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Oatlands Lodge (1830)
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former Supreme Court House
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Waverley cottage
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Located on the shores of Lake Dulverton about half way between Hobart and Launceston on Tasmania's Midlands highway, Oatlands is a hauntingly beatiful, intact colonial era village with it architecture covering a broad range of styles.
A designated historic town, Oatlands is said to have the largest collection of pre-1837 buildings in Australia. 87 such buildings are located in the main street while a total of 138 sandstone buildings are found within the town boundary.
Oatlands grew in the colonial days as a result of it being the ideal stopping place between Hobart and Launceston, a role it still plays for travellers between Tasmania's two largest urban centres. It is also a close enough destination to both Hobart or Launceston for a day's drive, and well worth the effort. There are plenty of cafes, museums and galleries to keep you occupied, not to mention a number of other interesting historic townships you drive through on your way to or from Hobart or Launceston.
Where is it?: Tasmania: South. 79km north of Hobart, 113km south of Launceston on the Midland Highway.
Things to see and do:
- Casaveen Knitwear Cafe
- Lake Dulverton is regularly restocked with fish from the Oatlands District High School Aquaculture Centre
- Convict Silhouette sculptures, Heritage Highway
- There are some amusing and amazing topiaries (trees and bushes clipped to particular shapes) at St Peter's Pass, and in Oatlands itself. The Oatlands topiaries continue an old tradition and are made by local residents to designs by Tasmanian sculptor Stephen Walker.
- Callington Mill complex, built by John Vincent in 1837, and became the major flour mill for the region. The complex of stone buildings includes a five-level windmill tower, a granary, steam mill, stable and miller's cottage.
Other historic buildings of note:
Old Gaol: A symmetrical two-storey sandstone Georgian building, built around 1830. A high stone wall surrounds the former exercise yard.
Supreme Court House: This Georgian-styled sandstone building is the oldest in Oatlands. It features a central entry which includes timber casing with pilasters and simple cornice.
Church of England Parish Hall: A stone Victorian hall that is the work of local stonemasons, the Fish brothers. It was built in 1875.
Former Lake Frederick Inn: Constructed in 1834 by George Aitchison, this two-storey brick Georgian building features a stone facade, raised quoins and a four panel door with half-sidelights and fanlight.
Town Hall: A two-storey Victorian building, erected in 1881 to a design by WH Lord. Its design, Georgian Revival, is sympathetic to other earlier buildings in the town.
Holyrood House: Also known as the Doctor's House, this two-storey stuccoed house was built around 1840 for John Whiteford, the police magistrate. In 1852, Rev Trollope conducted a school here.
National Trust Cottage: A simple Georgian stone cottage, built in 1844. It features a finely dressed facade and textured blocks at the rear, a central door with transom light, 12-pane windows and a stone wall.
St Luke's (Campbell Memorial) Presbyterian Church: A Gothic Revival church, built in 1859. Its four level square tower has a stone spire surrounded by four corner spirelets. The adjacent manse is a symmetrical stone two-storey house, built in 1860.
Events:
Surrounding area:
Parattah (6km east): Austral Park farmhouse was once the home of Hudson Fysh who was one of the founders of Qantas.
Campania (40km south); small village with historic churches, wineries, Coal River Valley market held on the second Sunday of the month
Campbell Town (48km north): major town on the Midlands Highway, riverside picnicking, antiques, a Tudor Gothic manor, historic bridge
Colebrook (30km south): history walks, a history room, Devonshire teas
Kempton (36km soiuth east): Authentic Georgian village featuring heritage buildings, fine furniture, antiques and collectables
Ross (37km north): historic town on the Midlands Highway, known for its famous Ross Bridge, Tasmanian Wool Centre and bakeries
Chauncy Vale Wildlife Sanctuary (39km south): one of the oldest private conservation areas in Tasmania.
History: Oatlands was established in 1821 by Gov. Macquarie on his second visit to the area and in 1825 it became the site of one of four military outposts occupied by soldiers and convicts on the road from Hobart to Port Dalrymple (George Town). Buildings such as the Court House (1829, convict built, the oldest building in Oatlands), Old Gaol (convict built, 1830), watch house and Officer's quarters reflect this heritage. Callington Mill (above), built in 1837, is one of only four 19th century windmills in Australia that have survived. It closed in the 1890's but has now been restored. The town's heritage buildings also include St. Luke's Presbyterian Church (1860); St. Paul's Catholic Church (1850); White Horse Inn (1834); Holyrood House (1840).
The town was surveyed in 1832 by Surveyor Sharland who believed that Oatlands would eventually become one of Tasmania's major centres. He marked out more than 80 km of streets. The older, northern part of the town contains many of the earlier structures.
The Oatlands area became a haunt for bushrangers during the mid 19th century. Oatlands was the centre of Lieutenant-Governor George Arthur's plan to round up the state's Aborigines to lessen the number of attacks by them on white settlers. The Aborigines simply slipped through the "Black Line" each night and the troops ended up capturing only a small boy and an old woman.
Oatlands is situated beside Lake Dulverton, a wildlife sanctuary and the source of much of the sandstone in the local buildings. The town is a service centre for sheep and cattle grazing industries and is within easy travelling distance of the east coast, the central highlands and lake district.
The town was named by Governor Lachlan Macquarie. His first passed through the area in 1811. When he established a town here in June 1821, he named it "Oatlands", reputedly after a rich grain-growing area of Macquarie's native Scotland.
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