Hobart (/ˈhoʊbɑːrt/ⓘHOH-bart[6]) is thecapital and most populous city of the island state ofTasmania, Australia.[7] Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of theRiver Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly half of Tasmania's population, Hobart is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-smallest by population and area afterDarwin if territories are taken into account.[3] Its skyline is dominated by the 1,271-metre (4,170 ft)kunanyi / Mount Wellington,[8] and its harbour forms the second-deepest naturalport in the world,[9] with much of the city's waterfront consisting of reclaimed land.[10] The metropolitan area is often referred to asGreater Hobart, to differentiate it from theCity of Hobart, one of the seven local government areas that cover the city.[3][11] It has a mildmaritime climate.
The city lies on country which was known by the localMuwinina people asNipaluna, a name which includes surrounding features such as Kunanyi / Mount Wellington and Timtumili Minanya (River Derwent).[12][13] Prior to British colonisation, the land had been occupied for possibly as long as 35,000 years[14] byAboriginal Tasmanians, who generally refer to themselves as Palawa or Pakana.[15][16]
Founded in 1804 as a Britishpenal colony,[17] Hobart is Australia's second-oldest capital city afterSydney, New South Wales.Whaling quickly emerged as a major industry in the area, and for a time Hobart served as theSouthern Ocean's main whaling port.Penal transportation ended in the 1850s, after which the city experienced periods of growth and decline. The early 20th century saw an economic boom on the back of mining, agriculture and other primary industries, and the loss of men who served in theworld wars was counteracted by an influx of immigration.[18] Despite the rise in migration from Asia and other non-English speaking regions, Hobart's population is predominantly ethnicallyAnglo-Celtic and has the highest percentage of Australian-born residents among Australia's capital cities.[19]
Today, Hobart is the financial and administrative hub of Tasmania, serving as the home port for both Australian and FrenchAntarctic operations and acting as a tourist destination.[20][21] Well-known drawcards include its convict-era architecture,Salamanca Market and theMuseum of Old and New Art (MONA), the Southern Hemisphere's largest private museum.
In 1804, the settlement was namedHobart Town orHobarton by the first Lt-governorDavid Collins after thenBritish Secretary of State for war and the coloniesLord Hobart (a variant of Hubert, his name was pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable) atSullivans Cove (named after the under-secretary). Earlier in 1793,Risdon Cove was named after the second officer on the shipDuke of Clarence by the captainJohn Hayes, and theriver after theRiver Derwent, Cumbria[22] (also briefly named byBruni D'Entrecasteaux asLa Rivière du Nord[23]). The city was named the singularHobart in 1881, and an inhabitant is known as aHobartian.[24]
A semi-permanent settlement at Little Sandy Bay was calledkriwa beneath the hill ofkriwalayti. The dividing line of the region is thetimtumili minanya (river), which winds its way down from thecentre of the island through the lands of theBig River (Lemerina) people. On the eastern shore, the name for theClarence Plains was known asnaniyilipata by the Mumirimina, a group of the Oyster Bay (Poredareme) people.Droughty Point was known astrumanyapayna (kangaroo point) as it was a hunting ground, andSouth Arm asmutatayna. Later names by theTAC includepiyura kitina (littlenative hens) atRisdon Cove andturikina truwala (mountain waterfall) on the Myrtle Gully Falls track.[28]
The first European settlement began in 1803 as a military camp atRisdon Cove on the eastern shores of theRiver Derwent, amid British concerns over the presence ofFrench explorers. It was the site of the1804 Risdon Cove massacre. Later that year, along with the military, settlers and convicts from the abandonedPort Phillip settlement, the camp at Risdon Cove was moved by Captain David Collins to a better location at the present site of Hobart atSullivans Cove.
The area'sIndigenous inhabitants were members of the semi-nomadicMouheneener tribe.[29] Violent conflict with the European settlers, and the effects of diseases brought by them, dramatically reduced the Aboriginal population, which was rapidly replaced by free settlers and theconvict population. In 1832, four years aftermartial law had been declared, 26 people, includingTongerlongeter (Tukalunginta) andMontpelliatta (Muntipiliyata) of the combinedBig River andOyster Bay nations, surrendered toG. A. Robinson's "friendly mission" and were marched into Hobart to negotiate a truce with GovernorGeorge Arthur. They were forcibly exiled ten days later toFlinders Island.[30]
John Glover's 1834 paintingMount Wellington and Hobart Town from Kangaroo Point depictsAboriginal Tasmanians dancing in the foreground. By this stage however, Aboriginal people had been forcibly exiled from the area following theBlack War.
"...The lower parts of the hills which skirt the bay are cleared; and the bright yellow fields of corn, and dark green ones of potatoes, appear very luxuriant... I was chiefly struck with the comparative fewness of the large houses, either built or building. Hobart Town, from the census of 1835, contained 13,826 inhabitants, and the whole of Tasmania 36,505."
A bird's eye view of Hobart. The 1894 International Exhibition is visible near the futureHobart Cenotaph site
The River Derwent was one of Australia's finest deepwater ports and was the centre of South Seaswhaling andsealing trades. The settlement rapidly grew into a major port, with allied industries such as shipbuilding.
Hobart Town became a city on 21 August 1842, and was renamed Hobart from the beginning of 1881.[32] Thepost-transportation era saw the city shift between periods of economic uncertainty in the 1860s and 1890s:
"...While brash Victorians talked of the future, Tasmanians nurtured memories of a more prosperous past. In the 'sixties Martineau found elderly ladies lamenting the gaiety of the old days and merchants the time when 'Hobart Town promised to be the emporium if not the metropolis of Australia'."[33]
However, this was mixed in with evolving politics, a greater connection with mainland Australia, tourism in the 1880s and the establishment of important cultural and social institutions includingThe University of Tasmania. "When theTown Hall was opened in 1866 it symbolised the hope of future greatness for the city".[34] The Russian navy visited the port multiple times, which had become a leading reason for theHobart coastal defences.[35]Mark Twain also visited in 1895 when he wrote "Hobart has a peculiarity—it is the neatest town that the sun shines on; and I incline to believe that it is also the cleanest."[36]
On 7 September 1936, one of the last known survivingthylacines died at theBeaumaris Zoo in Hobart.[37] DuringWW2, the city performed drills and built shelters, with German mines found in the estuary and a Japanese scout plane flyover in 1942.[38] While Hobart was isolated, it also contained the not insignificantElectrolytic Zinc Company which was essential for ammunition production.[39]
During the mid 20th century, the state and local governments invested in building Hobart's reputation as a tourist attraction—in 1956 the Lanherne Airport (nowHobart Airport) was opened. Australia's first legal casino,Wrest Point Hotel Casino, opened in 1973. Despite these successes, Hobart faced significant challenges during the 20th century, including the1967 Tasmanian fires, which claimed 64 lives in Hobart itself and destroyed over 1200 homes,[40][41] and the 1975Tasman Bridge disaster, when a bulk ore carrier collided with and destroyed the concrete span bridge that connected the city to its eastern suburbs.
In the 21st century, Hobart benefited as Tasmania's economy recovered from the 1990s recession, and the city's long-stagnant population growth began to reverse.[42] A period of significant growth has followed, including the redevelopment of the former Macquarie Point railyards, Parliament Square, and new hotel developments throughout the city.[43]
The City of Hobart (green) and Greater Hobart (teal). Greater Hobart covers 1,695.5 km2 (654.6 sq mi), whereas the built-up urban area covers 81 km2 (31 sq mi).
Hobart is located on the estuary of theRiver Derwent in the state's south-east. It is built predominantly on Jurassicdolerite around the foothills interspersed with smaller areas of Triassicsiltstone and Permianmudstone, straddling theRiver Derwent.
The Eastern Shore also extends from the Derwent in a southeasterly direction hugging theMeehan Range (which hovers around 400 metres (1,300 ft) with distinctive summits such asMount Direction,Flagstaff Hill andGunners Quoin towards the irregular valleys ofBrighton) before sprawling into flatter land in suburbs such as Bellerive. These flatter areas of the eastern shore rest on far younger Quaternary deposits. From there the city wraps around the estuary to peninsulas and extends across the hills in an easterly direction into the valley area ofRokeby, before reaching into the tidal flatland area ofLauderdale (betweenRalphs Bay andFrederick Henry Bay).
Hobart has access to a number of beach areas including those in the Derwent estuary itself:Long Beach,Nutgrove Beach,Bellerive Beach, Cornelian Bay, Kingston, and Howrah Beaches, as well as many more inFrederick Henry Bay such asSeven Mile, Roaches, Cremorne, Clifton and Goats Beaches.
Snow in Hobart, 2015. Whilesleet is not rare in Hobart during the colder months, and many outer suburbs receive snow frequently, snow is rare in the inner suburbs.
Hobart has a cool to mildoceanic climate (Köppen:Cfb;Trewartha:Cflk).[49] The highest temperature recorded was 41.8 °C (107.2 °F) on4 January 2013 and the lowest was −2.8 °C (27.0 °F) on 25 June 1972 and 11 July 1981.[5]
Annually, Hobart receives only 40.8 clear days. Compared to other major Australian cities, Hobart has the fewest daily average hours of sunshine, with only 5.9 hours per day.[50] However, during the summer it has the most hours of daylight of any Australian city, with 15.3 hours on the summer solstice.[51] Hobart has nonetheless exceptionally sunny winters by Tasmanian standards, where its sun hours in June and July exceed those ofWagga Wagga in New South Wales (especially when accounting for latitudinal day length).Strathgordon at the same latitude averages only 51 and 62 sun hours in June and July (compared with Hobart's 132 and 152 hours).
By global standards, Hobart has cool summers and mild winters for its latitude, being influenced by its seaside location. Nevertheless, the strong northerly winds from the Australian outback ensure that Hobart experiences temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F) most years.[52] Lightfrost occurs most years, thoughair frosts are uncommon.[52] Hobart is distinctly warmer than neighbouring areas, such asDover only 50 kilometres (31 mi) to the south, with annual mean temperatures some 1.5 °C cooler than Hobart's. This is due to thefoehn effect created by theCentral Highlands to the west.
Although Hobart itself rarely receivessnow due to the foehn effect, the adjacentkunanyi / Mount Wellington is frequently seen with a snowcap throughout the year. During the 20th century, the city itself has received snowfalls at sea level on average only once every 5 years; however, outer suburbs lying higher on the slopes of Mount Wellington receive snow more often, owing to the more exposed location coupled with their higher altitude. These snow-bearing winds often carry on through Tasmania and southernVictoria, to theSnowy Mountains in north-east Victoria and southernNew South Wales (though to a much lesser degree outside of winter). Nevertheless,sleet can occur in Hobart from June to September.
Average sea temperatures range from 12.5 °C (54.5 °F) in September to 16.5 °C (61.7 °F) in February.[53]
Hobart has a diverse array of natural areas, parks and gardens. It is most notably defined by its large areas ofnative bushland owing to its location. The most prominent of these isWellington Park which encompasses the plateau ofkunanyi / Mt Wellington itself as well as much of the surrounding alpine woodland and dense forests. This is taken advantage of with a large number of trails for walking, hiking and mountain biking activities all across the Hobart metropolitan area, some of which follow watercourses like theHobart Linear Park (Cascade Gardens),Lambert Park,New Town Rivulet (Ancanthe Park) andTolosa Park, or ridgelines to viewing points in places like theTruganini Conservation Area and Bicentennial Park.[62] The former Fern Tree Bower ofDicksonia antarctica can be visited on the Pipeline Track.[63]
The Hunter Street Precinct is known for its Georgian era waterfront warehouses, since converted into restaurants, bars and galleries.
Hobart's architecture is stylistically eclectic and reflects various periods of Australian history. The city is known for its well-preservedGeorgian andVictorian-era buildings, giving specific areas an "old world" feel.[69][70] For locals, this became a source of discomfiture about the city's convict past, but is now a draw card for tourists.[71]
The city centre contains many of the city's oldest buildings, including theHope and Anchor Tavern (1807) andIngle Hall (1811–14). TheCascade Brewery (1824), Australia's longest operating brewery, was built using convict labour, as was theCascades Female Factory (1828), now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other notable early buildings include:Hadley's Orient Hotel (1834), Australia's oldest continuously operating hotel; theTheatre Royal (1837), Australia's oldest continually operating theatre; theGreek revivalLady Franklin Gallery (1843), Australia's first private museum; and theHobart Synagogue (1845), which is Australia'soldest synagogue and a rare example of anEgyptian revival synagogue.Salamanca Place contains many Georgian era buildings, as well asKelly's Steps, which were built in 1839 to provide a short-cut toBattery Point, a largely residential suburb known for its weatherboard cottages and multi-storey terraces.
TheTMAG building, built in 1902 as a newSecond Empire style Customs House, is situated onConstitution Dock and incorporates the Bond (1824) andCommisariat Store buildings (1810), the latter of which contributed to Hobart's early street layout when theHobart Rivulet passed beside it. Away from the mouth of the rivulet was Hunter Island and after 1820 was also used for extensive warehousing.
The postmodernHotel Grand Chancellor was built in 1987 in what was the Wapping neighbourhood, which now features many examples ofcontemporary architecture, such as the 2001 Federation Concert Hall andThe Hedberg, designed in 2013 aroundConceptualism.[76] The distinctive shapes of the 2020 K-Block redevelopment of theRoyal Hobart Hospital was based on the street grid and convict-madeRajah Quilt.[77] Nearby is theMenzies Institute andUTAS Medical Science Precinct, which features two 2009 examples ofavant-garde styles inspired by land-water interplay.[78] On Castray Esplanade, the Salamanca Wharf Hotel was built in 2013 and combines Antarctic colours with the surrounding former-ordnance warehouses.[79] TheMyer CentreIcon Complex was completed in 2020 as a replacement for the 1908Liverpool Street building which burnt down in 2007, while retaining the façade on Murray Street. Projects designed by local architects include theMövenpick Hotel, built in 2021 by Jaws.[80]
Hobart as a city has delivered its housing by various means and forms. For its early history, housing was small-scale but clustered in very small areas (the highest concentration and diversity of Hobart's heritage remains around the constantly-evolving city centre).[81] With the development of streets andpublic transport, such as arailway in 1876 and Australia's firstfully-electric tram network in 1893, furthergrowth of the urban area was enabled.Inner suburbs from this era typically have orderly streets (around planned subdivisions of former agriculture grants, often inspired by theCity Beautiful movement) with shopfronts (theHill Street Grocer franchise derives from the commercial legacy of a former tramway) and narrow lanes lined with timber and brick cottages,townhouses and small apartment buildings.
Social housing was usually organised by private societies and entities as outreach to those in need until crises brought greater attention from government authorities, such as the Homes Act (1919) and Housing Agreement (1945). The Housing Department focused mainly on mixing these with broad-acre suburban estates, which were sometimes expensive to service with adequate infrastructure.[82] Architects such asMargaret Findlay were employed by the public works department.Bungalows were mass-produced inweatherboard and thenfibro materials.[83] The 1944Town and Country Planning Act was the instrument to transfer control of urban housing to municipalities, which automatically resulted in tightly restricted homebuilding in existing urban areas.[84] The advent of theautomotive city and the 1965Hobart Area Transportation Study (which ultimately resulted incuts to public transport[85][86] and parts of the inner city being converted intoparking) further made Hobart asprawling city.Zoning now applies and specific area plans can also be prepared (with the land use near Hobart'snorthern suburbs transit corridor under particular focus),[87] though planning reform and new provisions schedules are being prepared.[88] While community and social housing projects do occur in expensive areas (such as 25 apartments onGoulburn Street in 2021),[89] it is still difficult to achieve approval.[90][91]
As of 2024, Hobart is the least dense Australian capital[92] with the highest costs per capita (alongsideSydney) for housing[93] andcar-ownership (19.7% cost-to-income in 2024).[94] This is credited with contributing to the broader Tasmanian demographic crisis and emigration.[95] The median house price of inner Hobart was A$1,026,500 in 2021,[96] which would be 12.8x the region's median household income per year. Of the 76,686 total dwellings in urban Greater Hobart in2021, only 10% were a flat or apartment and 7.2% semi-detached or terrace.[97] Greater Hobart builds on average 700 new dwellings per year,[98] which equates to between 3–3.5 per 1000 people (lower than the 6–9 of other states),[99] mostly concentrated in outer suburbs likeBridgewater[100] (which has the lowest life expectancy in Hobart at 67)[101] which studies show can cost 8x more than infill,[102][103] meaning they require more infrastructure per dwelling to service[104] than areas closer to existing services (which are more often under-capacity[105]). Rental vacancies have generally been on decline since about 2013 with the rate consistenly under 3% and listings 50.5% lower in southern Tasmania over 11 years. Renting is also typicallyless protected than other states.[106]
Tenant-oriented housing models may become more common, with a few examples in Hobart such as 2020's all-electricThe Commons Hobart where expensiveparking mandates were waivered to enable an affordablegreen lifestyle.[107]
Since the 2000s, Hobart has gained a reputation as a "cool" and creative cultural capital[108] with increasing numbers of tourists drawn to its unconventional or quirky events and art projects, many spurred by theMuseum of Old and New Art (MONA). The term "MONA effect" refers to the museum's significant impact on the local economy and Tasmanian tourism.[109]
The city's nightlife is primarily concentrated inSalamanca Place, North Hobart, the waterfront area,Elizabeth Street (which includes the pedestrianisedElizabeth Street Mall) and Sandy Bay. These areas are home to popular dining strips, pubs, bars and nightclubs.
Established in 1837,Theatre Royal is Australia's oldest continually operating theatre.
The city centre is home toseveral theatres, including live theatre venues, picture palaces, and a multiplex operated byVillage Cinemas.
TheTheatre Royal, established in 1837, is Australia's oldest continually operating theatre, designed by colonial architectJohn Lee Archer.[110] Another historic theatre is the Playhouse Theatre. Built in the 1860s, it was originally a chapel designed byHenry Bastow. Today, it is owned by the Hobart Repertory Theatre Society.
Hobart's largest arthouse cinema, theState Cinema inNorth Hobart, was established as the North Hobart Picture Palace in 1913. It was acquired by theReading Cinemas chain in 2019.[111] Located inNew Town, the Rewind Cinema, formerly the Hidden Theatre, is housed in a 19th-century convict-built structure.[112]
Another popular live entertainment location is the Hanging Garden precinct, which contains several venues[113] and hostsDark Mofo and Hobart Festival of Comedy events.
TheMuseum of Old and New Art (MONA) opened in 2011 to coincide with the third annual MONA FOMA festival. Located within theMoorilla winery on theBerriedale peninsula, the multi-storey MONA gallery houses the collection ofDavid Walsh and is the Southern Hemisphere's largest privately owned museum.[115]
The first book of general Australian literature was published in Hobart. TitledThe Last and Worst of the Bushrangers of Van Diemen's Land, it was printed by convictAndrew Bent and details the life and crimesMichael Howe, thebushranger and outlaw. In 1824, Bent, as proprietor of theHobart Town Gazette, established the first free press in Australia. The first Australian novel,Quintus Servinton, was written in 1831 by convictHenry Savery and published in Hobart.[116] Written during his imprisonment, it is a semi-autobiographical work about the life of a convict in Van Diemen's Land.Mary Leman Grimstone, whose bookWoman's Love was written in Hobart between 1826 and 1829, holds the distinction of being the author of the first non-biographical Australian novel. It was printed in London in 1832.[117]
Winter Feast during theDark Mofo arts and music festival
Hobart's recurring events consist of weekly markets, most notablySalamanca Market. The city also hosts festivals includingTaste of Tasmania, which celebrates local produce, wine and music;Dark Mofo[120] which is the city's biggest winter festival leading into the solstice featuring the Winter Feast; and Tasmania's biennial international arts festivalTen Days On The Island. Other festivals, including theSouthern Roots Festival and theFalls Festival inMarion Bay, also capitalise on Hobart's artistic communities.
TheHobart International is an annual tennis tournament held since 1994. The city is the finishing point of theTarga Tasmania rally car event, which has been held annually in April since 1991.
Australian rules football was introduced to Hobart in the 1860s and has long been the city's most popular spectator sport. Founded in 1879 and headquartered at Hobart, theTasmanian Football League features four Hobart-based clubs:Clarence,Glenorchy,Lauderdale andNorth Hobart. Hobart-based teams also play in theSouthern Football League. Hobart has hostedAustralian Football League (AFL) matches since 1991, and in 2023, Tasmania was awarded a conditional license to field the league's19th AFL team, nicknamed the Tasmanian Devils. The conditional license is contingent on a 23,000 seat roofed stadium being built at Hobart's Macquarie Point. It is anticipated that the men's team will join the AFL by 2028.[122][123]
Hobart is internationally famous among the yachting community as the finish of theSydney to Hobart Yacht Race which starts in Sydney on Boxing Day. The arrival of the yachts is celebrated as part of theHobart Summer Festival, a food and wine festival beginning just after Christmas and ending in mid-January.
At the 2021 census, there were 247,068 people in the Greater Hobart.[3] TheCity of Hobart local government area had a population of 55,077.
As of 2021, the median weekly household income was $1,542, compared with $1,746 nationally.[124]
18.1% of households total weekly income is less than $650 week, while 18.9% of households weekly income exceeds $3,000. This compares to national rates of 16.5% and 24.3% respectively.
35.4% of renting households, and 10.3% of owned households with a mortgage experiencehousing stress, where rent or mortgage repayments exceed 30% of income.
At the 2016 census, The most common occupation categories were professionals (22.6%), clerical and administrative workers (14.7%), technicians and trades workers (13.3%), community and personal service workers (12.8%), and managers (11.3%).
23.4% of the population was born overseas at the 2021 census. The five largest groups of overseas-born were fromEngland (3.3%),Mainland China (2.2%),Nepal (1.7%),India (1.6%) andNew Zealand (0.9%).[129]
At the 2021 census, 82.6% of the population spoke onlyEnglish at home. The other languages most commonly spoken at home wereMandarin (2.6%),Nepali (1.8%),Punjabi (0.7%),Cantonese (0.5%) andVietnamese (0.4%).[130]
In the 2021 census, 49.9% of Greater Hobart residents specifiedno religion. Christianity comprised the largest religious affiliation (37.1%), with the largest denominations being Anglicanism (14.1%) and Catholicism (14.1%). Hinduism (2.6%), Buddhism (1.3%), Islam (1.3%) and Sikhism (0.6%) constitute the remaining largest religious affiliations.[131]
In 2021, Greater Hobart's main occupations were professionals and service workers, trades, administration and management and other labour professions working in industries such as healthcare, the public service, and supermarkets and small businesses. Incomes are higher than the rest of Tasmania, but lower than the Australian median.[139] These employment areas are reflected by the gross value added provided by industries, which is greatest among the "healthcare and social assistance (17%), public administration and safety (11%), and financial and insurance services (10%)." Healthcare is also the fastest-growing, while services and construction have the highest business count. The vast majority of this economic production is concentrated in theCity of Hobart area, except manufacturing which is higher inGlenorchy City.[140]
Shipping is significant to the city's economy. The city is a popular cruise ship destination during the summer months, with 47 such ships docking during the course of the 2016–17 summer season, and $34.5 million in direct expenditure in 2017 (an average spend of $172 per passenger).
Tourism is a significant part of the economy, with visitors coming to the city to explore its historic inner suburbs and nationally acclaimed restaurants and cafes, as well as its vibrant music and nightlife culture. The two major draw-cards are the weekly market inSalamanca Place, and theMuseum of Old and New Art. The city is also used as a base from which to explore the rest of Tasmania.
The last 15–20 years[when?] have seen Hobart's wine industry thrive as many vineyards have developed in countryside areas outside of the city in the Coal River Wine Region andD'Entrecasteaux Channel, includingMoorilla Estate atBerriedale one of the most awarded vineyards in Australia.
Hobart is anAntarctic gateway city, with geographical proximity to East Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Infrastructure is provided by the port of Hobart for scientific research and cruise ships, andHobart Airport supports an Antarctic Airlink to Wilkins Runway atCasey Station. Hobart is a logistics point for the Australian vesselNuyina and French icebreakerL'Astrolabe.
Hobart is the home port for the Australian and French Antarctic programs, and provides port services for other visiting Antarctic nations and Antarctic cruise ships. Antarctic and Southern Ocean expeditions are supported by a specialist cluster offering cold climate products, services and scientific expertise. The majority of these businesses and organisations are members of theTasmanian polar network, supported in part by the Tasmanian State Government.
Tasmania has a high concentration of Antarctic and Southern Ocean scientists. Hobart is home to the following Antarctic and Southern Ocean scientific institutions:
Hobart serves as a focal point and mecca for tourism in the state of Tasmania. Hobart has been a significant tourist destination for many years, however tourism has evolved to a core industry in the last decade.[when?] This process has been termed the "MONA Effect" - referring to the significant influence of the Museum of New and Old Art (MONA), the Southern Hemisphere's largest private museum, on the local tourist economy - compared to the effect of the Guggenheim onBilbao.[144] Since opening in 2011, MONA had received 2.5 million visitors by 2022 and has helped establish a number of art and food venues and events, includingMONA FOMA, and the winter festivals of Mid-Winter Fest andDark Mofo. 27% of visitors to Tasmania visit the museum.[145]
In 2016, Hobart received 1.8 million visitors, surpassing both Perth and Canberra, tying equally with Brisbane.[146] Visitor numbers reached a low of 744,200 in 2021, primarily as a result of theCovid-19 Pandemic, with expectations that numbers would return to normal by 2023.[147]
Many local tourist attractions focuses on the convict history of Hobart, the city's historic architecture, art experiences, and food and alcohol experiences. Hobart is home to a significant number of nationally known restaurants, boutique alcohol producers, including Sullivans Cove Whiskey, which won world's best single malt in 2014,[148] boutique hotels, and art experiences. Other significant tourist attractions include Australia's second oldest botanic gardens, theRoyal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, which holds extensive significant plant collections,[149] a range of public and private museums including theTasmanian Museum and Art Gallery andMaritime Museum Tasmania, andkunanyi / Mount Wellington, one of the dominant features of Hobart's skyline. At 1,271 metres (4,170 ft), the mountain has its own ecosystems, is rich in biodiversity and plays a large part in determining the local weather.[citation needed]
Greater Hobart as of the 2021 Census is divided into seven local government areas - three of which are designated as cities,City of Hobart,City of Glenorchy andCity of Clarence. The remaining metropolitan area is within theMunicipality of Kingborough, theMunicipality of Brighton, theMunicipality of Sorell and theMunicipality of Derwent Valley.[3] Each local government area has an elected council which manages functions delegated by the Tasmanian state government such as roads, planning, animal control and parks. Mains water and sewerage processing are serviced byTasWater, which is a state-wide authority part owned by the state government and local government areas.
Hobart was made the seat of government for the southern district of Tasmania (then calledVan Diemen's Land),Buckingham County in 1804, with the northern half of the state separately governed fromPort Dalrymple, now George Town. At the time, Van Diemen's Land remained part of theColony of New South Wales. In 1812, the northern lieutenant governorship ceased and Hobart become de facto seat of government for the entire island. Hobart officially became capital of an independent colony of Van Diemen's Land in 1825, and the seat of responsible self government in 1850 with theAustralian Constitutions Act 1850.
The mainpublic transportation within the city of Hobart is via a network ofMetro Tasmania buses operated bythe Tasmanian Government. The main hub is at the centrally locatedHobart City Interchange on Elizabeth Street. The GreenCard fare ticketing system is held by about 100 thousand customers.[151]
There are also a small number of private bus services, departing from Murray Street and theBrooke Street Pier. These include the airportSkyBus, and charters and coaches byTassielink Transit andRedline Coaches (nowKINETIC, including the O'Driscoll Coaches Derwent Valley Link).
Tasmania spends the least per capita on public transport in Australia,[85] which is partly responsible for a weekday usage decline of 80.8% between 1964 and 2021.[86] However, the State Government has indicated a consolidation of routes into three mainBRT spokes.
Many of these highways were built after Australia's first motor vehicletransportation study by US consultants in the 1960s, with an apparent urgency to cater to growing road traffic volumes. However, most of the targets were not achieved in the years after 1985 despite the scale of these projects, with the large amount of public funds required curbing feasibility. Another side-effect of this transition in investment away from public transport is that Hobart has limited mode redundancy compared to larger Australian capitals and a higher proportion of vehicle traffic, meaning that individual incidents can shut the entire network down.[152][153]
As part of theSouthern Transport Investment Program, Tasmania's largest transport project, the $786 million (as of 2023)New Bridgewater Bridge, is expected to finish by 2025.[154] Unlike the Tasman Bridge, it will be accessible to pedestrians upon opening.
There is a ferry service by Derwent Ferries which operates a single line (F2) betweenBrooke Street Pier and Bellerive Quay that operates six days a week.[155] It was initiated as a trial in 2021 servicing theHobart City Centre andBellerive on the eastern shore, garnering 110 thousand passengers by the end of the year.[156][157]The ferry provides a convenient alternative to crossing theTasman Bridgechoke point, with its purpose being to reducecongestion. It is seen as a first step in diversifying Hobart'stransport options to reduce traffic problems by taking the number of cars off the road rather thaninducing more traffic. More ferry terminal sites were revealed in 2023 to Regatta Point, Wrest Point,Wilkinsons Point, Howrah Point, Lindisfarne andKingston Beach.[158]
There are also private tourist ferries like the Spirit of Hobart, and two MONA Roma catamarans which take 25 minutes to theMuseum of Old and New Art.[159]
Ferry services from Hobart's Eastern Shore into the city were once a common form of public transportation, but with lack of government funding, as well as a lack of interest from the private sector, the commuter ferry service was closed for many decades – leaving Hobart's commuters relying solely on travel by automobiles and buses. There was however a water taxi service operating from the Eastern Shore into Hobart which provides an alternative to theTasman Bridge (ferries were temporarily loaned from Sydney following theTasman Bridge disaster). TheMV Cartela was one of Australia's oldest still operating since 1912.
Hobart is served byHobart Airport with flights to/from Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and regional destinations including the Bass Strait islands. The smallerCambridge Aerodrome mainly serves small charter airlines offering local tourist flights. In the past decade, Hobart International Airport received a huge upgrade, with the airport now being a first class airport facility.
In 2009, it was announced that Hobart Airport would receive more upgrades, including a first floor, aerobridges (currently, passengers must walk on the tarmac) and shopping facilities. Possible new international flights to Asia and New Zealand, and possible new domestic flights to Darwin and Cairns have been proposed. A second runway, possibly to be constructed in the next 15 years, would assist with growing passenger numbers to Hobart. Hobart Control Tower may be renovated and fitted with new radar equipment, and the airport's carpark may be extended further. Also, new facilities will be built just outside the airport. A new service station, hotel and day care centre have already been built and the road leading to the airport has been maintained and re-sealed. In 2016, work began on a 500-metre extension of the existing runway in addition to a $100 million upgrade of the airport. The runway extension is expected to allow international flights to land and increase air-traffic withAntarctica. This upgrade was, in part, funded under a promise made during the2013 federal election by the Abbott government.[160]
Hobart's main port is managed byTasPorts and has a variety of uses. InSullivans Cove, the two Princes Wharves are used forAntarctic restocking operations, while there are many piers and pontoons for berthing sailing boats, fishing vessels and yachts (atVictoria andConstitution Docks, especially following theSydney to Hobart) and a seaplane.[161] At Macquarie Point, the six Macquarie wharves are used for cruise ships (with a terminal onto Hunter Street by the port tower building) and defence vessels.[162] Previously, shipping and services to ferry people between Sydney and Hobart such asTasmanian Steamers and theAustralian National Line, and shipbuilding occurred nearby.[163]
Like many large Australian cities, Hobart once operated high-quality passenger rail services. This included a tram network which was closed in the early 1960s. The tracks are still visible in the older streets of Hobart. It was replaced by a short-livedtrolleybus network consisting of six routes which operated until 1968. Suburban passenger trains, run by theTasmanian Government Railways, were closed in 1974 and the intrastate passenger service, theTasman Limited, ceased running in 1978. TheTasmanian Transport Museum inGlenorchy has a restored section of track for visitors.
There has been a push from public transport advocates and the two local councils[164][165] to establish alight rail network, intended to be fast, efficient, and eco-friendly, along existing tracks on theNorthern Suburbs Transit Corridor to solve the frequent jamming of traffic in Hobart CBD. This has grown amidst the need for higher-capacity mass transit and an alternative State Governmentbus proposal. However The State Government haven't ruled out Light Rail but they're are very conscious of how expensive it is.[166][167] The earlierRiverline proposal, which reached a business case (at $100 million, demonstrating benefits for socioeconomically disadvantaged areas of the city), was scrapped in the2014 Australian federal budget.
The Greater Hobart area contains 122 primary, secondary and pretertiary (College) schools distributed throughout Clarence, Glenorchy and Hobart City Councils and Kingborough and Brighton Municipalities. These schools are made up of a mix of public, catholic, private and independent run, with the heaviest distribution lying in the more densely populated West around the Hobart city core. TheDepartment for Education, Children and Young People is responsible for government schools andLibraries Tasmania, which operates literacy services and libraries across the region, including theState Library of Tasmania where it is headquartered.
A private hospital,Hobart Private Hospital is located adjacent to the RHH and operated by Australian healthcare providerHealthscope. The company also owned another hospital in the city, theSt Helen's Private Hospital,[175] which featured a mother-baby unit[176] but it was closed in 2023.[177] A new Tasman private hospital in New Town was proposed on a formerWIN News site, but abandoned in 2023.[178]
The Hobart Clinic (formerly St Michael's Priory) is a not-for-profit operating a 27-bed psychiatric hospital inRokeby and Mind Hub on Collins Street, with a focus on therapies.[180]
Drinking water and sewerage in the city is managed byTasWater, but many organisations and levels of government are involved at different stages. The first dams in Tasmania were built along theHobart Rivulet and now there are many reservoirs in the region to safeguard the supply of water[181] (as whilekunanyi / Mt Wellington receives high rainfall, the city itself is dry), such as the Waterworks reservoirs[182] via theSandy Bay Rivulet, theTolosa dam (disused in 2018)[183] and Lime Kiln Gully dam inGlenorchy, and theFlagstaff Gully dam andRisdon Brook dam (which stores treated water from theNew Norfolk Bryn Estyn plant)[184] inClarence.
TasNetworks is responsible for electricity and telecommunications provision.
^In accordance with the Australian Bureau of Statistics source,England,Scotland,Mainland China and the Special Administrative Regions ofHong Kong andMacau are listed separately.
^Of any ancestry. Includes those identifying asAboriginal Australians orTorres Strait Islanders. Indigenous identification is separate to the ancestry question on the Australian Census and persons identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander may identify any ancestry.
^The Australian Bureau of Statistics has stated that most who nominate "Australian" as their ancestry are part of theAnglo-Celtic group.[127]
^Of any ancestry. Includes those identifying asAboriginal Australians orTorres Strait Islanders. Indigenous identification is separate to the ancestry question on the Australian Census and persons identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander may identify any ancestry.
^Mocatta, Gabi; Rawlings-Way, Charles; Worby, Meg (2008).Tasmania (5th ed.). Footscray, Vic.: Lonely Planet.ISBN9781741046915.Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved1 November 2020.
^"nipaluna is the name of the country in which the city of Hobart sits".Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre. Hobart.Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved5 May 2021.The nomenclature of Tasmanian Aborigines is not the same as that of the colonisers in that geographical features, like rivers and mountains and so on, are all part of country, and while there may be specific names for those features, they are also a part of the surrounding country. The Nipaluna includes geographical features such as Kunanyi/Mt. Wellington and Timtumili Minanya (River Derwent).
^Plomley, N.J.B. (1992).Tasmanian aboriginal place names(PDF) (Occasional paper no. 3 ed.). Launceston, Tas.: Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery. p. 98. Retrieved28 June 2024.
^Wettenhall, Roger."Bushfires 1967".Companion to Tasmanian History. University of Tasmania.Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved20 February 2022.
^Tapper, Andrew; Tapper, Nigel (1996). Gray, Kathleen (ed.).The weather and climate of Australia and New Zealand (1st ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press. p. 300.ISBN0-19-553393-3.
^"Welcome Aboard".Derwent Ferries.Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved2 September 2021.
^"Derwent River ferry trial".Transport Services, Dept. State Growth. Tasmanian Government.Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved2 September 2021.
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