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| Steam train
in the park at Perth
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Perth
Historic town on the plains to the south of
Launceston
Although a town of considerable historic
interest, Perth,because of its location on the
plains below the Great Western Tiers and because
of the rather simplistic nature of some of its
Georgian buildings, is not as interesting as its
historic antecedents would suggest.
Perth (the name comes from Perth in Scotland)
was chosen as a future township by Governor
Lachlan Macquarie when he passed through the
area in 1821. It was proclaimed a township in
1836 and consequently has a considerable number
of interesting and important historic buildings
dating from both the Georgian and Victorian
periods of colonial architecture.
The area was first explored by Europeans as
early as 1806 shortly after the establishment of
Launceston (Perth is only 19 km from Launceston)
and it was passed through by Governor Macquarie
on his first exploration of 1811. Ten years
later, on 30 May, 1821 he stood near where the
Perth bridge stands today. Subsequently a ferry
across South Esk river, a military post and an
inn were erected.
The first settler in the area was Thomas
Massey, the Chief Constable of Launceston, who
established a farm in the district in 1814.
Famously the farm was raided, and the barn was
burnt down, by the bushranger Matthew Brady in
1824.
The town was laid out in 1833 and a bridge
across the South Esk river was constructed by
convict labour three years later. The
construction of the bridge was largely the
result of the actions of a Captain Wood who
petitioned the governor. In 1835 a Lieutenant
William Kenworthy, the Inspector of Public
Works, designed the bridge. It was to have an
unfortunate history: it was damaged by a flood
before it was finished; a new bridge was then
completed in 1839; the subsequent bridge was
damaged by floods in 1841 and in 1929 it was
totally destroyed by a flood. It was rebuilt in
1931 and washed away again in 1971. When you
look at the modern concrete replacement
recognise that floods have deprived you of its
historic ancestors.
Today Perth is a quiet historic village which
has largely been by-passed by the tourism which
has turned many of Tasmania's other historic
villages into centres full of gift shoppes and
antiques retailers.
Things to see:
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| Robur House
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Historic Buildings
The National Trust brochure, available around
the town, lists no fewer than 41 building
heritage buildings. These range from hotels, to
private homes, to old shops. It is an invitation
to wander around the town and explore its
heritage.
The Leather Bottle Inn
More correctly the Leather Bottell Inn, is the
oldest building in Perth. It was built in 1830
and, in its artless simplicity, it looks like
the kind of house that children draw. It is
named after a hotel in Cobham, Kent, England
which was a popular watering hole for the
novelist Charles Dickens. Some of the walls are
over 60 cm thick and there are still hand made
nails in the original cedar. Today it operates
as a restaurant.
Jolly Farmer Inn
Located on Norfolk Street, the Jolly Farmer Inn
was opened by Alan McKinnon in 1826 and was a
popular coaching inn for most of the 19th
century. It was turned into a private home many
years ago and was the residence of little known
Australian poet, Norma Davis, in the 1940s.
Baptist Tabernacle
Located in Clarence Street this ornate brick
building (constructed in 1889) with a domed iron
roof and large panelled doors. It is an
exceptional building which has been created as
an octagon.
Eskleigh
A particularly grand and attractive two-storey
residence dating from 1870 with a three level
tower, two-storey bay windows and a number of
outbuildings. It is a fine example of a
Victorian Classical mansion. It is located at
the southern end of town on the Midland Highway
just past Drummond Street. Its name is derived
from its position on the South Esk River.
Gibbet Hill
Located on the Midlands Highway, on edge of the
town, is Gibbet Hill. It was here that they hung
a bushranger named Mackay (or McKay) who had
murdered a passenger on a mail coach. He was
actually hung in Hobart and his body brought to
the gibbet to hang as a warning to those who
might feel like robbing a passing mail coach.
