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Things to Do in Kempton, Tasmania: 9 Reasons to Turn Off the Highway
- Kempton, Tasmania. Image Credit: Darren Wright
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Around 40 minutes north of Hobart, this historic Southern Midlands town was once an important coaching stop on the road between Hobart and Launceston. Today, its broad streets are lined with heritage buildings, with plenty of reminders of its early days as Green Ponds.
There’s whisky to taste at Old Kempton Distillery, historic main streets to wander, and plenty of stories hiding behind old sandstone walls.
Kempton is small, easy to explore and well worth leaving the Midland Highway for. Here are nine things to see and do while you’re there.
Start with the main street.
Kempton retains an impressive collection of Georgian and Victorian buildings from its days as a busy coaching village. Dysart House, the Wilmot Arms Inn, Green Ponds Store, St Mary’s Anglican Church and the old Green Ponds Council Chambers are among the places recognised on the Tasmanian Heritage Register.
Many are private properties, so this is best enjoyed as a wander rather than a door-knocking expedition. Keep an eye out for the historical interpretation around town and the small details in the buildings themselves.
Kempton’s approach is part of its appeal.
Rather than racing back onto the highway, follow the old road beneath the trees of Memorial Avenue. The avenue is historically significant and survived in part because the Midland Highway was eventually diverted around Kempton.
It’s particularly good in autumn, when the deciduous trees around Kempton bring plenty of colour to the old streets and surrounding countryside. Hobart & Beyond already has recent supporting content positioning Kempton as one of the Midlands’ good autumn stops.
Dysart House is one of Kempton’s standout buildings and these days it’s home to Old Kempton Distillery.
The grand 1840s property began life as a coaching inn and today houses a working distillery, cellar door and café. Visitors can join a distillery tour, settle in for a tasting flight or stop for coffee and something to eat. The café menu changes seasonally and makes use of Tasmanian produce.
The cellar door is currently open daily from 10am–4pm, with the café open 10am–3pm. As always, check opening details before travelling.
St Mary’s Anglican Church is one of those buildings that makes you stop for another look.
Its Gothic Revival stonework, square tower and long tree-lined approach make it one of Kempton’s most recognisable landmarks. The adjoining cemetery also holds the stories of generations of people connected with the district.
A little further along Main Street is one building that is difficult to miss.
The former Presbyterian church, known locally as The Blue Place, dates from the late 19th century and remains one of Kempton’s most distinctive pieces of architecture. The historic council-owned building has also had a community and arts role in more recent years. It’s a good example of the unexpected variety of architecture you find while walking through Kempton.
The history doesn’t stop at the edge of town.
Between Kempton and Tunbridge, 16 steel silhouettes appear beside the road and across the surrounding hills as part of the Shadows of the Past trail. Bushrangers, convicts, animals and other characters reference stories from the Midlands’ colonial past.
At Kempton, three stagecoach silhouettes are a particularly fitting reminder of the competition between coaching services that once travelled this route.
Kempton has another rather different whisky story just outside town.
Belgrove Distillery produces rye whisky from its property on the Midland Highway and is known for its small-scale, paddock-to-bottle approach and unusual biodiesel-powered still. Visits are by appointment only, so this one needs a little planning rather than simply turning up.
After exploring Main Street, the Huntington Tavern is the local option for a pub meal, a drink and a chance to spend a little longer in town.
Once a year, this otherwise fairly quiet town gets noticeably busier.
The Kempton Festival & Sheep Racing Championships continues the district’s long agricultural-show tradition, with the 2026 event including sheep racing, barrel rolling, ferret racing, demonstrations, food, entertainment and market stalls. The festival is traditionally held in February, but visitors should check the current event calendar for dates and details.
And you don’t necessarily need to head back to Hobart afterwards.
The converted St Peter’s Church remains available as accommodation in the heart of Kempton, while the Kempton roadside stopover provides another option for self-contained travellers. The council currently allows a maximum 48-hour stay at the stopover, with some powered sites available.
Kempton works well as a short stop from Hobart, but give it a couple of hours and there’s considerably more here than you can see from the highway.
Walk Main Street, look closely at the old buildings, stop for lunch or a whisky tasting and then continue north through the Southern Midlands towards Oatlands, Ross and the rest of Tasmania’s Heritage Highway.
Sometimes the better part of a road trip starts when you take the turn-off.
Kempton is in Tasmania’s Southern Midlands, around 49 kilometres or a 40-minute drive north of Hobart. The historic town sits just off the Midland Highway on the route between Hobart and Launceston.
Yes. Kempton is a small historic town with well-preserved colonial buildings, old churches, tree-lined streets and two notable whisky distilleries nearby. It makes an easy stop on a drive through Tasmania’s Heritage Highway.
Kempton is known for its colonial architecture, history as a former coaching stop, Old Kempton Distillery at Dysart House and the surrounding Southern Midlands countryside. The town was originally known as Green Ponds.
Some of the best things to do in Kempton include walking along Main Street, visiting Old Kempton Distillery, seeing St Mary’s Anglican Church and The Blue Place, exploring the town’s historic buildings and looking out for the Shadows of the Past sculptures.
Allow around one to two hours for a relaxed walk through Kempton and a look at its historic buildings. Allow longer if you plan to have lunch, join a distillery tour or whisky tasting, or explore more of the surrounding Southern Midlands.
Yes. Old Kempton Distillery is located in the historic Dysart House in Kempton and offers whisky and spirit tastings, distillery tours and a café. Opening hours and tour times can change, so check directly with the distillery before visiting.
Yes. Kempton is one of the historic towns of Tasmania’s Heritage Highway, the touring route linking Hobart and Launceston through the Midlands. The modern Midland Highway bypasses Kempton, but the town centre is only a short detour from the main road.
Oatlands and Bagdad are among the places that can easily be combined with a visit to Kempton. Continuing north along the Heritage Highway also leads towards Ross, Campbell Town, Longford and other historic Midlands towns.
The Hobart and Beyond Editorial Team is dedicated to bringing you the best insider tips, local stories, and up-to-date guides to exploring southern Tasmania.
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