Introduction to Hobart

198km (123 miles) S of Launceston

Tasmania's capital (pop. 120,000), set on the Derwent River, is an appealing place worth visiting for a couple of days. Hobart's main features are its wonderful harbor and the colonial cottages that line the narrow lanes of Battery Point. The harbor is the city's focal point, attracting yachts from all over the world. At the waterfront, picturesque Salamanca Place bursts with galleries, pubs, cafes, and an excellent market on Saturdays.

Europeans settled in Hobart in 1804, a year after Tasmania's first colony was set up at Risdon (10km/6 1/4 miles up the Derwent River), making it Australia's second oldest city after Sydney. Hobart is the southernmost Australian state capital and is closer to the Antarctic coast than it is to Perth in Western Australia; navigators, whalers, and explorers have long regarded it as the gateway to the south.