Evandale Colonial Antiques and Gallery

Evandale (including Nile)
A classified Historic Town with many elegant Georgian buildings
Evandale is situated on the South Esk River 20 km south of Launceston and a few kilometres beyond Launceston airport. A classified historic town, it is a storehouseof superb heritage buildings which remain in largely original condition.

Governor Lachlan Macquarie travelled through the Evandale area in both 1811 and 1821. On his first visit he decided that a town should be built in the area and designated a site, about 3 km south east of the present town, as a suitable location.

The European settlement of the district came in a number of waves. The first settlers arrived in 1816 when a number of families were evacuated to the area from the penal colony on Norfolk Island. One of the first settlers was George Collins, from Norfolk Island, and for a time the town was known as Collins Hill. Similarly one of the first prominent houses was 'Fallgrove' which was built by Kennedy Murray, another Norfolk Islander, in Rodgers Lane.

The town was named after the surveyor and painter, George William Evans, who spent much of his later life in Van Diemen's Land. At one time he was appointed deputy-surveyor of lands in the colony.

Among the town's more unusual inhabitants was a convict named John Kelly who achieved a certain fame and notoriety when his son, Ned, became a successful bushranger.

The economic wealth of Evandale is historically based on its highly successful agriculture which ranges from wool through fat lamb raising, cattle and dairy produce and the growing of wheat, oats, barley and peas.

The Evandale Village Fair is held annually on the last Saturday in February, and features a full day of Penny Farthing bicycle racing which includes the National Penny Farthing Championship. 

Things to see:  

St Andrews Uniting Church

Historic Buildings in Evandale
With a town like Evandale it is imperative to get a copy of Let's Talk About Evandale. This informative brochure, which is free, lists no fewer than 38 buildings and sites of historic in the town and over 70 in the district.

The buildings of particular interest in Evandale include the former Presbyterian Manse (1840), a typical colonial building opposite Barclay Street in the town's High Street, 'Blenheim' (1832), a one-time hotel on the southern corner of Barclay and High Street, which was originally known as the 'Patriot King William IV', St Andrews Uniting Church (1840) in the High Street with its classical belltower and Doric columns, and a number of buildings at the intersection of Russell Street and High Street including the Clarendon Stores (1836), an early saddler's shop (1840) and the Prince of Wales Hotel (1836).

Clarendon Arms Hotel

This barely scratches the surface of the rich diversity of the town. It is sensible to give it about half a day and to wander around accompanied by a good detailed local map. A shorter visit would definitely include a walk down the High Street which is one of the most attractive historic main streets in Tasmania.

Nile
13 km further south is the tiny village of Nile, on the Nile River. It is a pretty village with a number of interesting buildings including St Peter's Church (1893) with its impressive tower and the ruins of the former Nile Inn. On the Nile-Cleveland Road, to the south of the town, is 'Kingston', a single-storey rubblestone house which was built by John Batman, the founder of Melbourne. A further 8 kms towards Ben Lomond is the even smaller village of Deddington. It was the home of John Glover, renowned colonial artist whose house, 'Patterdale', still stands and is located 4 km east of the village. Built in 1832, it is a two storey Georgian house constructed in an unusual combination of rubble stone on the first floor and timber on the second floor. He died in 1849 and is buried next to his wife Sarah in cemetery of the small church at Deddington. John Glover's work is celebrated with the nationally renowned annual Glover Prize worth $30,000 for first prize. It is held every March in Evandale. 

Clarendon House

Clarendon House
About 3 km north of the village of Nile is 'Clarendon' House, built by the wealthy grazier and merchant James Cox in 1836, a National Trust residence which is open daily between 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. (it closes at 4.00 p.m. in winter and usually closed during July but check with the local tourist information centre). Cox was the son of the William Cox who built the first road across the Blue Mountains in NSW.

'Clarendon' is recognised as one of the most impressive and best preserved Georgian houses in Australia. Its combination of beautifully proportioned rooms (with their high ceilings) and a diversity of interesting outbuildings - a dairy, a butcher's shop, a bakehouse, a large stable, a gardener's cottage - make it a residence worth visiting.

Strathmore
Nearby is 'Strathmore', a marvellous convict-built residence which was completed in 1826 and is now an up market guest house. This is no ordinary guest house. It is surrounded by extensive gardens, a large orchard, a lake and a nearby barn has been converted into a function room capable of holding 150 people.

	Hotels
	Clarendon Arms Hotel 11 Russell St Evandale TAS 7212 Telephone: (03) 6391 8181
	Prince of Wales Hotel 2 Nile Rd Evandale TAS 7212 Telephone: (03) 6391 8381 Rating: *
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Arendon Cottage Bed & Breakfast 30 Russell St Evandale TAS 7212 Telephone: (03) 6359 6510
	Browns Village Store & Stables Accommodation 5 Russell St Evandale TAS 7212 Telephone: (03) 6391 8048
	Hammers Bed & Breakfast 19 Barclay St Evandale TAS 7212 Telephone: (03) 6391 8496
	Strathmore Bed & Breakfast & Holiday Apts 868 Nile Rd Evandale TAS 7212 Telephone: (03) 6398 6213 Facsimile: (03) 6398 6213 Rating: ****
	The Old Wesleyan Chapel 28 Russell St Evandale TAS 7212 Telephone: (03) 6331 9337
	The Stables Bed & Breakfast 5 Russell St Evandale TAS 7212 Telephone: (03) 6359 2214 Rating: ****
	Apartments
	Greg & Gills Place Apts 35 Collins St Evandale TAS 7212 Telephone: (03) 6391 8248 Facsimile: (03) 6391 8248 Rating: ***
	Cottages & Cabins
	Grandma's House 10 Rodgers La Evandale TAS 7212 Telephone: (03) 6391 8088 Facsimile: (03) 6391 8783 Email: jcz@iprimus.com.au Rating: ****
	Solomon Cottage 1 High St Evandale TAS 7212 Telephone: (03) 6391 8331 Rating: ***
	Restaurants
	Clarendon Arms Hotel 11 Russell St Evandale TAS 7212 Telephone: (03) 6391 8181
	Prince of Wales Hotel 2 Nile Rd Evandale TAS 7212 Telephone: (03) 6391 8381
	Cafés
	The Muse Cafe 14 Russell St Evandale TAS 7212 Telephone: (03) 6391 8554