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| Entally House
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Hadspen (including Carrick)
Authentic and peaceful nineteenth century
town
Located 18 km south west of Launceston on the
Bass Highway, Hadspen has recently been
by-passed, a decision which has meant that the
main street, and with it the town's historic
charm, has returned to the way it was in the
nineteenth century. Thus the Main Road, from the
Church of the Good Shepherd to the Red Feather
Inn, is neat, charming and largely unchanged.
Things to see:
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Entally House
The central historic attraction of Hadspen is
Entally House, the original home of Thomas
Reibey and one of the most impressive historic
homes in Tasmania. Built on the banks of the
South Esk River in 1819, and named after a
suburb in Calcutta, India, Entally House stands
on the outskirts of the town..
Thomas Reibey was the eldest son of Mary and
Thomas Reibey of Sydney. Mary had become
something of a folk hero in Sydney. Born in 1777
she had been convicted of horse stealing at the
age of 13 and transported to Australia for seven
years. She met Thomas, a junior officer, on the
ship out to Australia and married him in 1794.
Thomas and Mary became something of a colonial
success story. They were successful business
people and, after Thomas died, Mary became a
favourite with Governor Macquarie.
Entally House was originally opened to the
public by the National Trust in 1948. Since
then, responsibility has been taken over by the
National Parks and Wildlife and they have
developed the gardens and made the house an
historic showpiece.
The Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife
Service have produced an excellent 19 page
booklet, Entally House: Historic Home, on the
house and its gardens which not only provides
detailed information on each room (and its
contents) but also identifies all the varieties
of trees in the gardens.
Red Feather Inn
The Red Feather Inn, located at 42 Main Road,
Hadspen was built in 1844. One of the first
coaching inns in Van Diemen's Land, it has
maintained its colonial atmosphere but currently
operates as a restaurant opening for lunch and
dinner.
Nearby, between 46-52 Main Road, are a number
of interesting single-storey cottages which not
only have considerable charm but actually date
from the 1840s and early 1850s. They are an
important part of the streetscape of Main Road,
Hadspen.
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| The Church of
the Good Shepherd |
The Church of the Good Shepherd
Further down Main Road is The Church of the Good
Shepherd which, while hardly the most impressive
building in town, has a fascinating history. It
is known that Thomas Reibey, the owner of
Entally House, was prepared to pay for the
construction of the church but, after an
argument with the bishop, he withdrew his
support.
Local gossip suggests that the Bishop, having
discovered that Reibey had a sexual preference
for young boys (this is but one of a number of
accusations about Reibey's extra-curricular
sexual activities), refused to accept the
'tainted' funds for a building of a church. The
result was that the plans were drawn up in 1857,
the foundation stone was laid in 1868 but the
church wasn't completed and dedicated until
1961.
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| The Old
Watchhouse (1837) Carrick
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Carrick
About 4 km further west on the Bass Highway is
the small township of Carrick. Originally a town
which grew up to service the surrounding grain
farmers, Carrick is similar to Hadspen in its
historic richness. However its main difference
is that , unlike Hadspen, it has not been
by-passed. The passing traffic is awful and can
actually detract from any appreciation of the
town's delights.
Old Mill House
Of particular interest is the Old Mill House a
four-level, three-storey bluestone mill built
around 1846 by John Kinder Archer. The ivy that
covers the entire building gives it a particular
charm.
Hawthorn Villa
On the corner of the Bass Highway and Church
Street is 'Hawthorn Villa', an attractive
Victorian house (1875) in gracious and
attractive English-style gardens with two huge
Californian redwoods. It is currently operating
as accommodation for travellers.
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| The Prince of
Wales Hotel, Carrick
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Prince of Wales Hotel
Nearby are the Prince of Wales Hotel (built in
1840 and now used as a private home), over the
road is the old Watchhouse built by convicts in
1837, and the old Plough Inn (1841) an
attractive two-storey brick inn which is now a
private dwelling.
The visitor would be forgiven for feeling
that most of Carrick is National Trust. It seems
as though every second building after building
of historic interest and importance. The traffic
through the town is horrific. It needs to be by
passed.
