In 1808 – five years after the establishment of the first British settlement in Tasmania at Risdon Cove – settlers from Norfolk Island accepted land grants in the Rokeby area, and a town began to grow in the 1830s.

When the Reverend Robert Knopwood, the founder of the Church of England in Tasmania, died in 1838 at the age of 77, he was buried at the cemetery at Rokeby.

A watchhouse was built around 1840 , and in 1843, St Matthews Church was constructed.

By 1866, there were around 180 people living in Rokeby.

Just over a hundred years later, the town was ravaged by the Black Tuesday bushfires. Two locals lost their lives in the blaze, which also burned down many of Rokeby’s historic buildings. The town has long since recovered.

A large public housing estate was built at Rokeby in the 1970s. Many of the houses have since been sold to private owners.

According to the 2021 Census, the Rokeby statistical area was at the time home to 7,874 people. The suburb continues to grow as new housing is still being built.

There was a significant gender imbalance with 46.9% male and 53.1% female, noting that non-binary gender options were not available on that Census.

8.8% of residents identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, well above the Tasmanian average (5.4%) and Australia as a whole (3.2%).

The town’s main drawcard today is St Matthews Church and there is a small local shopping precinct. The suburb is lacking in community services and sporting facilities compared to some other parts of greater Hobart.

The area is serviced by the South Arm Highway and is approximately 20 minutes drive from central Hobart. Bus services are also available.

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).