Tag: history

All in a day #3 Hobart, Tasmania

Part 3 of “All in a day” takes me and two good friends to see the highs and more highs of Hobart town!

Hobart – the highs and the higher

January 2023

Travel companions: three enthusiastic Australians from the west

Our first morning in Hobart, Tasmania started like most days during our Tassie travels. Coffee and breakfast were on the agenda. We arrived in Hobart the previous day – all of us had met at MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) and ended our day with drinks at the Shamrock before sending Elaine on her way to help prepare for a wedding.

The previous morning, Leanne had enjoyed a delicious breakfast at the café down the road from our digs, Straight up. A vegetarian café with a delightful selection of vegetarian and vegan options and great coffee.

We were heading up the mountain that looms over Hobart town, kunanyi (Mt Wellington), that morning, so we headed to Straight Up for breakfast which was incredible. Some takeaway donuts were purchased for snacks should we get hungry during our mountain adventure!

 Kunanyi and its foothills are the traditional lands of the Muwinina people. It is situated on an 18,011-ha reserve on the doorstep of nipaluna, lutruwita. The mountain is 1270m high and features some fantastic dolerite rock formations and a range of alpine vegetation. Kunanyi has a range of walks and hikes suited to climbers of all experience levels. The truly fit (or truly crazy) cycle to the top and enjoy a downhill run.

We drove our car up. The mountain is very close to Hobart city centre, and it took us about 45 minutes to reach the top. We were treated with a clear view and completely still conditions. The last time I had summited Wellington, I was making snow angels, and it was the middle of winter. The locals say it is a mountain of many moods.

The infamous Tasman Bridge from the mountain

We took advantage of the ideal conditions, explored the boardwalks, and ventured part-way down the zig-zag trail to get some photos. Tourists in their droves took selfies and group photos from every vantage point. The quiet side of the mountain where the Zig Zag trail starts was the most peaceful part.

Up the mountain – Kunanyi

Photos snapped and views admired; we decided that a swim was in order (as you do when in Tassie and the temperature is over 23 degrees). We chose the shores of Sandy Bay under the shadow of Wrest Point Casino, Australia’s first casino.   Sandy Bay is a well-to-do suburb in Hobart, not far from the city centre, with beautiful beaches on the banks of the Derwent River.

Hardly the spot for nasty rips or dumpers but it was nice to know we were safe!

The surf lifesavers were set up on the beach, and the sun was shining, so we changed and plunged into the cool waters of the bay. Nice once you were in! The water was clear, and the bottom sandy like its namesake.

We devoured the delicious donuts from Straight Up. They were amazing, filled with chocolate, jam, and custard, and coated in sugar. Then, sand and sugar-coated, we showered in the freshwater showers, got dressed, and went to find a supermarket for our supplies back at the hostel were running low.

It’s a good time to talk about our digs. We decided to stay at the Pickled Frog, a backpackers in Liverpool Street. Leanne had booked the deluxe apartment, “Frog Apartment,” with her own kitchen, bathroom, and a chandelier! Wendy and I went for the shared room with the general hoi polloi. I am no stranger to backpacker accommodation, so I expected lots of young people and possible loud noise, which is pretty much what it was. However, it was okay for a few days and had us situated in the middle of Hobart, close to the restaurants and a walk from Salamanca Place.

Sleep was broken with comings and goings all hours of the night and day and alarms going off super early for those who lived and worked in Hobart. However, it was reasonably priced, and the people running the hostel were super friendly and helpful. I will also say, I am no stranger to broken sleep and noisy nights being a frequenter of music festivals – but maybe my youth hostel days are over?

We returned to the hostel for a rest before the evening plans for eating oysters and taking in the docks commenced. The previous night had been spent at a delicious Greek Restaurant, Mezethes Greek Taverna, in Salamanca Place. The staff really went out of their way to make us comfortable and welcome. The food was deluxe, and we started with a small portion of oysters.

So we decided that more oysters were in order – Mures on the docks was my choice for a seafood feast. The multi-award-winning Mures is a Tasmanian institution. The Mures have served quality fish for over 45 years from various locations around Hobart.  

The seafood did not disappoint. We washed down fresh oysters with Tasmanian beer and feasted on a shared seafood basket. The downstairs part of Mures, where we dined, is very casual, and the food is more suited to families and big gatherings. Whereas upstairs, the posh part of Mures serves seafood but in a more refined manner.    We finished our massive meal with huge scoops of ice cream from the ice creamery inside the restaurant.

With hunger sated (or over-sated), we started our stroll back to the hostel, only to discover a shindig in progress in the local park. An Irish-style folk band had the crowd dancing and clapping – Craicpot was their name, and Irish jigs were their game. After eating and drinking so much, a wee dance was just what we needed, so we stayed and jigged and clapped until the band finished their set.

The park was crowded with locals and visitors eating food from food trucks and enjoying a family picnic on the lawn. It was the perfect ending to a day with us up mountains, swimming in the waters, and eating ourselves silly. Finally, we headed for bed (and hopefully sleep!) to ready ourselves for a visit to Salamanca Markets in the morning. Goodnight Hobart!

What’s the skinny?

  • Hobart is the capital city of Tasmania
  • Hobart is a port City with a rich maritime history.
  • Salamanca Market is held every Saturday morning on the docks – well worth a visit.
  • Mures Seafood are stalwarts of the Hobart restaurant scene – fish, chips and oysters washed down with a cold beer is a must! Or you can go fancy and dine in the upper deck section (same fish but fancier)
  • Mt Wellington/ kunanyi looms over Hobart (1270 m) and is worth a visit any time of the year. Snow in winter if the road is open, and amazing vistas in Summer.
  • The Tasman Bridge is a magnificent bridge – cross it at least once!
  • MoMA is a must – you can catch a ferry across from the docks or drive and Park. David Walsh’s collection is ever changing and will have you questioning everything.

The Western Australian Police Historical Society Museum

A hidden museum in Highgate with some interesting artefacts.

I made a new discovery this weekend. As I am oft to do, I was out wandering when I chanced upon a museum I never knew existed despite living in this area for many years.

The smell of cooking sausages and onions was what first drew me in, even though I am a vegetarian. Who can resist the smell of onions? The museum is located beside and under the Sewerage Ventilation Tower on Lincoln Street in Highgate. The Heritage listed tower has been there since 1941 when the Chief Engineer of Public Works, Mr Dumas commissioned it’s building. The purpose of this tower, you may well ask? It was originally built to vent the Perth sewer of acidic gases.

The 38 metre tower, which took 6 years to build And 250,000 bricks was used for the purpose it was built for , for a sum total of four weeks but the stench was so overpowering and the residents were up in arms. From this point on the tower was referred to as “Dumas’s Folly”.

In 1942 the WA Police installed a covert aerial inside the tower to operate their communications during World War ll. The small hall attached to the tower was used as a lecture room for traffic offenders and now is used as a meeting room for the WA Police Historical Society.

The Museum which is usually only open on Tuesdays and Fridays holds a comprehensive collection of WA Police paraphernalia including an old Anglia Police car, police uniforms dating back to the 40’s, police cameras, speed cameras, decommissioned weapons, many photos and documents and a collection of hats.

Maree, a volunteer with the society, showed me around as I was their first customer. They were hoping for a big crowd and had cooked up a mass of sausages. Unfortunately for them, I am vegetarian so I just had a nice cup of tea and a chat.

The original Police Station which had two lock-up cells

The photos of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples being taken prisoners in the remote North West of WA were quite distressing, with pictures showing large numbers of people chained and restrained. There is a photo of the Prison Boab Tree just out of Derby where people were imprisoned while waiting for transport to other towns.

The staff photos of large groups of men are testament to just how male-dominated the WA Police Force was up until the 60’s when one or two women were permitted to join. Even then the photos list the names of individual men but the women were not named, but instead labelled as “2 female police officers”. Women were not permitted to be married, as with the teaching profession and they had to be trained nurses in order to join.

My favourite item would have to be the Anglia police car that was out on display. As a lover of the TV series “The Young Ones” I have fond memories of Vivian, the punk in his Anglia. The kids who see the car apparently refer to “Harry Potter” as there is one in one of the Harry Potter movies.

Worth a visit but it is not usually open on weekends, just Tuesdays and Fridays. Maree did say that they were hoping to open on weekends in the future.