St Clements Anglican Church

Kingston (including Blackmans Bay and Taroona)
A pleasant beachside suburb south of Hobart
Kingston-Blackmans Bay is located 14 km south of Hobart on the Channel Highway. It is now effectively an outer suburb of Hobart. Having crossed over the hills behind Hobart on the Southern Outlet or wound around the coast through Taroona on the Channel Highway the traveller reaches this pleasant beachside suburb.

The first European to explore the waters near Kingston was Admiral Bruni D'Entrecasteaux who sailed along the coast in 1792. In 1798 Bass and Flinders entered the Derwent River and Flinders came ashore and climbed Mount Wellington. But it was really the establishment of Hobart Town in 1804 which saw the exploration and settlement of Kingston. Only weeks after the settlement at Hobart Town the botanist, Robert Brown, explored the area to the south. The village which subsequently grew up was known for years as Brown's River. It was probably named after Robert Brown although there is some suggestion that it was named after a convict named Dick Brown.

The first settler in the district was Thomas Lucas who took up land around 1810. He was followed by William Nichols who settled near Brown's River in 1818. By 1820 there were a number of small holdings and in 1835 a road was built between Brown's River and Hobart. By the end of the 1830s there were 594 free settlers and 368 convicts living in the district.

Kingston was officially proclaimed in 1851. It subsequently developed as a fruit growing area. The construction of the Southern Outlet in the 1970s converted it from a weekend retreat to a very accessible southern suburb of Hobart.

In the early years of this century, the Kingston district played host to two literary luminaries. As a child Patrick White spent his holidays with his mother and his sister at Kingston Beach and in January 1909 the American novelist Jack London stayed in one of the local hotels.

The main attractions in the area include St Clements Church, the Australian Antarctic Headquarters, and the Shot Tower at Taroona.

Things to see:  

St Clement's Church
Located at the junction of the Southern Outlet road (Beach Road) and the Channel Highway is the unusual St Clement's Church which was built from huon pine in 1874. The distinctive church spire, which has a weather cock rather than a crucifix, was installed to celebrate the fact the debts incurred in building the church had finally been paid off.

Australian Antarctic Headquarters
2 km south of Kingston on the Channel Highway are the Australian Antarctic Headquarters. They are open for inspection weekdays between 9.00 a.m.-5.00 p.m. The displays include some fascinating photographs and well as such important Antarctic artefacts as Sir Douglas Mawson's sledge.

Blackmans Bay blowhole
At Blackmans Bay the small blowhole (which is located in the reserve on Talone Road) can be dramatic when storms are lashing the coast. The drive from Kingston around to Blackmans Bay, Pierson's Point Lookout, and Tinderbox offers excellent views across the channel to Bruny Island. The blowhole is hard to find you will probably need to ask directions. It is hidden in a park at the northern end of the beach.

The Shot Tower

Shot Tower
To the north of Kingston, on the Channel Highway, is the remarkable 66 m high Shot Tower which was built by Joseph Moir in 1870. Moir was his own builder and engineer and it is said that the building was constructed using over 8000 curved and tapered sandstone blocks. As its name suggests the Shot Tower was used to produce shot. The technique was that 'Molten lead, poured through perforations, was dropped inside the tower into water, and became spherical shot.' There is now a museum and craft shop in the base of the building. Visitors keen to see the view can climb the 291 steps. The National Estate recognises the importance of the Shot Tower both as a fascinating example of industrial archaeology and as a prominent landmark.

	Motels
	Welcome Inn Kingston View Dve Kingston TAS 7050 Telephone: (03) 6229 4800 Facsimile: (03) 6229 3454 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Beachside Hotel/Motel 2 Beach Rd Kingston TAS 7050 Telephone: (03) 6229 6185
	Kingston Hotel Channel Hwy Kingston TAS 7050 Telephone: (03) 6229 6116, (03) 6229 6875 Facsimile: (03) 6229 1744
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Tranquilla Bed & Breakfast 30 Osborne Esplanade Kingston Beach Kingston TAS 7050 Telephone: (03) 6229 6282 Rating: ***
	Caravan Parks
	Lea Scout Camp Cabins Southern Outlet Kingston TAS 7050 Telephone: (03) 6229 6292
	Restaurants
	Chopsticks Restaurant 23 Channel Hwy Kingston TAS 7050 Telephone: (03) 6229 2228
	Kingston Beach Road Brasserie 39 Beach Rd Kingston TAS 7050 Telephone: (03) 6229 1670
	The Kings View Restaurant Welcome Inn Kingston View Dve Kingston TAS 7050 Telephone: (03) 6229 4800