City of Hobart history

At the same time, Captain David Collins was sent to Port Phillip Bay in Victoria, but quickly decided that the place was unsuitable for settlement and pressed on to Van Diemen's Land, arriving in 1804.

From that date Hobart has been the capital and administrative centre of first southern Tasmania, then from 1812 all Tasmania.

Settlement In 1803, afraid of the interest the French were showing, a British party was sent to establish a colony. It was soon found that wheat thrived in the areas around Richmond and Sorell, and by 1817, excess produce was being exported to Sydney.

The worst of the worst were sent to Port Arthur Penal Settlement, established in 1830.

Liverpool did not prove viable and in 1845 Earle moved five miles up Deep River and constructed a dam to power sawmills and gristmills.

When it became a municipality in 1852 it had 24,000 people, the third largest city in Australia.

The worst of the worst were sent to Port Arthur Penal Settlement, established in 1830. It was not until 1853 that the transportation of convicts ceased.

The island achieved self-governing status in 1855–56.

When the Town Hall was opened in 1866 it symbolised the hope of future greatness for the city.

In 1870 the Hobart Bathing Association had opened men's and women's baths, and municipal recreation areas were improved at Mountain Park and Long Beach.

The Gattonside Historic Bed and Breakfast (circa 1885) Harbour House, Battery Point Guest House and Ascot are prime examples.

In 1893 Hobart became the first city in the southern hemisphere to introduce electric trams.

Labor politicians and the growing trade union movement supported many reforms after 1900 and their organ, the Clipper, was an astringent and humorous critic of municipal politics.

Movements for a Greater Hobart were linked to these developments and by 1913 Glebe Town, Wellington, Mount Stuart and Queenborough had been amalgamated with Hobart.

By 1914 Hobart and suburbs, with 39,914 residents, rivalled other Australian cities in its attractions and was more outward-looking, confident and progressive than it had ever been.

With the Southern Regional Water Scheme (1954) all houses had running water and, soon afterwards, sewerage.

The weekly Salamanca Market has been a drawcard since 1972.

The magnificent beauty of the south-west wilderness was added to the World Heritage List in 1983, making Tasmania the greenest Australian state with over 40% of its area devoted to parks.