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| Evandale
Colonial Antiques and Gallery
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Evandale (including Nile)
A classified Historic Town with many elegant
Georgian buildings
Evandale is situated on the South Esk River 20
km south of Launceston and a few kilometres
beyond Launceston airport. A classified historic
town, it is a storehouseof superb heritage
buildings which remain in largely original
condition.
Governor Lachlan Macquarie travelled through
the Evandale area in both 1811 and 1821. On his
first visit he decided that a town should be
built in the area and designated a site, about 3
km south east of the present town, as a suitable
location.
The European settlement of the district came
in a number of waves. The first settlers arrived
in 1816 when a number of families were evacuated
to the area from the penal colony on Norfolk
Island. One of the first settlers was George
Collins, from Norfolk Island, and for a time the
town was known as Collins Hill. Similarly one of
the first prominent houses was 'Fallgrove' which
was built by Kennedy Murray, another Norfolk
Islander, in Rodgers Lane.
The town was named after the surveyor and
painter, George William Evans, who spent much of
his later life in Van Diemen's Land. At one time
he was appointed deputy-surveyor of lands in the
colony.
Among the town's more unusual inhabitants was
a convict named John Kelly who achieved a
certain fame and notoriety when his son, Ned,
became a successful bushranger.
The economic wealth of Evandale is
historically based on its highly successful
agriculture which ranges from wool through fat
lamb raising, cattle and dairy produce and the
growing of wheat, oats, barley and peas.
Things to see:
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| St Andrews
Uniting Church |
Historic Buildings in Evandale
With a town like Evandale it is imperative to
get a copy of Let's Talk About Evandale. This
informative brochure, which is free, lists no
fewer than 38 buildings and sites of historic in
the town and over 70 in the district.
The buildings of particular interest in
Evandale include the former Presbyterian Manse
(1840), a typical colonial building opposite
Barclay Street in the town's High Street,
'Blenheim' (1832), a one-time hotel on the
southern corner of Barclay and High Street,
which was originally known as the 'Patriot King
William IV', St Andrews Uniting Church (1840) in
the High Street with its classical belltower and
Doric columns, and a number of buildings at the
intersection of Russell Street and High Street
including the Clarendon Stores (1836), an early
saddler's shop (1840) and the Prince of Wales
Hotel (1836).
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| Clarendon
Arms Hotel |
This barely scratches the surface of the rich
diversity of the town. It is sensible to give it
about half a day and to wander around
accompanied by a good detailed local map. A
shorter visit would definitely include a walk
down the High Street which is one of the most
attractive historic main streets in Tasmania.
Nile
13 km further south is the tiny village of Nile,
on the Nile River. It is a pretty village with a
number of interesting buildings including St
Peter's Church (1893) with its impressive tower
and the ruins of the former Nile Inn. On the
Nile-Cleveland Road, to the south of the town,
is 'Kingston', a single-storey rubblestone house
which was built by John Batman, the founder of
Melbourne.
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| Clarendon
House |
Clarendon House
About 3 km north of the village of Nile is
'Clarendon' House, built by the wealthy grazier
and merchant James Cox in 1836, a National Trust
residence which is open daily between 10.00 a.m.
- 5.00 p.m. (it closes at 4.00 p.m. in winter).
Cox was the son of the William Cox who built the
first road across the Blue Mountains in NSW.
'Clarendon' is recognised as one of the most
impressive and best preserved Georgian houses in
Australia. Its combination of beautifully
proportioned rooms (with their high ceilings)
and a diversity of interesting outbuildings - a
dairy, a butcher's shop, a bakehouse, a large
stable, a gardener's cottage - make it a
residence worth visiting.
Strathmore
Nearby is 'Strathmore', a marvellous
convict-built residence which was completed in
1826 and is now an up market guest house. This
is no ordinary guest house. It is surrounded by
extensive gardens, a large orchard, a lake and a
nearby barn has been converted into a function
room capable of holding 150 people.
