Richmond

Richmond is just north-east of Hobart, in the Coal River Valley. In the early days of British settlement, as settlers moved out looking for places to farm, this is where many of them went.

With the bridge over the Coal River, Richmond was on the road to both the east coast and the Tasman Peninsula & Port Arthur. These days the highway to both goes more to the south, bypassing Richmond. With its large collection of Georgian and sandstone buildings, Richmond is very much a tourist town now, lots of traffic, lots of people, lots of galleries and cafe, and things to look at. You could spend a day here, easily.

We only had an hour and fifteen minutes though, which was supposed to include lunch (I ate mine on the bus), so I didn’t have time to do much more than take a lot of quick photos 🙁

Richmond Gaol (first part built 1825), making it the Oldest Still Intact Gaol in Australia.

Village store (built 1836) and stables.

Obligatory photo of The Bridge. It was built 1823-1825 making it the Oldest Bridge Still In Use In Australia.

I didn’t realise I got a photo of The Church, but there it is hiding under the first arch. St Johns is the Oldest Catholic Church in Australia (if you haven’t seen a pattern here, you’re not paying attention).

This is apparently two conjoined cottages made into one Bed & Breakfast place. This would explain the odd window layout.

Congregational Church, built 1873 to replace an earlier church destroyed in a storm.

A cottage & former shop.

The kerb along here is quite high, but it’s not obvious in the photo.

Richmond Arms (built 1888), formerly Commercial Hotel, and replacing an older inn that burnt down.

Saddlers Court was once a general store & saddlery, now it’s a gallery.

In behind it, there’s a bunch of little shops and a very nice bakery.

This and the next photo are taken from the bus.

Taken from the other end of the road: St Lukes Anglican church, built 1834-5, designed by John Lee Archer.

The cafe on the left was once a combination house & shop, built about 1830s. What is a bit hard to see, is the middle section is recessed.