Looking across the Tamar River towards Windemere

Windemere
Pretty little village on the eastern shore of the Tamar River
Located 20 km north of Launceston on the eastern shore of the Tamar River, Windemere is a charming small village noted for its particularly attractive and historic St Matthias Church which is a popular destination for weddings.

The area was settled in the early 1830s by Dr Matthias Gaunt who had arrived in Van Diemen's Land with his wife and five sons in May, 1831. They were immediately granted 1050 hectares on the Tamar and Gaunt named it, after the beautiful English lake, Windemere.

In an act which mixed ego with godliness, Gaunt spent £100 building a church on his property which he named St Matthias after himself. He is buried in the cemetery.

Things to see:  

Swans on the Tamar River near Windemere

St Matthias Church and the Jetty
Completed in 1842 St Matthias Church claims to be the oldest, continuously used church in Australia. Its setting is inspirational and it is popular for weddings. The jetty nearby is not only used by enthusiastic fishermen and women but by wedding parties who, looking for something truly original, make their way across the Tamar from the Rosevears Hotel which lies directly opposite.

Accommodation and Eating
See Launceston for more information.