Discovery trail
Before the bypass
Bridges, inns and the old road
Before fast highways, a river crossing, coaching stop or government post could make a town useful. Explore four Tasmanian settlements shaped by early road travel and the farms around them. They share a transport story, rather than one continuous coaching route.
THE STOPS
RichmondThe Coal River crossing connected Hobart with farms and eastern routes. The convict-built bridge, completed in 1825, supported travellers, trade and colonial institutions.
OatlandsChosen in 1821 as a military and administrative station between Hobart and Launceston, Oatlands gained roads, courts and mills. Farming sustained it as through traffic changed.
RossThe Macquarie River crossing gave road travellers a reason to stop. The sandstone bridge of 1836, coaching services and the pastoral district reinforced the town’s place on the main route.
EvandaleFarms and inns near South Esk routes grew into a village of trades, churches and coaching business. Its preserved streets show the scale of a town formed before modern road travel.