The photograph above, taken in 1967, shows an open section of the Hobart Rivulet.

It flows from Kunanyi / Mount Wellington, through the centre of Hobart, and into the River Derwent. It was a vital source of drinking water for the Mouheneener Aborigines, and later for the first British invaders.

In fact, Hobart was established at Sullivans Cove largely because of the abundance of fresh water from the rivulet. (The creek at Risdon Cove, where the British first settled, didn’t have enough fresh water to sustain a large settlement.)

The rivulet became polluted as Hobart grew, leading to outbreaks of diseases like typhoid. The government soon got its act together and arranged for the rivulet to be cleaned up.

The section of the rivulet that is south of the Royal Hobart Hospital has flooded several times in recent decades, most recently in May 2018, when heavy rainfall caused flooding around Hobart.

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, and can be traced by the smell of fresh coffee.

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