History

In 1805 – two years after Van Diemen’s Land was settled by Britain and one year after the establishment of Hobart at Sullivans Cove – Lieutenant-Governor David Collins explored the area in which Sorell would later be built.

A small wheat farming community soon developed in the area, and a local mill had been built by 1817 to process all the grain.

The site for the Sorell township was designated in 1819, and a settlement quickly sprang up. In 1821, Lachlan Macquarie, the fifth Governor of New South Wales, visited the town and named it after William Sorell, who served as the third Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen’s Land between 1817 and 1824.

Two years later, Sorell had a population of 133 people, 96 of whom were convicts. The local farmers were also exporting their excess grain to New South Wales.

Bushranger Matthew Brady and his gang captured Sorell early in its history. They simply sauntered into the town, disarmed the local soldiers, and spent an entire night there before moving on. The bushrangers were effectively in charge of Sorell during this single night.

The Sorell Municipal Council was established in 1862, and just over a decade later, Sorell was linked to the telegraph service. The town had been connected to a public water supply system by 1916.

Today

Sorell has been transformed in modern times by large amounts of urban development.

It is well-known as a pitstop for people travelling between Hobart and the Tasman Peninsula.

A street view of Sorell in 1906.

Tragedy at Sorell

A terrible crime was committed in the Sorell area in May 1878. The Mercury reported:

“The usual quiet locality of Bream Creek, in the municipality of Sorell, has been startled by a tragedy of the most terrible character. A youth named [Richard Copping Jnr.] killed a girl named Stacey, with whom he had been keeping company, by cutting her down with an axe, and then attempted suicide by shooting himself.”

The gun accidentally shifted positions when Copping attempted suicide, causing him a non-fatal injury. He was put on trial in Hobart after he recovered, and was subsequently found guilty of murder.

Stacey’s murder deeply affected the Sorell area, according to the Mercury.

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].

Callum J. Jones studied English, History, and Journalism at the University of Tasmania. He has written fiction and non-fiction for Tasmanian Times since 2018. He can be traced by the smell of fresh coffee.

Follow him on Twitter (@Callum_Jones_10) and Facebook (@callum.j.jones.creative).