Hobart, Tasmania

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Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island
state of Tasmania. Founded in 1803 as a penal colony, Hobart is Australia's
second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2008, the city had a greater
area population of approximately 209,287. The city is the financial and
administrative heart of Tasmania, and also serves as the home port for both
Australian and French Antarctic operations.

The city is located in the state's south-east on the estuary of the Derwent
River. The skyline is dominated by Mount Wellington at 1,271 metres high.

History of Hobart

The first settlement began in 1803 as a penal colony at Risdon Cove on the
eastern shores of the Derwent River, amid British concerns over the presence
of French explorers. In 1804 it was moved to a better location at the
present site of Hobart at Sullivan's Cove. The city, initially known as
Hobart Town or Hobarton, was named after Lord Hobart, the Colonial Secretary
The area's original inhabitants were members of the semi-nomadic
Mouheneener tribe. A series of bloody encounters with the Europeans and the
effects of diseases brought by the settlers forced away the aboriginal
population, which was rapidly replaced by free settlers and the convict
population. Charles Darwin visited Hobart Town in February, 1836 as part of
the Beagle expedition. He writes of Hobart and the Derwent estuary in his
Voyage of the Beagle:

...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.

But since the Derwent River was one of Australia's finest deepwater ports
and was the centre of the Southern Ocean whaling and the sealing trade, it
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 in 1875.

Topography

This section discusses the topography of the Greater Hobart area and as such
pinpoints the regions of urban sprawl of the suburbs and the towns included
in the Greater Hobart area as well as land formations. Hobart is located on
the estuary of the Derwent River in the state's south-east at 42°52′S
147°19′E / 42.867°S 147.317°E / -42.867; 147.317. Geologically Hobart is
built predominantly on Jurassic Dolerite around the foothills interspersed
with smaller areas of Triassic siltstone and Permian Mudstone. Much of the
waterfront of the Hobart CBD is built on Reclaimed land such as the
Sullivans Cove and Salamanca areas, done during the convict era of Tasmania.

Hobart extends along both sides of the Derwent River, on the Western Shore
from the Derwent Valley in the North through the flatter areas of Glenorchy
which rests on older Triassic sediment and into the hilly areas of New Town,
Lenah Valley both resting on the younger Jurassic dolerite deposits, before
stretching into the lower areas such as the beaches of Sandy Bay in the
South, in the Derwent Estuary. The Eastern Shore also extends from the
Derwent Valley area in a Southerly direction hugging the Meehan Ranges in
the East before sprawling into flatter land in suburbs such as Bellerive.
These flatter areas of the Eastern Shore rest on far younger deposits from
the Quaternary. From there the city extends in an easterly direction through
the Meehan Ranges into the hilly areas of Rokeby and Oakdowns, before
reaching into the tidal flatland area of Lauderdale

Hobart has access to a number of beach areas including those in the Derwent
Estuary itself; Sandy Bay, Nutgrove, Kingston, Bellerive and Howrah Beaches
as well as many more in Frederick Henry Bay such as; Seven Mile, Roaches,
Cremorne, Clifton and Goats Beaches.
Hobart area from Bellerive

Climate

Hobart has a mild temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The highest
temperature recorded was 40.8°C on 4 January 1976 and the lowest was −2.8°C
on 25 June 1972. Compared to other major Australia cities, Hobart has the
second fewest daily average hours of sunshine, with 5.9 hours per day.
(Melbourne has the fewest) Although Hobart rarely receives snow during the
winter, the adjacent Mount Wellington is often seen with a snowcap.
Unseasonal mountain snow covering has been known to occur during the other
seasons. During the 20th century, Hobart did receive many snowfalls at sea
level because of cold air masses arriving from Antarctica. These
snow-bearing winds often carried on through Tasmania and Victoria to the
Snowy Mountains in southern New South Wales and northern Victoria. Though
snow is unusual in general at sea level in Australia, Hobart has had the
most sea level snowfalls out of any Australian capital city, although
Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide have sometimes recorded some snow.

Economy

Hobart is a busy seaport, notably serving as the home port for the Antarctic
activities of Australia and France. The port loads around 2,000 tonnes of
Antarctic cargo a year for the Australian research vessel Aurora Australis.

The city also supports several other industries, including a high-speed
catamaran factory Incat and a zinc smelter operated by Nyrstar, as well as a
vibrant tourist industry. Visitors come to the city to explore its historic
inner suburbs, to visit the weekly market in Salamanca Place, as well as to
use the city as a base from which to explore the rest of Tasmania.

Other notable businesses in the area include the Cadbury chocolate factory
and the Cascade Brewery located in South Hobart near the natural spring
waters of Mount Wellington. The Hobart surrounding area has many vineyards,
including Moorilla Estate at Berriedale.

Distinctive features

The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is a popular recreation area a short
distance from the City centre. It is the second-oldest Botanic Gardens in
Australia and holds extensive significant plant collections as well as built
heritage.

Mount Wellington, accessible by passing through Fern Tree, is the dominant
feature of Hobart's skyline, indeed many descriptions of Hobart have used
the phrase "nestled amidst the foothills", so undulating is the geographical
landscape. At 1,271 metres, the mountain has its own ecosystems, is rich in
biodiversity and plays a large part in determining the local weather.

The Tasman Bridge is also a uniquely important feature of the city,
connecting the two shores of Hobart and visible from many locations.

Government

The Greater Hobart Metropolitan consists of five local government areas of
which three, City of Hobart, City of Glenorchy and City of Clarence are
designated as cities. Hobart also includes the urbanised local governments
of the Municipality of Kingborough and Municipality of Brighton. All of the
local governments are responsible for their own urban, up to a certain scale
and residential planning as well as waste management and mains water
storage.

Most city wide events such as the Taste of Tasmania and Hobart Summer Festival, are funded by the Tasmanian State Government as a joint venture with the local council. Urban planning of the Hobart CBD in particular the Heritage listed areas such as Sullivans Cove are also intensely scrutinised by State Government, which is operated out of Parliament House on the waterfront.