Hobart is the capital city of Tasmania and is Australia's second oldest city, after Sydney. Hobart sits along the Derwent River and began humbly as a penal colony. Hobart is now a small and intimate city with a population of around 255,000 (as of 2024) in the Greater Hobart area. The city is renowned for its many historic buildings, including the famous Salamanca Place, and is the gateway to Southern Tasmania. Hobart played a major role during the heroic age of Antarctic exploration and is one of the five gateway cities to Antarctica.
Founded in 1804 by Colonel David Collins, Hobart is the second oldest city in Australia. It grew out of the penal settlement on the island at Risdon Cove, 8 km upriver, which was founded in 1803 and abandoned five months later for the present site of Hobart. In the first half of the 1800s, the whaling boom generated a surge in maritime support industries and infrastructure. Whaling ceased in the late 1800s, but Hobart never lost its boat-building, ship-chandlery and provedoring legacy. This made Hobart a logical staging post in the heroic age of Antarctic exploration.
Derwent Ferries operates services between Brooke Street Pier in the city and Bellerive Pier in Bellerive. There are no services on Sundays. All services have been totally free since 2026. Sightseeing cruises and water taxis operate services between Brooke Street Pier in the city and outlying piers along the River Derwent. Some of these services include onboard dining. Metro operates services throughout the city and surrounding suburbs. Hobart Interchange is located in front of the GPO (General Post Office) on Elizabeth Street in the city. All services have been totally free since 2026. Hobart is the favourite launching off point for visitors keen to explore other areas of Tasmania.
As one of Australia's oldest cities, Hobart is home to a multitude of historical buildings that often showcase splendid examples of Georgian and Victorian architecture. In fact, over 90 buildings within Hobart are classified by the National Trust, with around 60 of them along Macquarie St and Davey St alone. Many, but not all, of the historical buildings are located within or near Hobart's Central Business District (CBD) or around Battery Point. 2 Battery Point (behind Salamanca Place). The area is named after a battery of guns put on the point in 1818. The guns were eventually removed for fear the residential homes would come under fire in the event of an invasion.
Polar Pathways is a historical walking and driving tour of Hobart’s associations with Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. They include bronze statues commemorating the exploits of explorers and Hadley’s Hotel where Roald Amundsen stayed in March 1912 after his journey from the South Pole. Go to the Tasmania Travel Information Centre and pick up a Polar Pathways brochure and map. 1 Bellerive Oval (Blundstone Arena), 15 Derwent St, Bellerive. With a capacity of 19,500, this hosts the Tasmania State cricket team, Hobart Hurricanes in Big Bash T20 cricket league, and in winter is a secondary ground for North Melbourne AFL.
Hobart has a profusion of eating establishments ranging from the cheap to the luxuriously expensive. Freshly caught seafood is a specialty of the region, and there are several excellent seafood restaurants. Deep-sea Trevalla is unique to Tasmania and must be tried. Tasmanian lobster is also excellent. Scallop pie is also unique to Tasmania and can be easily purchased from the Salamanca Market food stalls. Restaurants are concentrated in the Salamanca and North Hobart areas. 1 Jackman & McRoss, 57 Hampden Rd, ☏ +61 3 6223 3186. 7AM-5PM. A Hobart institution with fantastic bakery treats - a must visit when in town. Walk in and take one look at the counter display and you'll see why.
1 Bar Celona, 45 Salamanca Pl, ☏ +61 3 6224 7557, fax: +61 3 6224 7388. Bar Celona is a combined wine bar and cafe. The decor is open and wood paneled: while it can get a bit noisy, it's a good place to escape some of the much more crowded bars on a busy weekend night, especially if you want to have a nice glass or two of wine. 2 The Lower House, 9 Murray St. The mildly witty name of this lounge bar across the road from parliament is a decent metaphor for the atmosphere. Colloquially known as 'lower' it is a pre-drinking venue of choice for a mostly young crowd. There is seating inside, as well as a reasonably large outside area. They do food, but it does get very crowded after about 10PM.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Aug, Hobart typically sees ~14°C daytime highs and 4 rainy days.
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