Hobart, the capital of Tasmania in Australia, is home to some of the top tourist attractions of Australia and has a rich history. From the city's humble beginnings as a penal settlement to its modern-day status as a sophisticated and culturally diverse metropolitan centre, the city is steeped in Australian heritage.
The first decade of Hobart as a convict colony in the 1820s was difficult, due to the harsh climate and the isolation from other European cities. A view of the city by Irish convict-artist Alan Carswell (1823) depicts a devastated and demoralised settlement. The artist wrote, "The distress of people is beyond comprehension." "Nothing grows without rain, and the grubs destroy our vegetables."
As the century wore on, Hobart slowly began to recover. In the 1860s, children's needs were addressed with the opening of schools such as the Girls' Industrial School and Kennerley Boys' Home. The Model School in Battery Point, and the Hobart Technical College were built as the education system progressed. In 1870 the 48-metre high shot tower was completed at Taroona. Using gravity to drop molten lead, the tower formed spherical bullets that were later cooled in cold water to produce solid shot for the Tasmanian Colonial Forces.
By 1914, with a population of 39,914, Hobart was a confident, outward-looking city that rivalled other Australian cities. This was largely due to the large influx immigrants. Sheep farming became a major industry in the city, which was also the main port of Tasmanian exports. In 1913, the city was exposed to bushfires when a fire destroyed several buildings at the foot of Mount Wellington.
Hobart prospered again after World War II as the main shipping hub for Tasmania. The city's economic activity grew steadily. The city was home to a number new industries including food processing, tobacco production, and wool production. The city saw a large influx of migrants, mainly from the UK and Australia. They were attracted by the cheap land and the opportunities in the local economic system.
In the 1970s, the residents of Hobart fought hard to protect their city from unsympathetic development. They set up guidelines to protect the heritage of the city and argued against demolition. This period saw a great deal of debate on the form of new developments, with citizens strongly opposed to plans for a cable car up Mount Wellington and overdevelopment in the Domain and Battery Point.