HOBART, the capital of Tasmania, in the county of Buckingham, on the
southern coast of the island. It occupies a site of great beauty,
standing on a series of low hills at the foot of Mount Wellington, a
lofty peak (4166 ft.) which is snow-clad for many months in the year.
The town fronts Sullivan's Cove, a picturesque bay opening into the
estuary of the river Derwent, and is nearly square in form, laid out
with wide streets intersecting at right angles, the chief of which are
served by electric tramways. It is the seat of the Anglican bishop of
Tasmania, and of the Roman Catholic archbishop of Hobart. The Anglican
cathedral of St David dates from 1873, though its foundations were laid
as early as 1817. St Mary's Roman Catholic cathedral is a beautiful
building; but perhaps the most notable ecclesiastical building in Hobart
is the great Baptist tabernacle in Upper Elizabeth Street. The most
prominent public buildings are the Houses of Parliament, to which an
excellent library is attached; the town hall, a beautiful building of
brown and white Tasmanian freestone in Italian style; the museum and
national art gallery, and the general post office (1904) with its lofty
clock-tower. Government House, the residence of the governor of
Tasmania, a handsome castellated building, stands in its domain on the
banks of the Derwent, to the north of the town. The botanical gardens
adjoin. Of the parks and public gardens, the most extensive is the
Queen's Domain, covering an area of about 700 acres, while the most
central is Franklin Square, adorned with a statue of Sir John Franklin,
the famous Arctic explorer, who was governor of Tasmania from 1837 to
1843. The university of Tasmania, established in 1890, and opened in
1893, has its headquarters at Hobart. The town is celebrated for its
invigorating climate, and its annual regatta on the Derwent attracts
numerous visitors. The harbour is easy of access, well sheltered and
deep, with wharf accommodation for vessels of the largest tonnage. It is
a regular port of call for several intercolonial lines from Sydney and
Melbourne, and for lines from London to New Zealand. The exports, of an
average value of L850,000 annually, consist mainly of fruit, hops,
grain, timber and wool. The industries comprise brewing, saw-milling,
iron-founding, flour-milling, tanning, and the manufacture of pottery
and woollen goods. Hobart is the centre of a large fruit-growing
district, the produce of which, for the most part, is exported to London
and Sydney. The city was founded in 1804 and takes its name from Lord
Hobart (see BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, EARLS OF), then secretary of state for the
colonies. It was created a municipality in 1853, and a city in 1857; and
in 1881 its name was changed from Hobart Town to the present form. The
chief suburbs are Newton, Sandy Bay, Wellington, Risdon, Glenorchy,
Bellerive and Beltana. The population of the city proper in 1901 was
24,652, or including suburbs, 34,182.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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