Hamilton

Hamilton is a charming village with historic buildings and views of the Great Western Tiers. Scottish farmers settled the area and you’ll still find crofter cottages and grand old farmhouses alongside the cosy bed and breakfast homes. Although the town is a lot quieter these days, it still has the atmosphere of a village in the 1800s with many of the town’s shops dating back to convict times.

Keep an eye out for the Old Schoolhouse, a large two-storey building built by convicts in 1858 and originally constructed so that the Headmaster lived in the room above the central staircase and the children, according to their sex, entered the school from different doors. Also of interest is St Peter’s Church, completed in 1837. The church has only one door to prevent the congregation, which in the early days was about 50 per cent convicts, from attempting to escape.

You can learn more of the town’s lively past at the Hamilton Heritage Centre. Nearby is Prospect Villa and Garden, with its early Georgian sandstone home and a garden with a series of romantic garden ‘rooms’ abundantly planted and set in a classic design with long vistas through the garden to focal points and panoramic views.

Hamilton is around a one hour drive (74 km) north-west of Hobart.