exile from a polity or society has been used as a punishment since at least the 5th century BCE in Ancient Greece . The practice of penal transportation reached its height in the British Empire during the 18th and 19th centuries. Transportation removed the offender from society, mostly permanently, but
13362-485: The settlement and industrialization of the largely underpopulated eastern regions. The policy continued until February 1956, when Nikita Khrushchev in his speech, " On the Personality Cult and Its Consequences ", condemned the transportation as a violation of Leninist principles. Whilst the policy itself was rescinded, the transported populations did not begin to return to their original metropoles until after
13493-411: The settlement was named Hobart Town or Hobarton by the first Lt-governor David Collins after then British Secretary of State for war and the colonies Lord Hobart (a variant of Hubert, his name was pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable) at Sullivans Cove (named after the under-secretary). Earlier in 1793, Risdon Cove was named after the second officer on the ship Duke of Clarence by
13624-422: The strip with Indian , Thai , Japanese and Chinese food , all being popular. Other restaurants serve Mexican and Turkish food . Several chain restaurants are located here as well. In 2004 the area was redeveloped, including footpath widening and lining Elizabeth Street with trees. Alderman Zucco unsuccessfully proposed that the area be lined with olive trees to promote the multiculturalism that exists in
13755-631: The summer solstice. By global standards, Hobart has cool summers and mild winters for its latitude, being heavily influenced by its seaside location. Nevertheless, the strong northerly winds from the Australian outback ensure that Hobart experiences temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F) in most years. Those temperatures are very warm compared to climates on higher latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere with similar summer averages. Light air frost occasionally happens, albeit not every year. Although Hobart itself rarely receives snow during
13886-541: The terms of sentence initially being of the same duration as transportation. While transport was greatly reduced following enactment of the 1857 act, the last convicts sentenced to transportation arrived in Western Australia in 1868. During the 80 years of its use to Australia, the number of transported convicts totalled about 162,000 men and women. Over time the alternative terms of imprisonment would be somewhat reduced from their terms of transportation. From
14017-514: The threatened species are endemic to Hobart. A common sight within the city are pademelons and wallabies , and the Hobart Rivulet is home to platypuses . Wildlife groups and road safety advocates have highlighted the role of slower speeds in reducing urban roadkill and traffic injuries. While parts of kunanyi / Mt Wellington have been cleared in the past (and species like celery top pine were allegedly present), stands of old-growth white gums accompanied by giant stringybarks (such as
14148-505: The waterfront area, Elizabeth Street (which includes the pedestrianised Elizabeth Street Mall ) and Sandy Bay. These areas are home to popular dining strips, pubs, bars and nightclubs. The city centre is home to several theatres , including live theatre venues, picture palaces, and a multiplex operated by Village Cinemas . The Theatre Royal , established in 1837, is Australia's oldest continually operating theatre, designed by colonial architect John Lee Archer . Another historic theatre
14279-509: The winter due to the foehn effect created by the Central Highlands (the city's geographic position causes a rain shadow ), the adjacent kunanyi / Mount Wellington is frequently seen with a snowcap throughout the year. During the 20th century, the city itself has received snowfalls at sea level on average only once every 5 years; however, outer suburbs lying higher on the slopes of Mount Wellington receive snow more often, owing to
14410-532: The years, and is now a Millingtons funeral home. Other places in North Hobart include: Elizabeth Street (between Tasma and Federal Streets) contains many of the restaurants and cafes for which North Hobart is known. The area could be compared with Lygon Street in Melbourne , except on a much smaller scale. Restaurants in the area include two Italian restaurants and two fish bars. Asian food dominates
14541-495: The younger Jurassic dolerite deposits, before stretching into the lower areas such as the beaches of Sandy Bay in the south, while the City and Kingston are separated by hills and Taroona 's Alum Cliffs . The Derwent estuary exits into Storm Bay wrapped by the South Arm Peninsula , Iron Pot and Betsey Island , with Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula and Bruny Island beyond. The Eastern Shore also extends from
14672-427: Was 41.8 °C (107.2 °F) on 4 January 2013 and the lowest was −2.8 °C (27.0 °F) on 25 June 1972 and 11 July 1981. Annually, Hobart receives only 40.8 clear days without rain. Compared to other major Australian cities, Hobart has the fewest daily average hours of sunshine, with only 5.9 hours per day. However, during the summer it has the most hours of daylight of any Australian city, with 15.3 hours on
14803-403: Was also influenced by economics: the profits obtained from convicts' labour boosted the economy of the colonies and, consequently, of England. Nevertheless, it could be argued that transportation was economically deleterious because the aim was to enlarge population, not diminish it; but the character of an individual convict was likely to harm the economy. King William's War (1688–1697) (part of
14934-709: Was also settled as a penal colony, followed by the Moreton Bay Settlement (modern Brisbane , Queensland ) in 1824. The other Australian colonies were established as "free settlements", as non-convict colonies were known. However, the Swan River Colony (Western Australia) accepted transportation from England and Ireland in 1851, to resolve a long-standing labour shortage . Two penal settlements were established near modern-day Melbourne in Victoria but both were abandoned shortly after. Later,
15065-679: Was built in Bathurst Street from 1834 to 1836, and a small sandstone building within the churchyard was used as the city's first Presbyterian Church. St John's in New Town , featuring a clocktower and turrets, sat in the middle of the Queens Orphanage complex (now near the Hobart City High School ) from 1835. The Greek revival St George's Anglican Church in Battery Point was completed in 1838, and
15196-528: Was built in 1915 in a Federation warehouse style on the former city marketplace. The North Hobart Post Office (1913) of a John Smith Murdoch design is in a colourful Edwardian style . Hobart is also home to a number of Art Deco landmarks, including the T&;G building (1938) on Murray Street , the Old Mercury Building on Macquarie Street (1938), the former Hydro Tasmania (1938) and
15327-642: Was called kriwa beneath the hill of kriwalayti . The dividing line of the region is the timtumili minanya (river), which winds its way down from the centre of the island through the lands of the Big River (Lemerina) people. On the eastern shore, the name for the Clarence Plains was known as naniyilipata by the Mumirimina, a group of the Oyster Bay (Poredareme) people. Droughty Point
15458-538: Was completed in 2020 as a replacement for the 1908 Liverpool Street building which burnt down in 2007, while retaining the façade on Murray Street. Projects designed by local architects include the Mövenpick Hotel , built in 2021 by Jaws. Hobart as a city has delivered its housing by various means and forms. For its early history, housing was small-scale but clustered in very small areas (the highest concentration and diversity of Hobart's heritage remains around
15589-524: Was imposed on prisoners guilty of capital offences pardoned by the king. Returning from the colonies before the stated period was a capital offence. The bill was introduced by William Thomson , the Solicitor General , who was "the architect of the transportation policy". Thomson, a supporter of the Whigs, was Recorder of London and became a judge in 1729. He was a prominent sentencing officer at
15720-541: Was introduced into the House of Commons in 1717 under the Whig government. It legitimised transportation as a direct sentence, thus simplifying the penal process. Non-capital convicts (clergyable felons usually destined for branding on the thumb, and petty larceny convicts usually destined for public whipping) were directly sentenced to transportation to the American colonies for seven years. A sentence of fourteen years
15851-606: Was known as trumanyapayna (kangaroo point) as it was a hunting ground, and South Arm as mutatayna . Later names by the TAC include piyura kitina (little native hens ) at Risdon Cove and turikina truwala (mountain waterfall) on the Myrtle Gully Falls track. The first European settlement began in 1803 as a military camp at Risdon Cove on the eastern shores of the River Derwent , amid British concerns over
15982-655: Was less frequently applied to women and children because they were usually guilty of minor crimes and they were considered a minimal threat to the community. The outbreak of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) halted transportation to America. Parliament claimed that "the transportation of convicts to his Majesty's colonies and plantations in America ;... is found to be attended with various inconveniences, particularly by depriving this kingdom of many subjects whose labour might be useful to
16113-610: Was not easy, and the act was extended twice by the Criminal Law Act 1778 ( 18 Geo. 3 . c. 62) and the Criminal Law Act 1779 ( 19 Geo. 3 . c. 54). This resulted in a 1779 inquiry by a parliamentary committee on the entire subject of transportation and punishment; initially the Penitentiary Act 1779 was passed, introducing a policy of state prisons as a measure to reform the system of overcrowded prison hulks that had developed, but no prisons were ever built as
16244-683: Was not used by Scotland before the Act of Union 1707 ; following union, the Transportation Act 1717 specifically excluded its use in Scotland. Under the Transportation, etc. Act 1785 ( 25 Geo. 3 . c. 46) the Parliament of Great Britain specifically extended the usage of transportation to Scotland. It remained little used under Scots Law until the early 19th century. In Australia, a convict who had served part of his time might apply for
16375-573: Was originally documented on 16 January 1831 by George Augustus Robinson (as nibberloonne , later niberlooner ) when he was told by Woureddy , a Nununi chief from Bruny Island who spoke five dialects. Though the island is offshore, the language is related and in the same family as the Southeastern Tasmanian language which the local Muwinina people spoke. Another recorded name was an Oyster Bay word lebralawaggena ( Bedford ). A semi-permanent settlement at Little Sandy Bay
16506-498: Was presented in Virginia to discourage transportation by establishing complex rules for the reception of prisoners, but the reluctance of colonies did not stop transportation. In a few cases before 1734, the court changed sentences of transportation to sentences of branding on the thumb or whipping, by convicting the accused for lesser crimes than those of which they were accused. This manipulation phase came to an end in 1734. With
16637-416: Was seen as more merciful than capital punishment . This method was used for criminals, debtors, military prisoners, and political prisoners. Penal transportation was also used as a method of colonization . For example, from the earliest days of English colonial schemes, new settlements beyond the seas were seen as a way to alleviate domestic social problems of criminals and the poor as well as to increase
16768-520: Was shut down in 1945. An estimated 80,000 political prisoners were transported to the Cellular Jail which became known for its harsh conditions, including forced labor; prisoners who went on hunger strikes were frequently force-fed . France transported convicts to Devil's Island and New Caledonia in the 19th and early-to-mid 20th centuries. Devil's Island, a French penal colony in Guiana ,
16899-453: Was substituted by imprisonment with penal servitude , and intended to punish. The Penal Servitude Act 1853 ( 16 & 17 Vict. c. 99), long titled "An Act to substitute, in certain Cases, other Punishment in lieu of Transportation," enacted that with judicial discretion, lesser felonies, those subject to transportation for less than 14 years, could be sentenced to imprisonment with labour for
17030-420: Was the preferred punishment. There were several obstacles to the use of transportation. In 1706 the reading test for claiming benefit of clergy was abolished ( 6 Ann. c. 9). This allowed judges to sentence "clergyable" offenders to a workhouse or a house of correction . But the punishments that then applied were not enough of a disincentive to commit crime: another solution was needed. The Transportation Act
17161-473: Was used for transportation from 1852 to 1953. New Caledonia became a French penal colony from the 1860s until the end of the transportations in 1897; about 22,000 criminals and political prisoners (most notably Communards ) were sent to New Caledonia. Henri Charrière (16 November 1906 – 29 July 1973) was a French writer, convicted in 1931 as a murderer by the French courts and pardoned in 1970. He wrote
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