Richmond is proximity to Hobart (which is only 27 km away) has ensured that it has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Tasmania. Georgian cottages of mellow sandstone stand in pretty cottage gardens in this beautiful old town.
The Richmond area was explored within weeks of the establishment of the first European settlement at Risdon Cove in 1803. Lieutenant John Bowen and a small party crossed the hills from the Derwent Valley and entered the valley where the Coal River and Richmond are now located. Members of Bowen's party found small deposits of coal in the river and it was appropriately named.
The colonial jail built in 1825, five years before Port Arthur settlement, is now a museum, thankfully peaceful after its unhappy, punishing past. Australia's oldest bridge is also situated in Richmond. Built by convict labor between 1823-25, it was recognised in 2005 as one of Australia's outstanding historic places and added to the National Heritage List. Galleries and boutiques sell a wide range of quality arts and crafts – other attractions are a maze, a large and detailed model of old Hobart Town as well as excellent teashops and restaurants. |
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| Historic Bridge in Richmond © TourismTasmania/NickOsborne |
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