On Saturday 15 May 1824, a small notice appeared in the Hobart Town Gazette. Colonel William Sorell, who two days earlier had formally handed the government of Van Diemen’s Land to his successor, had ‘left Town, to reside for a short time in the Government House, at New Norfolk.’[1] Read more
On 2 March 1841, a woman named Sarah Nicholls stood before the Supreme Court of Van Diemen’s Land and was convicted of bigamy. She received seven years — the maximum the law allowed. It is the earliest bigamy conviction in the colonial court record, and it raises an immediate question: Read more
The term classical architecture refers to the architecture of ancient Greece and Rome, in particular the temple architecture of ancient Greece (900 BCE – 100 CE) and the religious, military and civil architecture of ancient Rome (509 BCE – 400 CE) A classical building has standard decorative elements defined by Read more
This continues from the previous article: architectural eras and styles in Hobart – part 1. Era: Federation 1890 – 1915Style: Eclecticism: Decorative motifs, bits of other styles. The idea with this style is to produce in one building a new and original structure by selecting elements from other styles. The Read more
This series of articles on the buildings of colonial Hobart will cover: Architectural Eras and Styles in Hobart Classical Orders you’ll see in Hobart Doric Ionic Corinthian Composite Tuscan Traditionally British architecture adhered to a particular set of styles, rules and proportions which were applied by professional designers employed by Read more
As part of the Open House Hobart weekend in November each year, I lead a walking tour of the Hobart CBD, called What Style is it? On this walk we explore and discover Hobart’s fabulous colonial architecture of the CBD. By the end you will be able to tell your Read more
Through the warm summer months, Hobartians find themselves keen to spend as much time outdoors as possible. The cry goes up: get as much sun as you can! We are aided and abetted in this project by obligingly long daylight hours, a very long dusk and a cool breeze to Read more
19th November, 2018 Governor John Franklin and his indomitable wife Lady Jane Franklin were convinced that well-proportioned classical architecture had a civilizing influence on people and society. Their time in Hobart (1837 – 1843) saw the construction of two significant structures reflecting this ideal. The first was the portico at Read more
2nd March, 2018 As you walk along Elizabeth Mall, from Liverpool St end up to Collins St, on the left hand side you’ll notice an opening to the rivulet below. This is part of the Wellington Bridge, constructed in 1816, over the Hobart Rivulet in Elizabeth St. This is from Read more