Franklin

Franklin is a small township on the western side of the Huon River in the south-east of Tasmania, between Huonville and Geeveston. At the 2006 census, Franklin had a population of 453
It was named after Sir John Franklin and his wife Lady Jane Franklin who subdivided a large property there formerly owned by John Price to settle families of modest means. The Franklins had a ketch named Huon Pine built at Port Davey to provide a direct link to the settlement at Hobart.

Founded on a base of forestry, agriculture, ship building and subsistence farming with the aid of convict labor, Franklin became a busy river port and the cultural and commercial centre of the region. Originally used for mixed cropping, especially potatoes and other vegetables, by the late 19th century Franklin and its immediate surrounds was a major apple orcharding region. With the collapse of Tasmania's export fruit industry during the 1970s the region reverted to mixed farming.

Until the 1930s Franklin was the major town in the Huon Valley. It was thriving with the shipping that docked at its many jetties. Franklin boasted its own Court House (now a gourmet café), several hotels, banks and a Town Hall (now the restored Palais Theatre). It even had its own hydroelectric power station, driven by a local creek.

With the establishment of a better road across the Sleeping Beauty Range mountains and the growth of the nearby town Huonville, Franklin went into decline over the next few decades as the river ceased to be the road to Franklin.  However, it has recently had a resurgence as a popular tourist town and has had an influx of interstate 'Seachangers' who have revitalised the town. Much of old Franklin remains with many fascinating architectural styles readily seen in the main street.

Franklin's first settler was said to be a 'bolter' named Martin in 1822, though the first official settler was John Price who purchased land in 1836. Lady Franklin bought land in 1838 and tried to create a 'decent yeoman' class through renting small holdings to distressed settlers. River transport took their potatoes, palings and shingles to Hobart and by 1850 the township boasted a church, school and post office. By 1866, when Franklin was proclaimed a town, its population far outstripped that of other local townships, and Franklinites could enjoy local ale from Spooners Brewery at the Lady Franklin Hotel or seek moral and intellectual improvement at the Mechanics' Institute (1860).

With its Magistrate's Court and Police Force, the town became the Huon's administrative centre, its economic life underpinned by timber, ship construction, apples and small-fruits, and a vibrant retail sector. But Franklin's geography barred further progress, and Huonville, with its more productive hinterland, became the Huon's centre. The failure of reclamation works in the 1920s, aiming to provide land for expansion, symbolized Franklin's future.

Recently Franklin has undergone a transformation, revitalized by tourism and its shipbuilding school. It has recently had a resurgence as a popular tourist town and has had an influx of interstate 'Seachangers' who have revitalized the town. Much of old Franklin remains with many fascinating architectural styles readily seen in the main street.

Much of the information sourced via Wikipedia; Franklin, Tasmania

And from historical signs within Franklin itself.

Wooden Boat Centre

http://www.woodenboatcentre.com/

Sorell

Located 26 km east of Hobart on the Arthur Highway, Sorell is a service town for the surrounding farming communities. It lies in the heart of an area which was once the grain capital of Van Diemen's Land and now specializes in sheep, mixed farming and dairy produce.
Lieutenant John Bowen sent out several exploration parties from the settlement at Risdon, one of which journeyed across the hills to discover a rich valley of coal and the river which was subsequently named the Coal River. Early in 1805 a large expanse of water (Pittwater) was located and here they envisaged a fine harbor and a city on its banks. However, it was found that the water was too shallow for the passage of boats.

By 1808 several settlers were working small farms in the district and by 1815, large quantities of wheat were being grown and a flour mill had been built. The following year a site for a township was purchased and this was established by 1819, by which time approximately sixty farms were operating and the district had become firmly established as the 'Granary of Australia'. The name Pittwater was given to the whole district until June, 1821, Governor Macquarie visited the district and named the new township of Sorell in honor of Colonel William Sorell, Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land - April 1817 - May 1824.

It is ironic that Sorell, whose success as a Governor was partly based on his success in suppressing the bushranging on the island, should have given his name to a town which was subsequently held up by the bushranger Matthew Brady. Brady and his gang managed to catch the local soldiers by surprise and with a good sense of irony and humour they locked the soldiers up and set the prisoners free.

A well known resident of the time was Mr. James Gordon, the first Magistrate, who received a grant of 600 acres in the Pittwater area which he named 'Forcett'. From 1815 he farmed his property as well as engaging in trade with Sydney, New Zealand and Macquarie Island.
In 1823 the population of Sorell numbered, 133, of whom 96 were convicts and their families. Descendents of many of these families still live in the district. From the first settlement of the area in 1815 until the 1860s Sorell was known as the most important grain centre in Van Diemen's Land. It was so productive that some years, grain was actually shipped out to New South Wales.

The first religious service was held in 1819. The foundation stone for a new church was laid later that year. There are three National Estate listed churches in Sorell. Of the three, St George's Anglican Church in Gordon Street is the most impressive. Built in 1826 and rebuilt in 1883 this small and attractive stone, gothic style church is an impressive part of the town centre. It was consecrated in 1828, followed immediately by the baptism of Georgiana Laing, daughter of the chief district constable. The present church stands on site of the original church which was a much larger building with a gallery for convicts. St George’s as it is today was erected in 1884 and restoration has taken place over a number of years. Adjacent to the church, the old cemetery contains many old graves of the early settlers in the district.

Scot's Church (1842) in Arthur Street is described in the National Estate Register as 'A sandstone Romanesque Revival church, built in 1842 to a design by renowned colonial architect, James Blackburn, with gabled roof, a central tall square tower, semi-circular arch-topped entrance and buttresses. Windows are tall and multi-paned, with arched tops, and simple, engaged columns at the sides. The northern facade has a fine, central recessed window, and flanking columns in relief. An unusual stone church which is a fine example of Blackburn's work. The building of the church was originally funded by donations and via the government. Difficulties in securing a minister resulted in the church being unused for many years and falling into disrepair. Ministerial shortages continued to cause difficulties through until 1920. In 1960 – 61, a group of workers, with the assistance of the National Trust and the government, successfully achieved the necessary major restoration to bring the church up to a safe standard for heritage classification by the National Trust.

The Roman Catholic Church, which is over the road from Scot's, is a small and simple sandstone Gothic Revival building. The foundation stone of this church was laid in 1864 on a site donated by Mr Andrew Council who also donated 200 pounds to the construction costs. It took 2 years to complete the construction but unfortunately Mr Council passed away before construction was completed. The building has now been fully restored.

There are several other buildings of historic interest in the township - the Pembroke and Gordon Highlander Hotels, Bluebell Inn and Barracks, Pelham House, Commissioner's Residence, The Old Rectory and the Plough and Harrow Inn.

The first school was started in 1821. In 1939 several schools from outlying areas were transported into Sorell to become one of the first area schools in Tasmania. In 1984 a fire destroyed most of the old buildings’ and a new school was rebuilt on the original site and now is a High School.

During those early years Sorell residents relied on primitive ferries for the crossing of Pittwater, or had to journey by way of Richmond to Hobart. In 1854 Sir William Denison began negotiations which finally resulted in the construction of a causeway. In 1874, at a cost of £27 000 the 5 km causeway across Pittwater linking Sorell to Midway Point and Midway Point to Hobart was completed. It had taken six years and was primarily designed to link Port Arthur with Hobart. Sorell happened to be a lucky beneficiary.
The causeway was reconstructed in recent years and little of the original work is still in evidence.

During this period business and some community services were established. However, it was after the first Municipal Council was proclaimed in 1862, that further progress came. The electric telegraph service was introduced in 1876, in 1892 the Sorell to Bellerive railway was built but found to be uneconomical so it closed in 1926, a water supply connected in 1916 and electricity came to the town in 1930 although some outlying areas were not connected until late in the 1940's

Sorell is now considered a commuter town as it is only an easy 20 min drive to Hobart and is only 10 mins from the Hobart airport. Although the town has  grown over time, the historical areas of Sorell have been well preserved and blended into the new buildings & landscape.

Swansea

Located 134 km from Hobart, 133 km from Launceston and 67 km from Campbell Town, Swansea sits on Great Oyster Bay and gazes across at the rugged mountains of the Freycinet National Park. It is a pretty setting and it boasts a very substantial number of historic homes and buildings which give this fishing and holiday destination a distinctive charm. Swansea is a classified Historic Town and the only historic town in Tasmania situated by the sea. This provides an ambience and relaxed feel to the town. 

The first European to explore the Swansea area was a Captain Cox sailing the brig Mercury from England to Sydney Town. He sailed up the eastern coast of Tasmania and, having heard rumour of vast colonies of seals, on 3 July 1789 sailed along the western shore of Maria Island and into a stretch of water he named Oyster Bay. He described the bay as 'being quite landlocked and sheltered from the wind in every direction.’ Cox noted that the area was already inhabited by Aborigines who, from the evidence of their middens, were obviously living off the oysters and shellfish. They disappeared into the hinterland but Cox observed smoke from their fires. Numerous sailors passed through the bay over the next twenty years but it wasn't until the 1820s that Europeans settled in the district.

Swansea was settled in 1821 when George Meredith obtained a grant from Lieutenant Governer Sorell to farm around Oyster Bay. The land was developed and made suitable for seasonal crops and grazing stock and a tannery and flour mill were established by the Meredith River. Whaling stations were also set up on nearby islands to enable the export of whale oil. It wasn't until 1827 that any sort of substantial community was established in the area. It was in that year that Captain George Hibbert of the 40th Foot Regiment established a military outpost at Waterloo Point (near the present site of the Swansea Golf Club). It was a typical military post with accommodation for the soldiers, a guard house and a commissariat. By 1830 there were 150 free residents and 170 convicts and assigned servants. The most common access from Hobart at this time was via Campbell Town. Between 1835-45, convicts worked on a road north through the mountains to Avoca and on a road south to Hobart. 

In 1831 the post office was established and in the late 1830s a number of substantial buildings - Morris's Store, Schouten House and the Black Swan Inn were all built showing an increasing prosperity. In 1850 the military garrison ( a small contingent of the 40^th regiment of Foot) were withdrawn and Swansea became a police district. It remained so until 23^rd January 1860 when it became the first rural municipality in Tasmania. Schools began in 1858 with 53 children in 2 schools in the area. By 1864, there were 152 pupils enrolled in state schools as well as children tutored at home. Coaches transported people and as the rough roads gradually improved people were able to move more freely. Cars gradually replaced the coaches and boat transport.

Schouten House (formerly the Swansea Inn), was built in 1844 in the traditional grand Georgian style, by William Champion of Hobart, as a wedding gift for his daughter Theresa, who married Samuel Wellard. From this point on the building has etched its place in the history of Swansea in both a tragic and a magnificent way. Several years after their marriage Theresa Wellard died and arrangements were made for a Mr. Large of Hobart to take on the inn and develop a brewery. In 1850, Mr. Large, his wife and six children aged from 2 - 12 years travelled from Hobart aboard the vessel named the Resolution. Laden with supplies and the makings of the Brewery, the family arrived in The Great Oyster Bay when disaster struck.

The following is an extract from the newspaper of the time: "Wrecks: we regret to announce a melancholy occurrence, which took place on Monday week at Oyster Bay, near Swansea. The wind was blowing high at the time: and the cutter Resolution, hence from Swan Port, with Mr and Mrs Large and the 6 children, varying in age from 2 - 12 years, and a cargo comprising articles for establishing a brewery at Swansea, on board, was totally wrecked. The whole of the goods and the lives of the six children falling a sacrifice to the elements. 

We hear that, so sudden was the catastrophe, the poor father, who was formerly a publican in Hobart Town, and has now lost all, had barely time to escape himself, and that he was insensible for several hours after being thrown on shore by surf. How Mrs.Large escaped has not correctly transpired, but a four-oared whaleboat went from town on Monday morning to the scene of the disaster". Of the Large children, all but the body of 8 year old William were recovered and buried in the town's cemetery. Stricken with grief, the parents returned to Hobart Town without taking up residency at Swansea Inn, and Mr.Wellard continued on to develop the brewery. In the mid 1850's, Swansea Inn was sold to an Alexander Graham and became a Grammar School for boys. This venture failed after 5 years and sold again, this time to a doctor, the house then became a private residence for some 80 years. The owners included the Mitchell sisters from 1897 to the 1940's and then a Bernard Hawkin. 

During this time the house was renamed Schouten House. In the early 1950's, Dominic College of Hobart purchased the house as a weekend retreat for its boys. During this time the house fell into disrepair and was finally sold in the late 1970's. After a decade of successive owners, the house was purchased by the Fiddler family and restored into a B&B and Restaurant, thus opening another chapter on the history of the building.

Meredith House was built in 1853 by J. A. Graham on land purchased from Charles Meredith, husband of noted colonial artist and poet, Louisa Anne Meredith. The first occupier was Gordon Burgess who named it Laughton House after Laughton in Essex England, from where he came. Subsequently he married a Miss Cope, a cousin of Louisa Meredith who ran it as a Girls Grammar School... and for a period it was a maternity hospital. Meredith House about 1910 - known at the time as Laughton House. 

In 1870, James Morris, the owner of Morris Store, purchased the house and in 1892 his daughter Sarah Morris started taking in paying guests. Later Sarah's niece, Maude, married Frank Morey and changed the name to Canberra Guest House. This was its heyday - a large dining room was added and it became a very popular place for holidays and honeymoons. After a marvelous dinner the rugs were rolled back and the dancing began! Stories also abound of ladies of the night entertaining the transient fishing fleet and large functions, including Christmases, with as many as 100 for lunch. Roast duck was a specialty of the House, harvested from the local flock. It was simply known as The Guest House.

The town has continued to grow and has become the most important service centre on the lower east coast as well as establishing itself as a popular holiday destination.

Website: http://www.eastcoastheritage.org.au/

Ross Village

First surveyed in 1807 by Government Surveyor Charles Grimes, who traced sections of the river.  Governor Macquarie, inspired by the findings, visited in 1811 and named the area Argyle Plains and the river Macquarie. On his second journey through central Tasmania, Macquarie chose the location beside the river for a township

In 1812 a garrison of soldiers was stationed at the ford of the Macquarie River to protect the development of this future town.  Other buildings were soon built and in 1821 the settlement was proclaimed the town of Ross.  Governor Macquarie called it Ross after the home of his friend H.M. Buchanan who lived on Loch Lomond in Scotland. At that time the river was forded. Later that year a wooden bridge was built and by 1836 the stone bridge, one of the finest in Australia, was completed.  Ross was considered ideally situated being centrally located and easily accessible from both North and South.  The good flat country was ideal for farming and so for supplying food and the river provided a reliable water supply.  Indeed in those early years of the colony, the government operated a large farm in the district for agriculture and breeding of draft oxen.  It was broken up in 1830 and sold off to private landholders.

The Macquarie River was originally crossed by a ford at Ross.  In 1821 a low level bridge was built consisting of logs laid on some stone buttresses and covered with earth and gravel.  In 1836 this was replaced by the splendid sandstone bridge which is still one of the historic features of Ross today. Quite rightly the pride of the village, this beautiful stone bridge was constructed by convicts in 1836. It is the third oldest bridge still standing in Australia and is recognized as the most important convict-built bridge in the country. It was constructed on the orders of Governor Arthur and designed by John Lee Archer. 

Built by convicts its beautiful stonework is the result of two convict stonemasons - Daniel Herbert and James Colbeck. They were paid one shilling a day. Herbert, who had been transported for highway robbery in 1827, was freed after the bridge was completed and is buried in the Old Cemetery. He is credited with the beautiful carvings on the side of the bridge. Experts have described the carvings as 'possibly the richest achievement of the earlier colonial period if not the most significant sculpture on any edifice in the Commonwealth. Leslie Greener, who was largely responsible for discovering that Daniel Herbert was responsible for the carvings, has written: 'Ross Bridge is the most beautiful of its kind today. The carvings have in them that delight in the shapes themselves that our sculptors lost somewhere in the 13th century’

The military presence remained an important part of Ross for many of its early years and its influence can still be seen today.  A number of the early buildings around the town have military origins and several streets are named after battles of the Napoleonic wars.  Some of the military stationed here in those early days were veterans of these campaigns. As Ross developed it became important not only as a garrison town but also as a coach horse change and livestock market.  In 1826 it became the venue for the first agricultural show in the midlands.  These beginnings are evident in the coaching inns and the fine properties in the surrounding district.

It also became the site of one of four Female Factories opened in Tasmania and operated from 1848 – 1855. The site of the Ross Female Factory can still be visited and although very little physical architecture remains in place, it is still considered one of the most archeologically intact female convict sites in Australia.

Tasmania has an excess of beautiful and fascinating 19th century colonial towns. Places like Campbell Town and Richmond are famous for their gift shops, their pretty vistas and their overt tourist appeal. But, of all the early 19th towns, there is nothing quite the equal of Ross. The secret is that the Midland Highway (the main route between Hobart and Launceston) by-passes Ross thus preserving the original, sleepy character of the town. Tasmania was a draw card for early European settlement for several reasons. Access to the southern waters for seals and whales was one. Excellent farming districts for stock and grain to feed the rest of the colony added to the appeal to settle. The third reason, the island was ideal to send convicts to. The size allowed security of the convicts to be more manageable. 

A road was needed between the North and South of the state. White man had discovered the original aboriginal inhabitants had already carved trade routes throughout the state. One such trade route was between the Launceston district in the North and the "Hobart Town" district in the South. This trade route is now called the "Heritage Highway". The best source of labour to construct the road was convicts. The cheapest convicts to use needed less supervision, so low security convicts were used. Places like Ross were set up at river crossings along the route. The convicts could build and maintain the road and river crossing (in this case the famous convict built bridge). 

The convicts also had to build the accommodation for themselves and the officers in the village. As sandstone was more readily available than other building materials, a lasting legacy of convict built sandstone buildings now provide the visitor with an amazing experience. These early European settlers aimed at recreating a familiar environment to them. It is no mistake that the village is English in style complete with English Elms, cottage gardens and quaint Georgian style cottages.

Throughout the nineteenth century Ross was an important stopover point between Launceston and Hobart. As such it was a horse coach changing point, a town for the local garrison and an important destination for produce from the surrounding farms. The main crossroad in Ross is known, with some humour, as Temptation, Recreation, Salvation and Damnation. The reason for this combination is that on one corner (Temptation) stood the Man-O-Ross Hotel, on another corner (Salvation) was the Roman Catholic Church, on the third corner was the Town Hall (Recreation) and on the fourth stood the Jail (Damnation).  The field gun in the middle of the crossroads was actually used during the Boer War.

Today it is arguably the finest nineteenth century village in Australia. It has resisted the excesses of commercialism and the combination of the tree-lined main street, the beautiful bridge and river and the location of the Wesleyan Church at the top of the slight hill, combine to give it a remarkable aesthetic beauty and tranquility. 

The great quality of Ross is that it has not been overly corrupted by modern tourism. The town is very typically English and, with its warm Ross sandstone, is reminiscent of the towns which can be seen in the Cotswolds or in north Oxfordshire. In many ways Ross is a town which has stopped in time. It is beautifully preserved.