Situated on the Elizabeth River, Campbell Town is a service and supplies centre for people who travel between Hobart and Launceston.

History

The traditional custodians of the Campbell Town area were the Tyerrernotepanner (chera-noti-pahner) people. They were naturally hostile toward the European settlers.

Campbell Town was founded in 1821, and was named by Governor Lachlan Macquarie during his second tour of Van Diemen’s Land. (‘Campbell’ was his wife’s maiden name.)

The town’s first foreign settler was a police constable named Thomas Kenton, who built a cottage in the area around 1821. A causeway was built over the Elizabeth River by 1823, and an inn was opened in 1824.

It eventually became one of the four garrison towns that linked Hobart with Launceston. Up to three soldiers were permanently stationed within the township, though they were replaced by convict police when the threat of the Tyerrernotepanner people decreased.

By the mid-1830s, Campbell Town boasted a magistrate’s house, a court house, a gaol, two hotels, two inns, and numerous shops. A post office was opened in 1832.

Today

Today, Campbell Town is a major rest area on the Midland Highway. It’s often a compromise location for ‘statewide’ meetings and conferences due its central location in the geography of Tasmania.

The area around the town remains agricultural, with a variety of crops being grown.

Landmarks
  • The Red Bridge. Built by convict labour in the 1830s, the Red Bridge is the oldest bridge on the National Highway.
  • Foxhunters Return. This building has not changed since it was built by convicts in 1833. It now operates as The Book Cellar.
  • The Convict Brick Trail. Dedicated to some of the convicts who were transported to Australia in the 1800s, the Convict Brick Trail is located on Campbell Town’s High Street.
Tas That Was - Campbell Town 2

The Red Bridge

Bibliography

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Tas That Was is a column that includes:

  • anecdotes of life in Tasmania in the past;
  • historical photographs of locations in Tasmania; and/or
  • documentaries about locations in Tasmania.

If you have an anecdote or photograph you’d like to share with us, please send it to [email protected].

GREG CURE: The Midland Highway – a Traveller’s Perspective.