The Grange in Campbell Town

Campbell Town (including Kirklands)
Important and beautiful historic town with a wealth of early nineteenth century buildings
Campbell Town, with its excess of National Trust and National Estate buildings, is the kind of town which deserves to be savoured. A half day, or even a day, would only begin to do the town justice.

Located 67 km south of Launceston and 132 km north of Hobart on the Midland Highway, Campbell Town is one of those extraordinary historic towns which make the journey between Tasmania's two largest cities such a special experience. This remarkably beautiful town, with its wealth of early nineteenth century buildings, its ducks on the banks of the Elizabeth River, and its warm red bricks, is more reminiscent of an English village than a small Australian town.

Campbell Town came into existence in 1821 as one of a number of garrison towns linking Hobart and Launceston. It was named after Governor Macquarie's wife, Elizabeth Campbell. To complete the familial naming the river was named Elizabeth by Macquarie himself when he passed through the district in 1811.

The town site was surveyed in 1823 and it was around that time that a number of Saxon merino sheep were brought to the district. They formed the nucleus of herds which by the 1830s had established Campbell Town as the centre of Van Diemen's Land's fine wool industry. In fact the town's first sheep show was held in 1839 and has continued until the present day. Locals proudly claim it to be the oldest agricultural show in the British Commonwealth.

Things to see:  

Exploring Campbell Town
The best introduction to Campbell Town is the excellent map which is in Grange Park at the northern end of the High Street. The map lists all the main historical buildings in town and shows exactly where they are located.

The bridge over the Elizabeth River at Campbell Town

The town is a feast of delights. The three-arch bridge (it is well worth walking down to the river on either side) was built by convicts between 1836-38. For people travelling from Hobart the bridge is a good starting point. If you alight here and walk up into the town you can experience the antiquity and marvel at the buildings.

Fox Hunter's Return
Just across the bridge is The Fox Hunter's Return, a public house which first opened its door to the public in 1840. A two-storey rubble stone building it is regarded as one of the 'most substantial hotel buildings of the period'.

St Michael's Church
Around the corner in King Street is St Michael's Church (1857) with the famous 'WW', the initials of Bishop Wilson, the Bishop of Tasmania, engraved into the south east wall.

Campbell Town Inn
Further up the main street, on the corner of Queen Street, is the substantial and gracious Campbell Town Inn which opened for business in 1840 and, at that time, was known as The Beehive. Its size and solidity give a clear indication of the importance of Campbell Town at that time.

The Grange
Just across the road is The Grange (1840) which stands at the centre of the town like some English manor house. In fact it was, for many years, the home of Dr William Valentine who, in 1874, reputedly held the first telephone conversation in Australia when he spoke to a friend in Launceston. The equipment, modelled on designs by Alexander Graham Bell, is now housed in the Queen Victoria Museum in Launceston. Today this superb building, designed by James Blackburn, is leased by the Adult Education Board who use it for weekend seminars.

St Luke's Church
Beyond The Grange, on the corner of William Street and the High Street, is St Luke's Church (1839) and beyond it on the corner of Bridge and Pedder streets is the church's rectory, a fine example of a colonial Georgian residence with five bay windows.

Campbell Town's National Estate Buildings
There are no fewer than thirty-five buildings in the Campbell Town district which have been listed on the National Estate. This gives some indication of the great historic importance and interest which exists in the area. The best way to enjoy Campbell Town is to wander and appreciate its charm and antiquity.

10 km west of the town is the tiny hamlet (it is so small it does not appear on most maps) of Kirklands where the poet AD Hope's father was Presbyterian minister during the 1910s. The manse, where Hope spent his childhood, was built as early as 1828.

	Tourist Information
	Courthouse Visitor Information Centre 103 High St Campbell Town TAS 7210 Telephone: (03) 6381 1283
	Motels
	Heritage Motor Inn P.O. Box 98 Campbell Town TAS 7210 Telephone: (03) 6381 1602
	Powells Motel/Hotel 118 High St Campbell Town TAS 7210 Telephone: (03) 6381 1161 Rating: **
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Baskerville Hall Bed & Breakfast 206 Macquarie Rd Campbell Town TAS 7210 Telephone: (03) 6381 1116 Rating: ***
	The Gables Bed & Breakfast 35 High St Campbell Town TAS 7210 Telephone: (03) 6381 1347 Rating: ****
	The Grange Bed & Breakfast Midland Hwy Campbell Town TAS 7210 Telephone: (03) 6381 1686 Facsimile: (03) 6381 1536 Rating: ****
	Cottages & Cabins
	Eliza¹s Cottage ŒWinton¹ Valleyfield Rd Campbell Town TAS 7210 Telephone: (03) 6381 1221, 1800 815 610 Facsimile: (03) 6381 1407 Rating: ****
	The Broadwater On Macquarie Cabin "Barton" Campbell Town TAS 7210 Telephone: (03) 6398 5114 Rating: ***
	Restaurants
	Heritage Motor Inn 132 High St Campbell Town TAS 7210 Telephone: (03) 6381 1602
	Powells Motel/Hotel 118 High St Campbell Town TAS 7210 Telephone: (03) 6381 1161
	The Broadwater On Macquarie Cabin "Barton" Campbell Town TAS 7210 Telephone: (03) 6398 5114 Rating: ***
	The Gables Bed & Breakfast 35 High St Campbell Town TAS 7210 Telephone: (03) 6381 1347
	The Grange Bed & Breakfast Midland Hwy Campbell Town TAS 7210 Telephone: (03) 6381 1686 Facsimile: (03) 6381 1536
	Cafés
	Old Stone Church Cafe 109 High St Campbell Town TAS 7210 Telephone: (03) 6381 1453