113-532: The Mercury is a daily newspaper, published in Hobart , Tasmania , Australia, by Davies Brothers Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of News Corp Australia , itself a subsidiary of News Corp . The weekend issues of the paper are called Mercury on Saturday and Sunday Tasmanian . The current editor of The Mercury is Craig Herbert. The newspaper was started on 5 July 1854 by George Auber Jones and John Davies . Two months subsequently (13 September 1854) John Davies became
226-662: A "newspaper in a newspaper" the Kingborough Times which appeared monthly within the Sunday Tasmanian . This was followed in June 2007 by the Northern Times with news from Hobart's northern suburbs. Both inserts have since ceased publication. The following people were editors of The Mercury : In July 2007 News Corporation approved a new $ 31 million press centre for Davies Brothers Pty Ltd, publisher of
339-498: A 2020 report showed that only 25% of news consumed is obtained from print newspapers, with TV being the top source, online second, and social media third. By early 2021, News Corp had either dropped, or made online only, many of its local newspapers . At that time, it was publishing fewer than 20 print newspapers, and around 85 online titles. In 2016, News Corp commanded 65% of national and capital city daily (print) newspapers. However, its news website news.com.au ranks second after
452-454: 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
565-643: 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
678-446: 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
791-623: A few years it had become the leading local recording company . He also bought a television station in Wollongong , New South Wales, hoping to use it to break into the Sydney television market, but found himself frustrated by Australia's cross-media ownership laws, which prevented him from owning both a major newspaper and television station in the same city. Since then he has consistently lobbied, both personally and through his papers, to have these laws changed in his favour. This occurred in 2006 when
904-590: A large circulation. Also in 1964, News Limited made Rupert Murdoch's first overseas newspaper investment – a 29.57 percent stake in the Wellington Publishing Company, subsequently part of Independent Newspapers Limited , INL, New Zealand's largest publishing group. The News Limited holding in INL fluctuated over the years and was just over 49 percent in 1997. The INL business was bought by News Limited's main rival in 2003 – Fairfax Media . Over
1017-435: 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
1130-528: A marginal seats guide written by a senior business manager for internal use. It evidences a corporate strategy to target marginal seats at the 2004 election . Some of the documents appeared on Media Watch . Murdoch wanted a way to influence politics in his native land. He saw a way to do that through the News Corp publication The Australian . The national daily has been used to support Murdoch's political interests over time, such as John McEwen with
1243-576: 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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#17327880387611356-521: 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,
1469-616: 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
1582-656: 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;
1695-521: 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
1808-682: 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
1921-463: A wider agenda by distributing the keys to rival set top box operators and seeking to obtain phone records of suspected rivals. The emails were from the hard drive of NDS European chief, Ray Adams. It was also revealed that Australian Federal police were working with UK police to investigate hacking by News Corp. News Corp Australia operates 170 newspaper and magazine titles in Australia , including
2034-884: Is a subsidiary of News Corp Australia. It was involved in Nationwide News Pty Ltd v Wills in the High Court of Australia in 1992. In 2018 it was ordered by the Federal Court to pay damages to actor Geoffrey Rush after The Daily Telegraph published a front-page article alleging that Rush engaged in "inappropriate behaviour" on stage with actress Eryn Jean Norvill during the Sydney Theatre Company 's 2015 production of King Lear . Murdoch's desire for dominant cross-media ownership manifested in early 1961 when he bought an ailing Australian record label, Festival Records , and within
2147-559: Is located near TMAG on the waterfront and has been in operation since 1974. News Corp Australia News Corp Australia is an Australian media conglomerate and wholly owned subsidiary of the American News Corp . The group's interests span newspaper and magazine publishing, Internet, subscription television in the form of Foxtel , market research , DVD and film distribution, and film and television production trading assets. News Pty Limited (formerly News Limited )
2260-746: 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
2373-472: 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,
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#17327880387612486-404: 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
2599-941: 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
2712-773: 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
2825-474: Is the holding company of the group. Until the formation of News Corporation in 1979, News Limited was the principal holding company for the business interests of Rupert Murdoch and his family. Since then, News Limited had been wholly owned by News Corporation. In 2004, News Corporation announced its intention to reincorporate to the United States. On 3 November 2004 News Corp Limited ceased trading on
2938-401: 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
3051-514: The Herald Sun ) as well as large stakes in several other newspaper publishers. News Limited went on to acquire the remaining shares of Brisbane's Queensland Newspapers (owner of The Courier-Mail ), Adelaide's Advertiser Newspapers (owner of The Advertiser ) and Hobart's Davies Brothers (owner of The Mercury ). In 1991, News Limited spun off its longtime magazine house, Southdown Press , as Pacific Magazines and Printing , and sold
3164-658: The News of the World , and The Sun in 1969 and The Times and The Sunday Times in 1981, which he bought from the Thomson family. Both takeovers further reinforced his growing reputation as a ruthless and cunning business operator. His takeover of The Times aroused great hostility among traditionalists, who feared he would take it "downmarket." This led directly to the founding of The Independent in 1986 as an alternative quality daily. Murdoch made his first acquisition in
3277-609: The ABC News website on visitor count, and its individual newspaper websites do not match several digital-only ones. In December 2020, all of News Corp's news websites reached 1.2 million fewer readers than those owned by Nine Entertainment . The company owns just one television news outlet, Sky News Australia , which does not have a large audience on TV; however, its Facebook posts are shared prolifically, and its subscribers on YouTube , by 2021, not only far outnumbered those of Channel 7 and Channel 9 but had surpassed ABC News. In 2018
3390-570: The Australian Stock Exchange ; and on 8 November, News Corporation began trading on the New York Stock Exchange . On 28 June 2013, News Corporation was split into two separate companies. Murdoch's newspaper interests became News Corp , which was the new parent company of News Limited. The group adopted the new News Corp Australia name following the listing of the new News Corp on 1 July 2013. News Limited
3503-487: 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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3616-591: The Brisbane Broncos NRL team. A parliamentary petition initiated by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for a Royal Commission investigating the diversity and integrity of print media, focused primarily on News Corp, raised more than 500,000 signatures in November 2020. Before 2010 News Corp Australia media was more politically flexible, but have become much more rigid as Lachlan Murdoch’s influence at
3729-938: 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
3842-675: 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
3955-513: The Mail : 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
4068-685: The Mercury and the Sunday Tasmanian , including the installation of the latest colour press. Davies Brothers opened the new print centre at the Tasmanian Technopark in Dowsing Point, north of Hobart, in 2009. A new KBA Comet four-colour press replaced the 35-year-old Goss Urbanite press that had been housed in the Argyle Street wing of the company's city site. Other operations of the newspaper group continued to be based in
4181-717: 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
4294-698: The National Party of Australia and Gough Whitlam with the Australian Labor Party . According to the Finkelstein Review of Media and Media Regulation, in 2011 the group accounted for 23% of the newspaper titles in Australia. As of 2021 , it owns seven of the country's 12 national or capital city daily (print) newspapers (that is, 58 per cent; excludes weekend papers). In the capital cities of Adelaide , Brisbane , Darwin , and Hobart , there are no other print dailies. However
4407-557: 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
4520-830: 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
4633-720: 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
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4746-544: The SEM was printed and circulated for readers on a Saturday evening from 1954 to 1984, it was replaced in early 1984 by the Sunday Tasmanian which still exists today. Other Tasmanian titles published by the company were the weekly rural newspaper Tasmanian Country and the weekly regional newspaper Derwent Valley Gazette which were acquired from independent publishers in the early 1980s. Both were sold to public relations firm Font PR in 2020. From 1987–2007 Davies Brothers published
4859-473: The Saturday Mercury to 63,000 and the Sunday Tasmanian to 53,000. The Tasmanian Mail was a weekly newspaper published by The Mercury from July 1877 to June 1935. It employed a separate staff from that which brought out the Mercury , and was intended to cover the whole of the state. From 7 April 1921 it was published as The Illustrated Tasmanian Mail . The following people were editors of
4972-413: 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
5085-431: The University of Tasmania opened its Tasmanian Media School, co-located with the Mercury in its Salamanca Square office. In February 2022, the Mercury relocated to an internal office on the ground floor of the same Salamanca Square building it had occupied since 2012. A fraction of the space it once occupied on the floor above, it was the first time the company's offices did not have a street frontage. It continues to host
5198-423: The 1970s, this power base was so strong that Murdoch was able to acquire leading newspapers and magazines in both London and New York, as well as many other media holdings. To gain subscriptions for its new pay television business, News Ltd recruited rugby league football administrators, clubs and players to form a new competition, sparking the mid-1990s Super League war . On 12 July 2006, News Limited announced
5311-465: 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
5424-530: The Australian division of News Corp has not entirely escaped scandal with allegations in 2012 that News Corp subsidiary, News Datacom Systems (NDS) had used hackers to undermine pay TV rivals around the world, including Australia. Some of the victims of the alleged hacking, such as Austar were later taken over by News Corp and others such as Ondigital later went bust. NDS had originally been set up to provide security to News Corp's pay TV interests but emails obtained by Fairfax Media revealed they had also pursued
5537-406: 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
5650-490: 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
5763-501: 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
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#17327880387615876-449: 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,
5989-456: 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
6102-408: The Liberal-National Coalition government, having gained control of both houses of the Australian Parliament, introduced reforms to cross-media ownership and foreign media ownership laws. The laws came into effect in early 2007, with further changes in 2017 abolishing 'two out of three' restrictions that had previously prevented news companies from owning newspaper, radio, and television services within
6215-450: The Sydney afternoon paper, The Daily Mirror , as well as a small Sydney-based recording company, Festival Records . His acquisition of the Mirror proved crucial to his success, allowing him to challenge the dominance of his two main rivals in the Sydney market, the Fairfax Newspapers group, which published the hugely profitable The Sydney Morning Herald , and the Consolidated Press group, owned by Sir Frank Packer , which published
6328-454: The United States in 1973, when he purchased the San Antonio News . Soon afterwards he founded the National Star , a supermarket tabloid , and in 1976 he purchased the New York Post . Subsequent acquisitions were undertaken through News Corporation. News Limited expanded its newspaper holdings in 1987 when it acquired The Herald and Weekly Times , which published two newspapers in Melbourne (in 1990 these papers would be combined to form
6441-560: 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
6554-516: The appointment of Richard Freudenstein as chief executive of the division. In February 2018, News Corp Australia announced a partnership with Taboola to launch an integrated native content creation, booking and distribution platform. The Taboola Feed will be implemented on desktop, mobile, web and in-app across the News Corp Australia digital network. In 2000 John Hartigan was appointed Chief Executive Officer, replacing Lachlan Murdoch . and added chairman to his role in 2005. During his time in
6667-454: 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
6780-469: 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
6893-414: 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
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#17327880387617006-409: 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
7119-466: The city's leading tabloid paper, The Daily Telegraph . In 1964, News Limited made its next important advance when it established The Australian , Australia's first national daily newspaper, based initially in Canberra and later in Sydney. The Australian , a broadsheet , gave News Limited a new respectability as a quality newspaper publisher, and also greater political influence since The Australian has always had an elite readership, if not always
7232-610: 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
7345-588: 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
7458-554: The company has grown - as of 2024, The Australian has endorsed the Liberal Party at each of the past five federal elections, while none of the four daily metros have endorsed Labor since at least 2010. In the wake of the News International phone hacking scandal in the United Kingdom, in July 2011 News Limited announced a review of all payments in the previous three years. On 22 July it was reported that two retired Victorian Supreme Court judges, Frank Vincent AO QC and Bernard Teague AO, were appointed to act as independent assessors of
7571-464: The company in 1949. Following his death in 1952, his son Rupert Murdoch inherited The News , which has been described by Murdoch biographer Bruce Page as the "foundation stone" of News Limited (and News Corporation). Over the next few years, Murdoch gradually established himself as one of the most dynamic media proprietors in Australia, quickly expanding his holdings by acquiring a string of daily and suburban newspapers in most capital cities, including
7684-518: The company would move from its landmark Macquarie St headquarters in August 2012, leasing a new office at 2 Salamanca Square. The move took place over the weekend of 28–29 July 2012, although months of work had taken place in advance. The company has branch offices in Launceston and Burnie , as well as its print centre at Dowsing Point and its distribution centre at Western Junction near Launceston. Its branch office at New Norfolk closed in December 2010. An office in William St, Queenstown closed in
7797-514: The company's sites included news.com.au , Business Spectator and Eureka Report, Kidspot.com.au, taste.com.au, and homelife.com.au. It had a 55% stake in carsguide.com.au , which was sold in 2016, a share in REA Group that operates realestate.com.au , as well as websites for most newspaper and magazine titles. The company's other Australian assets include Australian News Channel , 65% ownership of subscription television provider Foxtel , (which in turn owns Fox Sports Australia ) and shares in
7910-457: The conduct of the review and also assess the outcome. The editorial and financial review concluded in early November and found no evidence of phone hacking or payments to public officials, with Vincent and Teague declaring that the review process did not bring ".....to light any systemic issues with respect to the making of payments to third parties and any substantial amounts paid to individuals in respect of illegitimate activities." Despite this
8023-466: 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
8136-535: The creation of a new division, News Digital Media, to manage the operations of the news site news.com.au; the online marketplace sites, carsguide.com.au , truelocal.com.au and careerone.com.au as well as the partly owned realestate.com.au, foxsports.com.au and related activities involving Foxtel and the company's newspapers and the Australian versions of Fox Interactive Media sites Myspace and IGN. Chairman and chief executive of News Limited, John Hartigan , announced
8249-589: The early 1990s. It was announced in May 2013 that the original site had been sold to an unidentified buyer including the heritage-listed Ingle Hall, which was built in 1814 and housed the Mercury Print Museum. The Macquarie St and Argyle St frontages of the Mercury building were heritage listed in 2012 Later in 2013, the purchasers were identified as Penny Clive and her husband Bruce Neill . Their intent
8362-607: 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
8475-558: The family's hands until 1986 when the Herald and Weekly Times (HWT) assumed majority ownership. In 1988 News Limited (now News Corp Australia ), a subsidiary of News Corporation acquired the HWT, and then the remaining minority interests. However, the subsidiary that owns the Tasmanian operation is still known as Davies Brothers Pty Limited. The Saturday Evening Mercury , known locally as
8588-411: The former Advertiser magazines, renamed Murdoch Magazines , to Matt Handbury . News Limited re-entered the magazine market in 2000 with the start of News Magazines . In 2006, News Limited returned to being a major player in the Australian magazine business with the purchase of Independent Print Media Group 's FPC Magazines ( Delicious , Super Food Ideas , Vogue Australia ). Nationwide News
8701-473: 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
8814-472: The heart of the city at 93 Macquarie Street. The success of the new centre soon saw the introduction of local printing of interstate titles for local distribution. This includes the national daily The Australian and Melbourne's Herald Sun . The June 2024 closure of the state's only other major newspaper printing plant - Australian Community Media’s Rocherlea Print Centre - in Launceston resulted in
8927-527: 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,
9040-419: 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
9153-450: 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
9266-474: 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
9379-460: The local bureau of Sky News . As of March 2011, the Mercury reported its Monday–Friday circulation as 44,317 with an average readership of 107,000 and its Saturday circulation as 61,020 with readership of 146,000. The Sunday Tasmanian reported circulation of 58,148 with readership of 129,000. In March 2021, readership modelling from Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma™) reported the Mercury's average weekday readership had dropped to 76,000,
9492-484: The monthly travel magazine Treasure Islander . At various stages in its history there have been limited experiments with regional papers—such as The Westerner which succeeded The West Coast Miner in 1979 to serve the West Coast until its demise in 1995—as well as suburban newspapers for the Hobart market, which appeared in various guises from 1966 until 1998. In November 2006 the company launched what it called
9605-754: 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
9718-484: The next ten years, as his press empire grew, Murdoch established a hugely lucrative financial base, and these profits were routinely used to subsidise further acquisitions. In his early years of newspaper ownership Murdoch was an aggressive, micromanaging entrepreneur. His standard tactic was to buy loss-making Australian newspapers and turn them around by introducing radical management and editorial changes and fighting no-holds-barred circulation wars with his competitors. By
9831-411: The opportunity to increase their penetration there by expanding the branch office in the northern city, and by putting on "fast cars" to get the paper to Launceston by breakfast. After Davies' retirement in 1871, the business was carried on by his sons John George Davies and Charles Ellis Davies who later traded as Davies Brothers Ltd. John Davies died on 11 June 1872, aged 58. The company remained in
9944-506: 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
10057-624: The printing and distribution of titles such as The Examiner and The Advocate (Tasmania) and local editions of The Age and Australian Financial Review being transferred to the Mercury Print Centre. The weekly rural title Tasmanian Country returned to the Mercury Print Centre after previously being moved to the ACM site by its new owner after that paper's sale by News Corp Australia to FontPR. In November 2011 Davies Brothers chief executive officer Rex Gardner announced that
10170-468: 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
10283-419: 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
10396-708: 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
10509-449: The role of CEO. On 28 June 2013, News Corporation split into two publicly traded companies focused on publishing, and broadcasting/media respectively. At this time News Limited was renamed News Corp Australia and became part of the publishing company, News Corp , with Wall Street Journal editor Robert Thomson replacing Rupert Murdoch as CEO. Murdoch remained a chairman and major shareholder for both companies. On 9 August 2013 it
10622-505: The roles, he presided over a number of controversies, included Eatock v Bolt , the court case following News Ltd journalist Andrew Bolt breaching the Racial Discrimination Act , and an unfair dismissal case brought by former Herald Sun editor Bruce Guthrie . On 30 November 2011, Hartigan left News Ltd, and owner Rupert Murdoch took on the role of chairman, while former Foxtel executive Kim Williams took on
10735-494: The same city. In 2001 News Corp Australia had nearly three-quarters of daily metropolitan newspaper circulation and so maintained great influence in Australia. Internal News Corp Australia documents reveal a brazen offer during the 2001 federal election campaign to promote the policies of the Australian Labour Party (ALP) in its best-selling newspapers nationwide for almost A$ 500,000. Other documents include
10848-574: 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
10961-411: 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
11074-505: The sole owner. It was then published twice weekly and known as the Hobarton Mercury . It rapidly expanded, absorbing its rivals, and became a daily newspaper in 1858 under the lengthy title The Hobart Town Daily Mercury . In 1860 the masthead was reduced to The Mercury and in 2006 it was further shortened to simply Mercury . With the imminent demise of the ( Launceston ) Daily Telegraph , The Mercury , from March 1928, used
11187-631: 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
11300-514: 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
11413-505: 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
11526-509: 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
11639-495: 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
11752-427: 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
11865-486: Was announced that Julian Clarke would replace Kim Williams as the CEO of News Corp Australia. On 9 June 2015, it was announced that Peter Tonagh would replace Julian Clarke as the CEO, with Michael Miller to be appointed to the role of Executive Chairman. Peter Tonagh and Michael Miller's first day in their new roles was 16 November 2015 Murdoch moved to Britain and rapidly became a major force there after his acquisitions of
11978-679: 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
12091-528: 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
12204-642: 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
12317-538: 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
12430-687: Was established in 1923 by James Edward Davidson and funded by the Collins Group mining empire for the purpose of publishing anti-union propaganda, when he purchased the Broken Hill Barrier Miner and the Port Pirie Recorder . He went on to purchase Adelaide's weekly Mail and to found The News , a daily newspaper in Adelaide , South Australia. Sir Keith Murdoch acquired a minority interest in
12543-544: 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
12656-573: 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
12769-492: Was to transform it into restaurants, art galleries and a creative industries hub. It is now used for a restaurant and the Detached Artist Archive, a private gallery. From early 2013, the Mercury's Salamanca Square office hosted the Tasmanian bureaus of The Australian and Sky News . The Mercury's Hobart offices have also hosted the Tasmanian bureau of Australian Associated Press over many decades. In 2018,
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