Day 49: Hobart to Oatlands

This is the day that we really turned our sights north. With only three nights left before our boat ride back to the mainland we headed north out of Hobart. Our first stop was at another famous historical site, one that I saw back in the '80s. 

Richmond gaol

Richmond was a early settlement in Tasmania and has many sandstone buildings, including a famous bridge and gaol. The gaol was built over a period of 1825 to 1840. It's quite small compared to sites like Port Arthur and Cascades, it seems to be more of a place that prisoners stayed on their journeys between places. But also a base for convict work gangs building public buildings and infrastructure. They claim it's Australia's oldest intact gaol but I've seen different wording on that (careless writing, possibly)

After the gaol we did a little bit more souvenir shopping (I found a pair of Tasmanian earrings and bought them from the artist, she even made a change on them at my request before I bought them). We ate lunch in a free carpark and headed north again.

Our destination for the night was a free free camp in Oatlands, beside a lake. This historical town has more than 150 sandstone buildings, including a fully restored flour mill built in 1837. It is now the only operating mill of its kind in the southern hemisphere. It is the third oldest windmill in the continent which makes it one of Tasmania's major tourist attractions. We didn't book a tour, but instead walked around Oatlands looking at the various buildings (many of which had informative signs out front of them). We also stopped at an old building that now houses a coffee shop.

Keep scrolling for more photos and information about Oatlands.

This is one example of the buildings in Oatlands.
The sign says: 'Elm Cottage'. Built c. 1837 by
Joseph McEwan, then publican of Invary Castle 
(Kentish Hotel), probably for his impending retirement.
In the1840s 'The Elm' was rented to john Ryan who provided
lodging for Kevin Izod O'Doherty, one of the five Irish 
political prisoners sent to Van Diemens Land in 1848.
Devout Catholics, the Ryans often hosted Mass
in this cottage prior to the building of St Paul's church.
In 1850, Father Keohan stayed with the Ryans whilst awaiting the
completion of the Presbytery. Later in the 19th Century, it was
called 'Prospect Cottage' when Mrs McRa and her sister Harriet Jones
ran a girl's school from these premises, offering private lessons
in music, French, and drawing. It also served briefly as a branch
of the Union Bank. For most of the 20th century, it was the family home
of Eva Burrill. The cottage takes its name from two English elms
once planted in the front yard.

This was the lake we spent the night next to. It isn't
very picturesque, but is apparently a valuable conservation area.
Also the location where they mined a lot of the sandstone for the
town's many buildings.

Parked by the lake.