Discover Hobart: Nature, Museums and History
Accommodation in Hobart
Hobart can be explored through a range of interests: natural and cultural history, maritime themes, art and historic architecture each offer a different perspective on the destination. If you’re looking for a hotel for your stay, this mix of themes can help structure your plans. First, consider which of these perspectives is most important for your trip.
Nature Trails and Botanical Gardens
The nature trails of Queens Domain and Cornelian Bay offer an opportunity to explore Hobart’s natural and cultural history. They appeal to travellers who want to experience landscape and history beyond exhibitions. The trails offer their own way to discover these themes outdoors; conditions may change. Check their current condition before your visit.
The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens offer a different focus within the nature theme. The 14-hectare grounds feature rare plants and a productive kitchen garden. Founded in 1818, the gardens are Australia’s second-oldest botanical garden. This creates a clear contrast for planning your trip: the trails focus on exploring natural and cultural history, while the gardens bring together rare plants, a kitchen garden and a long history.
Maritime Themes, Expeditions and Collections
The Mawson’s Huts Replica Museum on Hobart’s waterfront is an educational institution that conveys the legacy of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition. Also on Hobart’s waterfront, the Maritime Museum Tasmania focuses on maritime history: exhibits include shipwreck remains and a full-size naval ship’s cabin. The museum also presents stories of exploration, shipbuilding and people’s relationship with the sea. The two museums therefore have distinct themes: one centres on the legacy of an Antarctic expedition, while the other explores shipping and the many ways people relate to the sea.
The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery near Hobart’s waterfront adds another option, with extensive collections of artworks, artefacts and natural history exhibits. In addition to permanent collections, there are changing and temporary exhibitions, as well as special presentations. This gives you another distinction to consider when planning: you can weigh up the maritime focus, expedition history and the broader mix of art, artefacts and natural history.
Historic Sites and a Regular Market Day
Battery Point is Hobart’s first suburb and is widely regarded as Australia’s best-preserved colonial-era suburb. It still features a mix of dockworkers’ cottages and merchants’ mansions. This offers a different way to experience history than visiting a museum: the area’s character is shaped by its range of historic homes. If you’re interested in historic architecture, this mix offers a tangible point of interest.
The Salamanca Market takes place every Saturday from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm at Salamanca Place. Its regular day and hours make it easier to fit a visit to the market into your plans. The schedule may vary on special dates, so check the date in advance if the market is a set part of your plans.
A guided tour of Hobart Penitentiary can also be a historic stop on your trip. The tour takes you through historic courtrooms, underground tunnels, solitary cells for prisoners and the gallows. If you’d like to include the tour in your plans, check before your trip to see whether it’s available.
Discover more destinations: Montagu Bay, Clifton Beach, Sandy Bay, Glenorchy, Cambridge, Berriedale, Kingston, Margate, Lindisfarne, Goodwood, Lauderdale, Risdon, Warrane, New Town, Pontville.
For the main travel overview: Tasmania.
