Campbell Town is located 67 km south-east of Launceston and 133 km north of Hobart, in the Northern Midlands area of Central North, Tasmania.
The Tyerrernotepanner Aboriginal People
The Tyerrernotepanner ((Chera noti pana) Aboriginal
people called the area now named Campbell Town, Waylata.
Also known as the Stony Creek Tribe,
the Tyerrernotepanner Aboriginal people were nomadic hunter-gatherers, whose lives were severely disrupted by colonisation.
The Campbell Town area and a few other towns were described by settlers as "resorts of the natives",
and showed substantial evidence of seasonal occupation, according to the journals of George Augustus Robinson, titled
Friendly Mission: the Tasmanian Journals and Papers of George Augustus Robinson, 1829–1834.
Robinson wrote:
"The country around Campbell Town was formerly a favourite place of resort for
the natives. Near to where I was camped there was evident indications that the
natives had at one time made their rendezvous: numerous trees had been
barked for the purpose of constructing their huts, and sharp stones with which
they had sharpened their spears were frequently picked up in the course of my
journey" (Plomley 1966: p485).
In his writings, Robinson also reported on
various ceremonies performed by the Tasmanian Aboriginal people, including dances, storytelling, corroborees, hunting ceremonies, and a "sting-ray ritual".
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| Aboriginal ceremony (for illustrative purpose) of native pheasant and kangaroo totem, British Library, c1899 |
Robinson also reported that the Tyerrernotepanner people had been at war with the Oyster Bay Nation "for a length of time" (Plomley 1966:416). And that hostilities existed at various times between the Tyerrernotepanner and the Big River Nations (Plomley 1966:494).
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| Tasmaniani : cenni storici ed etnologici di un popolo estinto / E.H. Giglioli. 1874 |
Black War
Tasmania's Black War (1824-31)
involved conflicts between Indigenous peoples in Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) and the settlers.
Eumarrah, was an Aboriginal man whose name was derived from the name of settler, Hugh Murray. He was a Tyerrernotepanner man and resistance leader.
Eumarrah, had a very complex relationship with the British, both resisting and
helping them, during the Black War, (1804–30). However, the traditional tribal culture
of the Tasmanian Aboriginal people suffered a mortal blow.
In the 1970s, the Tasmanian poet, Errol West, wrote a poem that highlights the gaping hole in Tasmanian Aboriginal culture, called The Moon Birds of Big Dog Island:
Like dust blown across the plain are the people of the Moon Bird.
And yet there is no one to teach me the songs.
That bring the Moon Bird, the fish.
Or any other thing that makes me what I am.
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| A watercolour drawing of a side view of Eumarrah, a Tasmanian Aboriginal man from Stoney Creek, Tasmania, by Thomas Bock. About 1832. British Museum |
The Europeans
In 1811 Governor Macquarie travelled to the Campbell Town district on a tour of inspection.
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| Major General, Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales |
The surveyors, James Meehan and George Evans marked the way for a public road in 1812, with signposts and features of the landscape, between Hobart and Launceston.
The Rev. Robert Knopwood passed through the Campbell Town area in 1814, commenting on the good road and the stockmen
using the route. However, in 1817, William Sorrel commented that bushrangers were making travel unsafe in the region.
On 18 September 1819, a government public notice in the
Hobart Town Gazette appeared :
“Thomas Kenton is appointed constable for the districts on the borders
of the countries of Buckingham and Cornwall. District Constable
Kenton being fixed upon a location adjacent to the Elizabeth River on
the Port Dalrymple Road, all persons passing with stock to and from
the settlements of the Derwent and Port Dalrymple are to exhibit their
passes and the stock in their charge to the said District Constable.
By the command of His Honour H. E. Robinson,
secretary”
Hobart Town Gazette 18 September 1819.
The first cottage at Campbell Town was built in 1821, for the constable at Campbell Town.
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| Hobart Town Gazette and Southern Reporter (Tas. : 1816 - 1821), Saturday 30 December 1820 |
In 1821, Governor Lachlan Macquarie returned to Campbell Town and
chose a site on the north bank of the Elizabeth River for the town. Also deciding on the name Campbell Town, after his wife's family back in Scotland.
Land Grants
Land was granted to settlers, generally based on one acre of land for every pound in capital or goods brought i
nto the area by them.
John Leake and family decided to emigrate to Tasmania, from England, arriving at Hobart Town on the
Andromeda in May 1823. Leake was granted land, choosing the Macquarie River, near Campbell Town, where Leake farmed, assisted by convict servants. As a master, Leake was described as being strict but benevolent.
The Leake families' first home at Campbell Town was a white-washed cottage of three rooms on the river bank, essentially a "sod hut". However, they
built a stone house with nine rooms in 1828.
Leake was made a justice of the peace in 1832 and acted as police magistrate at Campbell Town in the absence of the regular officer in 1834.
When the local branch of the Commercial Bank opened in 1838, Leake became the manager.
Mrs Leake said that settling
in a new country required "unremitting labour and perseverance".
Nominated to the Legislative Council in 1846, Leake retired to Rosedale, which had been converted from a "plain cottage... into a beautiful villa in the Italian style, without detracting from its convenience".
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| Mr and Mrs Leak, settlers at Campbell town, Tas, Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), Friday 1 June 1923 |
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| Rosdale, Campbell Town, TAS, Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954), Friday 1 June 1923 |
Growing Into a Town
During the 1830s, Campbell Town grew from a collection of slab huts, into a settlement of cottages with a courthouse, inns, public houses and stores. However, the town had a dominant military and police focus and convicts formed a large part of the population.
The convict police wore blue coats and drabs (fabric of a dull light brown colour) and had handcuffs on their belts. A major part of their job was dealing with the danger of bushrangers and convict absconders. Thomas Hughes, an older married emancipist, who arrived in 1825, was in charge of the gaol. Thomas Woodley was the gaol flagellator.
The government compound, which occupied the whole block from the Elizabeth River to King Street, operated like a closed community, with gaols, hospital wards, barracks, watch houses and police huts. There were various
workshops and store buildings.
That Campbell Town became a garrison for convict labourers, is most evident in the building of the Red Bridge, for which Lieutenant-Governor Arthur laid the foundation stone on 21 October 1836. This bridge was part of the original road designed for horse-drawn vehicles. An earlier bridge of earth and logs existed.
The Red Bridge, which crosses the Elizabeth River at Campbell Town, is the oldest surviving brick arch bridge in Australia. The bridge is
believed to have been designed by James Blackburn an English civil engineer, surveyor, who was transported for forgery.
Today,
visitors can begin the heritage walk at the Red Bridge and follow the convict brick trail through the town. Each brick records the life of a convict.
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| Convict brick trail, Campbell Town, TAS |
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| Campbell Town Bridge, TAS, Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954), Saturday 12 March 1932 |
Convict Cellar
The colonial Georgian coaching inn, The Fox Hunter's Return, was
built by convicts from about 1833, for Hugh Kean. Underneath the inn there are cellar rooms which are believed to have been built to hold prisoners during the construction of Campbell Town's red bridge.
Kean also operated a brewery and built Douglas Park house.
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| Drawing of The Foxhunter's Return, Campbell Town, TAS |
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| Campbell Town Inn, was constructed in 1840 for Gavin Hogg by builder Hugh Kean. It was a stopping place for coaches. Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954), Saturday 12 March 1932 |
Campbell Town became a busy coach stop between Launceston and Hobart for travellers requiring rest and food, for themselves and their horses.
Quorn Hall
The property Gaddesden farm was later renamed Quorn Hall.
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| Quorn Hall, Campbell Town, TAS, c 1834, Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), Wednesday 2 May 1934 |
Saxon Marino Sheep
Liza Forlong left Glasgow, Scotland and headed for the German kingdom of Saxony in 1826 and walked 1500 miles through Germany, selecting the best merino sheep to buy.
Liza drove the sheep to Hamburg for shipping to Britain and then, selected certain sheep to ship to Australia, where the family established a sheep farm, after being granted land at Kenilworth, near Campbell Town.
However, the Forlong family were not happy with the size and situation of their land grants and the land was sold. The original bloodlines of the Saxony sheep flock, however, live on in Tasmania and still produce some of the world’s finest wool.
The Winton stud near Campbell Town which was established in 1835, is the oldest existing registered sheep stud in Australia.
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| Eliza Forlong memorial statue in the park in Campbell Town |
The Midland Agricultural Association
Campbell Town Show which was first held in 1838, is the longest-running continuous country show in Australia. A big part of the show has been dedicated to the wool and sheep industry, which has dominated the area.
In 1900, the wool and timber trades were at the town's economic centre. Today, Tourism is an important industry for the town, as significant
architectural heritage belonging to Tasmania can be found here.
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| Campbell Town Agricultural Society champion award merinos, Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), Saturday 18 June 1932, |
Science and Architecture
Dr William Valentine
, one of London's most outstanding microscope makers
migrated to Van Diemen's Land in 1840, to become an assistant surgeon to the Campbell Town district. He established Turkish baths, was heavily involved in the Anglican Church and the establishment of St Luke’s Sunday school.
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| The Grange, Campbell Town, Tasmania. Designed by James Blackburn for Dr Valentine, circa 1847. Also owned by the Leake Family |
A reading room and library were also established by Dr Valentine and he even built two pipe organs. In later life, the Dr became very interested in astronomy and his enthusiasm resulted in an American party of astronomers gathering to observe the transit of Venus at his home, The Grange, in 1874.
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| Library Hall, Campbell Town TAS, Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), Thursday 2 May 1935 |
Schools and Convicts
The Campbell Town Government Day School opened in January 1840 with 32 children being enrolled. However, the school was only open for 138 days in 1838, as schools closed because of the polio epidemic.
By the 1850s the population of Campbell Town was at 1,596 males and 614 females, with 546 male convicts and 237 female convicts. There were also five water mills in the town.
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| Campbell Town - Mill, 01 Jan 1920, Libraries TAS |
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| Launceston Examiner (Tas. : 1842 - 1899), Wednesday 27 June 1849 |
Business and Churches
Joseph Brickhill, a prominent businessman and Methodist from Campbell Town donated money for Brickhill Memorial Church in Campbell Town's High Street, which replaced the old Wesleyan Chapel in King Street. It opened in 1880.
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| The Brickhill Memorial Church, (also called the Old Stone Church) High Street Campbell Town. This church was built in 1879 |
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| This building was built for Joseph Brickhill, a convict who was transported to Hobart and became a successful Campbell Town businessman., in 1859. This was his second shop built in High Street at a cost of £6,000, Campbell Town, TAS |
The Old Town
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| View of the Campbell Town main street, complete with rear view of horse and cart, circa after 1860. Libraries Tasmania |
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| Tasmania Reports of Crime, circa 1869 |
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| Campbell Town, Tas, Illustrated Australian News for Home Readers (Melbourne, Vic. : 1867 - 1875), Wednesday 25 February 1874 |
Hospital and Services
At a meeting held at Englebert's Hotel, Campbell Town, in 1855, it was decided to establish
the Campbell Town Benevolent Hospital. The matter was brought forward by W. R. Allison and money was raised. The building is located at 146 High Street.
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| Drawing of the old hospital at 146 High St, Campbell Town, TAS |
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| Campbell Town Post Office and Hospital, St Luke's and St Andrew's Churches, (uncertain date) State Library of Tasmania |
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| Campbell Town Railway Station, Tasmania, n.d,. Trainiac. The Railway Station once stood on East Street, Campbell Town. |
The town needed a reliable source of water and so, plans for an artificial lake on the Elizabeth River were drawn up and the lake was completed in 1883.
A new hospital building was provided in 1889.
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| Campbell Town Hospital, built 1889, Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), Tuesday 13 October 1925 |
A New Century
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| Campbell Town from South, Tas.Circa 1914, State Library of Victoria |
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| Main Street, Campbell Town, from the Bridge. The Weekly Courier, 15 May 1919 |
1920s-30s
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| Campbell Town, main street, TAS, 1906-1930, NLAUST |
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| Auto Car Club Three Day Trial. At Campbell Town, TAS, circa 1925, Trainiac |
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| Gala Day, Campbell Town, TAS, Weekly Courier Thursday 27 September 1934 |
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| Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954), Saturday 29 April 1933 |
War
The Campbell Town hospital was taken over by the Commonwealth as a military hospital during World War II.
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| Scene inside the sister's lounge, 1943-04-14, Campbell Town TAS, AWM |
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| Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), Saturday 30 March 1946 |
1950s
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| Photograph of the elephants leading the circus parade in Campbell Town , Tasmania c. 1940s - 50s - from the Marjorie Bligh family photograph collection. University of Tasmania |
Marjorie Bligh outside her 'dream home' - 'Climar', which she and her first husband Cliff Blackwell built in 1955 - The name 'Climar' is made up from the first three letters of their christian names - It features a bridge over a pond, an accordion motif gate and a fence with the notes from 'The Melody of Love' - from the Marjorie Bligh family photograph collection. University of Tasmania
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| Nurses from Campbell Town Hospital, Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), Thursday 16 July 1953 |
Around Campbell Town
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| Balmoral Cottage in Bridge Street, Campbell Town, TAS, built by James Mercer |
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| Cottage Ornee, located at 154 High Street, Campbell Town, TAS, was the home of Frederick Forth, the district police magistrate |
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The Red Bridge in Tasmania crosses the Elizabeth River at Campbell
Town. Built in 1838 using penal labour, it is the oldest surviving brick arch
bridge in Australia
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| St Michael's Catholic Church, Campbell Town, TAS, St Michael's Catholic Church. Opened 29 September 1857 |
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| Main road through Campbell Town, Tasmania. Taken December 2007 |
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| Heritage building in Campbell Town, Tasmania |
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| The town hall of Campbell Town, TAS, is built in the Art Deco style of the 1930s |
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| Heritage building High St, Campbell Town, Tasmania |
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| Riverside scene, Campbelltown, Tasmania |
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| Foxhunters Return. Hotel, circa 1833, Campbell Town, TAS |
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| Old cottage in Bridge Street, Campbell Town, TAS |
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| The Church function Centre at Campbell Town, circa 1857, TAS |
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| Georgian era house, Pedder Street Campbell Town Tasmania. Believed to have been constructed by Alexander Johnson in 1842 |
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| These two stone cottages in King Street were built about 1845 by the Solomon Brothers. Originally as a store and residence, Campbell Town, TAS |
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| “Rosetta” which was constructed in 1847 was the home of Claudius Thompson, the first Warden of Campbell Town, TAS, and a Waterloo veteran. |
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| Originally the Campbell Town Brewery, operated by Hugh Sean, built circa 1800s, TAS |
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| Gloucester House was originally built in the 1830s to house police officers and their family, Campbell Town, TAS |
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| Harold Gatty memorial, Campell Town, tasmania. Located opposite St. Andrews Church. Harold Gatty who was born in Campbell Town in 1903 made the first round the world flight in the “Winnie Mae, in 1931, with American Wyllie Post, Campbell Town, TAS |
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| Convict brick trail, Campbell Town, Tasmania, k.lks |
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| Original Hospital, c. 1855, High Street, Campbell Town, Tasmania |
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| St Luke's, Campbell Town, TAS, was completed in 1839 to the design of John Lee Archer, the colonial architect under Governor Arthur |
Things To Do and Places To Go
Historic Campbell Town
Books To Read
Out of Ireland (1999) by Christopher Koch is the story of Irish "gentleman-convict'" Robert Devereux and his transportation to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania).
Doctor Wooreddy's Prescription for Enduring the Ending of the World, is a historical novel by Mudrooroo Nyoongah, first published in 1983.
