City: Tasmania
Top Things to do in Tasmania
Things to do in Tasmania, Australia: The Best Historic Sites
Tasmania (/tæzˈmeɪniə/; abbreviated as Tas and known colloquially as Tassie) is an island state of Australia. It is located 240 km (150 mi) to the south of the Australian mainland, separated by the Bass Strait. The state encompasses the main island of Tasmania, the 26th-largest island in the world, and the surrounding 334 islands. The state has a population of around 519,100 as of June 2016, just over forty percent of which resides in the Greater Hobart precinct, which forms the metropolitan area of the state capital and largest city, Hobart.
Restaurants in Tasmania
1. Australian Convict Sites
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 20 reviews
Reviewed By johnlC4339UO - Broadstairs, United Kingdom
We spent a morning visiting the various sites at Port Arthur. We had a guided tour with a fantastic guide who was able to explain the history of the various site in great detail. Well worth a visit and we could have spent longer at the site. The boat trip gives a great view of the whole Port Arthur site.
2. Port Arthur Historic Site
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,721 reviews
The Port Arthur Historic Site is the best-preserved convict settlement in Australia and among the most significant convict era sites in the world. It has won many awards and has been called one of Australia's great tourism destinations. The Site combines rich history and scenic beauty to tell the stories of the harsh discipline and determined industry of the settlement. It is a place to discover Australian history and connect with the origins of Australian culture.
Reviewed By 646dianneh
This is one place if your a visitor you must make a day for to explore & learn about the History of Port Arthur.The staff are friendly & very helpful & will answer any questions you may have.The grounds are kept beautiful.The guides are very informative.It's an eye opener as to what went on here & to learn about the Convict's & how they lived all those years ago.It's amazing History of the buildings that remain & how they were used.The Boat ride is lovely & relaxing.If you can do the Night Ghost Tour as it's excellent as well.The Memorial Garden at the Broad Arrow Cafe sight is deeply moving to those who passed that tragic day.
3. Model Prison
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 16 reviews
Reviewed By robycoll - Rockingham, Australia
I was on a cruise ship and anchored in the bay I booked a guided tour from the ship and got the tender to the dock. My first impression was Wow what a wonderful location, it was just beautiful. I had a guide and we coverd the history and story of the penal settlement. We covered a fair portion of the site but i would say if you wanted to see a lot Stay at least half a day Plus. The connditions the prisoners were held in was just terrible but i guess it was the time when life did not cost much. It was also very interesting to see the way in which young offenders were taken away from mainstream and became the first ever place to educate them It was an amazing place
4. Chinese Heritage Mining Area
5. Woolmers Estate
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 208 reviews
Reviewed By utopians - Candidasa, Indonesia
Step six generations back in time. A wonderful day out against a backdrop of the National Rose Garden. Just 15 minutes from Launceston. The main house is as it was almost 200 years back, down to the minutest detail, table settings and decor-plus. Our tour (highly recommend taking the guided version) was led by a descendant of the Archer family, offering some captivating insights. Vintage vehicles, even mowers. Well worth quite a few hours.
6. Sarah Island
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 41 reviews
Now strictly a tourist attraction, this island was used as a penal colony from January 1822-1833.
Reviewed By GenaCantwell - Tasmania, Australia
Sarah Island Sarah Island was established in the remote area of Macquarie Harbour in 1821. The island was used as a penal settlement where convicts laboured under the harshest conditions in the rainforest, felling Huon pines for boat building. It was chilling to hear the stories of lashings, women sent to Grummet Island and how the convicts lived in such harsh conditions. To be there on a cold wet windy day... I think only gave us half an idea... it would have been much much worse! Franz the tour guide was a wealth of knowledge and told the tales so well.
7. Brickendon Colonial Farm Village
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 103 reviews
Reviewed By leith_doody - Glen Iris, Australia
We really enjoyed watching the “Australian Story” video, strolling around the historic buildings, then enjoying the magnificent gardens of the Homestead.
8. Richmond Gaol
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 625 reviews
Richmond Gaol is the oldest fully intact convict Gaol in Australia. It was built 5 years before Port Arthur. It is rare in that it housed both male and female convicts. The cost is $10 per adult $5 per child and $25 per family. Discount for group bookings on request. Ph03 62602127
Reviewed By PinkKitty85 - Finley, Australia
At $10 each for adults for this self guided tour, this was an enjoyable and innovative trip. You can stay for a little or as long as you like. Information about the prison is displayed on boards throughout the prison. It’s a small but interesting place to visit.
9. Coal Mines Historic Site
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 161 reviews
The Coal Mines Historic Site was Tasmania’s first operational mine, established as a much-needed local source of coal, but also as a place of punishment for the ‘worst class’ of convicts.Along with the nearby Port Arthur Historic Site, the Coal Mines Historic Site is included in the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage listing.A visit to the Coal Mines is a fascinating and rewarding adjunct to any visit to the Port Arthur Historic Site.
Reviewed By D3286BIkathyr
The rugged scenery around the Tasmania Peninsula is a must to see.Such beauty,so mesmerising.Port Arthur has also got a peaceful feeling even with all its harsh history
10. Runnymede
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 140 reviews
This beautifully preserved 19th-century whaling captain's elegant homestead is just 8 minutes' drive from the Hobart CBD (en route to MONA). Now dedicated to marine conservation, the house has a rich collection of artefacts related to the maritime interests of Captain Charles Bayley and his family, who made it their home for over 100 years. There are also historic artworks and possessions of the previous owner Bishop Francis Nixon, Tasmania's first Anglican bishop. The house was built around 1840 for Robert Pitcairn, one of the first lawyers admitted to the Supreme Court in Van Diemen's Land colony and a leading campaigner against the transportation of convicts from Britain. Closed July and August for House cleaning and Maintenance.
Reviewed By JT-PC-2014 - Sydney, Australia
Runnymede is a fascinating old "marine villa" in the greater Hobart area with an intriguing past, involving the three families who lived there. We had an excellent guided tour run by Robert (Bob) in early November 2019. Originally on 5 acres sloping down to New Town Bay, it is set within a well-maintained, old garden that includes some magnificent trees. A visit to Runnymede helps you understand a slice of Tasmanian history, via the lawyer who had the villa built in the 1840s, the controversial Bishop of Tasmania and his family, and a mariner family with whaling links. The interweaving of the story of the house and its three families certainly brings the house to life and causes you to reflect on the other old houses you see around Hobart, which has retained many more than other capital cities in Australia. (We also visited Narryna in Hobart.) Just check the opening days and times on their respective websites, since these delightful old houses are closed in the colder months of the year.
