More history!

The last time I was at Entally House near Hadspen just outside Launceston it was pouring with rain so the brilliant sunshine today was very welcome. 

This estate is another one built with the help of convict labour. It was built for Thomas Reiby, son of Mary Reiby of Sydney (pictured on the $20 note). The Reiby family made money in shipping and transporting goods in the early days of the colony expanding from NSW to Van Diemen's Land. 

Originally 4 rooms, it was extended a number of times. Now owned by the Tasmanian Government and leased to private hands it is a house museum run and cared for by volunteers. 

The sewing and music room.

The library. 

All the rooms are furnished and decorated in the period of the house.  All furnishings were collected when setting up the house museum. The Reibys were in the habit of selling everything whenever they went abroad leaving it empty. So only a few items actually belonged to the family.

There are a couple of portraits of the family and a set of silver flatware owned by Mary Reiby and a sweet 3 piece ladies suite consisting of an elegant couch and 2 chairs.

                    Mrs Thomas Reiby.

  

The magnificent gardens are the work of a dedicated group who hold an open garden every year. The walled garden is divided by box hedges and filled with dahlias, roses and old fashioned blooms.

The greenhouse is believed to be the oldest in Australia and was bought from England as flat pack by Thomas and his wife. The brick base was built to take the glass walls and roof. It is awash with the brilliant colours of begonias and hanging baskets. The second room contains ferns which are rotated through the house.

Across the yard is a small and intimate chapel. Thomas Reiby and his brother James were ordained ministers and contributed to the building of a number of churches in the area. This chapel was for the worship of the family and people on the estate.

It only has 8 pews but has a lovely pump organ as does the nearby church in Hadspen which is the burial place of Thomas and his wife. Mrs Thomas Reiby presented the organ to the church. It took around 100 years for the church to be completed (1961) and then it was deconsecrated and sold to help pay reparations for victims of church abuse in Tasmania.

Next to the chapel is one of the carriage houses and a beautiful stable.

The Reiby family loved fine horses and kept quite a number of racehorses. One - Malua - actually won the Melbourne Cup although after he was sold on.

The property also features a blacksmith shop, tack room and various cottages for staff.

During its heyday Entally was around 4000 acres and the Reiby family also owned land near Longford. Today, very much reduced, it has land under grape vines.

Huge harvester made of wood and iron and drawn by draught horses.

In the garden this is one of several Red Cedars shading the lawns.

My very last blog page - I get the Spirit of Tasmania home tonight. I have visited so many areas I hadn't been before and revisted old favourites. I love exploring the history of people and places and hearing their stories.

Goodbye Tasmania - I hope to see you again one day!

Hedges and houses

Launceston has changed somewhat over the years - new highways and freeways have been gouged out of old suburbs and one way streets abound. Favourite stores like Birchalls Book shop and lending library are now closed. The residential streetscape still has beautiful old homes although some are now business premises.

After breakfast I called into the Old Umbrella shop now the headquarters of the National Trust. Three generations of the Shott family made umbrellas here - I think I bought one - and there's a little museum. How elegant is this tea dress from the turn of the 20th century?

Evandale is famous for holding penny-farthing bike races in February and the Glover Art prize. It's full of old buildings and leafy trees and central to several old estates. 

Woolmers estate nearby at Longford was open and I spent about 3 hours there.

A real time capsule: Woolmers is an example of an early Tasmanian estate initially begun with an allocation of convict labour. Thomas Archer came to Van Diemen's Land, took up land in the north and encouraged his three brothers to join him. Each brother developed his own property and all remain in Archer hands today. Woolmers is now operated as a non profiting stewardship to care for and maintain it and importantly is listed as a World Heritage Convict Site.

Thomas Archer was hard-working and fair to his convicts and long before the convict system finished he was paying them and encouraging them to improve themselves. 

The first homestead facing the river, was made of  timber and resembled an Indian style Bungalow. Ceilings are low and rooms quite small. Shutters protected the occupants from attack by bushrangers in the 1820s. It is a simple building. Thomas 1 died in the bedroom beside the door: his large coffin containing his substantial body was too big to exit through the door and had to be removed through the windows!

Convict women were housed on the first floor: bars are on the windows on the left windows, signifying restraint but no bars are on the windows on the right which was the nursery.

Thomas married and six generations all headed by a Thomas lived at Woolmers until 1995 when Thomas 6 died. 

In 1840 an elegant Italianate extension was added as the politically and socially active Archers required more room for entertaining. The architect was one of Thomas' sons. He was responsible for many of the buildings on the estate.

Inside, this amazing extension was carefully thought through: furniture, paintings, silverware, tableware all imported. All decor and the building is in the grand Italian style. The huge dining room, capable of seating 20 persons, is crafted around the furniture. Alcoves, elegant cornices and a fabulous ceiling rose enhance the room. Flock wall paper in burgundy embossed with gold is on the walls. The gold has been eaten by silverfish. Maybe they should be called "goldfish"

The 1st Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Albert was a guest at a dinner party here, hosted by the second Mrs Archer. All the guests were men except for Mrs Archer who presided over the dinner as her husband and his heir Thomas 2 had passed away. The next Thomas was too young. Where were the Duchess and the wives of the distinguished guests?

A special bedroom was created for Governor John Franklin who was a frequent guest. He departed Tasmanian before it was completed and perished in his search for the North - West passage in the Artic!

When the grand rooms were not being used for social occasions they were closed and dark, thus preserving the fabrics and furnishings. 

Lighting in the house was initially candle light, then gaslight with only one room in the house having electricity. So, no television or radios,  only hand turned phonographs or piano (3 of them) for entertainment. 

The Archers were creatures of habit. Mrs Thomas 5 did make some changes to soft furnishings - she loved pink - but nothing was thrown out!

When she died her son Thomas 6 who never married, simply closed the rooms up and lived a quiet, reclusive life in 2 rooms of the original house. 

Having no heir Thomas 6 was concerned for the estate on his death but fortunately he became involved with family members researching the family history and these ultimately became involved in preserving the property. Time had wreaked having on the structure and surfaces, ceilings etc so preservation and conservation is critical and hugely expensive. All money made goes directly to maintaining this extraordinary estate.

                    The original kitchen.

Today the house and gardens, stables, various buildings and a new visitor centre, financed by an Archer descendent and the Tasmanian government, present a picture of the pastoral past. The National Rose garden is an added attraction exhibiting heritage and modern roses.

The stable block is full of dust and cobwebs covering heaps of junk but how comfortable for the horses would they once have been? There is stabling for 10 horses.

Thomas 6 also preserved the family vintage cars. This is the 1913 model but there were two more purchased in the 1930 and 50s.

The tour was conducted by a descendent of Joseph Archer of Penshanger: Catrina's passion for the family history and Woolmers was truly evident in the way she told the stories of the  house and Thomas 1 through 6. All the stewards see the preservation of Woolmers as important not just for the Archers but for the history of Tasmania. 

A rill ripples through the centre of the rose garden.

The enclosed garden with a wooden summer house built around the stump of a tree.

Hawthorn hedges, red with Autumn berries enclose the paddocks narrowing the country lanes but providing shelter and food for birds. Some are left wild, others clipped closely.

A last rose of summer on my last day in Tas!

Perfect! Like my holiday!

Driving on

It was raining heavily when I left St Helens planning to drive to Launceston via Scottsdale, Bridport and Low Head.

When I reached the little town of Derby I found the road partially closed to allow for a bike race.  The annual Dragon race attracts hundreds of riders but apparently Derby is always "buzzing".

Derby is the mountain bike capital of Tasmania and maybe Australia. Like skiers and bushwalkers black is the colour of choice for the riders and they were everywhere!

Many locals have sold their houses and moved on and the character of the town has changed since the 250k of trails have opened up. Unfortunately not all bike riders are considerate or well mannered and locals are very mixed in their feelings despite the revenue injected into the town. There are over 70 accommodation options available and almost every shop caters to bikes and riders.

 

The local school has been turned into a great little museum illustrating the history of tin mining in Derby as well as the school itself. Rules for teachers in1879, amongst others, stated:

The teacher must bring a bucket of coal and a bucket of water to the school each day

Male teachers may take one night off each week to court a young lady

Female teachers will be dismissed if they marry

Plus other strict rules for the conduct of the educators.

How did they get anyone to take up teaching?

How cute is this bank? They knew how to make it attractive back in the day!

Bridport was a small fishing village when last I visited. The fishing boats are still there but now the town is expanding with new housing estates, boutique shopping and restaurants.  Barnbougle golf course is nearby and attracts world wide attention.

My last stop was Low Head at the mouth of the Tamar River. In 1805 the first Pilot Station was opened here to help ships navigate the entrance to the river and Launceston. There are several reefs and rocks which affect shipping. Even as recently as 1995, a ship ran aground and spilled oil decimating the local penguin colonies.

The original Pilot Station is now a great maritime museum and the surrounding cottages provide holiday accommodation. 

Imagine wearing this dive suit to salvage wrecks off the reef? A man in the suit averaged over 120 kilograms. Generally there was little left to salvage as ships quickly broke apart.

Further up the road is the lighthouse still guarding the entrance to the river. It looks exactly the way I expect a lighthouse to look.

In the 1930s one of the signalers to shipping was a woman - Kathleen Cashion. Kathleen learned semaphore so she could warn ships and also cared for a light known as Kathleen's light.  She became very popular and well known to sailors far and wide.

During WW2 she was the only civilian allowed to signal ships anywhere in the world.

Kathleen moved up river in 1951 and ships continued to toot her as they passed her house until she died.

The mouth of the river is very wide and a Pilot still assists with navigation although large ships no longer go up to Launceston. Low Head has always been a popular holiday destination and there are many historical buildings, cottages and even a castle with battlements. 

No more hiking - my last two days will be devoted to history!

Bay of Fires

I have met some interesting people on this trip and even had some repeated meetings. This morning I met Margaret for the 3rd time! She calls it fate and describes me as "the hiking lady". We first met at Cradle Mountain, then days later in Hobart at MONA, again today at the Bay of Fires. Perhaps she is stalking me!

When I called in at Freycinet yesterday it was raining heavily and the rain followed me up the coast. Today is very overcast with a few sprinkles but not cold.

 The East coast is a very popular holiday destination for Tasmanians and with beautiful beaches at every turn it is not hard to see why. Coastal towns like Bicheno and St Helens have huge tracts of land between them: legislation prohibits sub division of many areas so many big properties remain intact, traditionally farming sheep and wool but more recently also diversifying into grape growing. 

Vineyards and cellar doors are everywhere  - I have enjoyed the local whites, especially the Pinot Gris with seafood. 

View from my hotel windows in Scamander.

After breakfast I drove out to Binalong Bay at  the southern end of the Bay of Fires. From the lookout here,  there is a wonderful views of the dramatic red and orange rocks for which the area is famous. 

This rich colouring is actually a combination of lichen and algae on granite which has a high component of pink.

In less gloomy weather the colours against sand and sky would be spectacular- alas no sunshine today. The lady from Ecotours said the easterly weather had made the seas too rough to run the tours for the past 11 days!

A further distance along the coastal drive is an area know as The Gardens. Here signage directs you to remain on the paths to avoid nesting seabirds. The rocks are flatter here but no less colourful.

Looking from The Gardens , so named by Lady Franklin in 1835 because of the wildflowers she observed here. 

Lady Franklin appears to have been an intrepid horse woman and walker as she visited a number of wilderness areas including Lake St Clair.

Several walking companies offer Bay of Fires 3/4 day walks staying in comfortable camps or lodges. Walking in the whole area is often on sand which is very soft and very white - certainly give calf muscles a good workout! These guided walks utilise the Northern area of the Bay of Fires which in itself stretches from Binalong Bay to Anson Bay. 

Eastern Bettongs call this area home too.

Having bought lunch with me and it being early afternoon, I decided to drive to the Eddystone lighthouse, some 60k from St Helens. 

The first 45k is on gravel road, though well serviced and in excellent condition.  The final 15k is over possibly the worst road I have driven on in a long time. The corrugations are never ending and get worse as you approach the lighthouse itself. 

This historic lighthouse celebrated its centenary in 1989 and so remote was it, that it was serviced from the sea only, until the 1920s.

Eddystone Point is in the Mt Williams National Park and is probably a popular remote camping area for fishers and bike riders. But remote is the exact description: the bush is scrubby, sandy and dry.

This far north eastern area of Tasmania has always been remote and challenging to reach. Mining was a major industry and with its demise many small towns basically died out. Now the area is enjoying renewal with tourism and alternative activities and better access roads. Mountain biking is a new lifeline for places like Derby.

Farms along the road to Anson Bay seem incredibly remote - the school bus pick up doesn't extend this far! St Helens seems a world away.

Geology, convicts and wildlife

It was drizzling when the alarm woke me early so I could make my Maria Island cruise and walk rendevous at 8.00 - first alarm set in over 2 weeks!

The forecast was not bad enough to cancel but it did promise drizzle and choppy seas.

"Do you get sea sick?" was the greeting.

We headed down to the boat "Spirit of Maria" where Michael owner and boatman took us through the safety briefing and introduced Zoe who would look after us on board. He also mentioned we would encounter some rough water on the outer side of the island. I headed up to the top deck where I remained for the entire cruise.

Calm water leaving the wharf but weather ahead. Grey skies and grey water for most of the day.

Michael's commentary was excellent, enthusiastjc and very knowledgeable . He explained how Triabunna and Maria Island had changed over the years - new enterprises replacing older traditional industries like paper and pulp mills. 

He spoke eloquently of the race to map Australia between the French and English in 1802 (the French were the first to register the new map) and many of the names of landmarks, islands, townships reflect these early explorers,  cartographers and their patrons. e.g. Freycinet Peninsula. 

As we neared Maria a pod of dolphins flirted with our wake delighting us with their antics and soon we spotted a flight of gannets circling overhead. It was a portent of things to come. White sea-eagles, gulls of all shapes and sizes, and black cormorants were spotted frequently. 

Maria Island has quite a history: first a convict settlement in 1825 (5 years before Port Arthur was built) abandoned, then renewed as a site for the successful rehabilitation of convicts and again abandoned. Land was cleared and farms established aimed at teaching convicts job skills. They grew wheat, built flour mills, bakeries, barracks, cottages using bricks made here. The settlement named Darlington was repurposed over the years and many buildings in excellent condition remain. 

Later, an Italian family with big dreams searching for land, leased the Island. Entrepreneurs and visionaries the family began wineries, a silk industry, farms, fishing and built a hotel to attract tourists. One of the most ambitious plans was to produce cement and for a short few years a thriving industry was very successful.

All that is left of the Portland cement operation which covered this area.

The geology of the island is extraordinary and draws scientists and geologists from around the world: sandstone and limestone cliffs, fossils, dolomite columns and more dominate the ocean side of the island.

By now the sea was quite rough and many people below in the main cabin were sea sick. I was glad I had chosen the upper deck: it required a firm grip to remain seated but thankfully neither I or the other 7 were ill.

Sea caves dot the cliffs and Michael guided the boat into a large one so we could see the effect of water and calcification on the limestone cliffs. It was an eerie sensation going in with a wave and backing out but beautiful and sculptural inside.

A little further on green waterfalls came into view - foliage attaching to the cliff in the waterfalls.

Cliffs towered over us and the seas were breaking high over the rocks - beautiful!

Michael assured us that once we rounded the southern headland the waters would be calmer. He was right! 

Dolomite cliffs and columns dropped into the ocean.

Seals lay around sunbathing on the rocks or swam around the boat.

We anchored in a shallow bay in turquoise water for an excellent lunch.

Now that we were on the land side of Maria the sea was calmer and we docked at the wharf and disembarked to explore Darlington and the remnants of island industry.

Maria Island is now a national park: only biker riders, hikers and tourists visit. Many buildings, farm houses etc were dismantled and taken away.There are no vehicles except for rangers and only very rudimentary accommodation in the old convict precinct - bring your own food, bedding, tent, share kitchen etc.

It is also a haven for wildlife, many of whom have been introduced or reintroduced. Wombats, wallabies, Forester  kangaroos, Cape Barren geese, birds -  all thrive in their own paradise. So confident and unafraid are they, that nocturnal habits have been abandoned and they may be seen at all times. A number of wombats had babies trundling along behind - if you sat down to watch they would even come up to nibble at shoes!

40 Tasmanian Devils were introduced as a way to guard against the facial cancer decimating populations. They have bred well. No predators and plentiful food. There are now around 150 Devils but fewer little penguins, mutton birds and other birds. It may be necessary to remove some of them. 

So, in 8 hours we circumnavigated Maria Island, were challenged by the sea, admired its geology and its wildlife, discovered history and witnessed the enterprise, success and failures of diverse generations. It is a wild and beautiful place and worthy of another visit. Last glimpse! A really great day.

As we motored back to Triabunna the rain blocked our final view but we didn't mind at all, the boat was again surrounded by dolphins leaping around,  farewelling us,  as this morning they had welcomed us to Maria Island!