A World Heritage Listed Convict Site
Woolmers Estate can be found in northern Tasmania, it's about a 30 minute drive from Launceston. I originally discovered it when on Trip Advisor looking at the 10 best things to do when visiting Clarendon, the National Trust property that is nearby. Turns out Woolmers Estate is quite well known and an UNESCO World Heritage Site!
The first Thomas Archer was granted 800 acres in 1817 and this became the basis of his pastoral holdings, over the years it grew much larger and he was able to build some considerable wealth. Labour was plentiful in colonial Tasmania through its convict assignment system. Convicts were assigned to free settlers who were then responsible for housing, feeding and clothing them in exchange for their labour. Great system for the government as they didn't have to pay to keep the convicts and the free settlers got cheap labour. Woolmers Estate was built with a mixture of convict, 'ticket of leave' (freed convicts) and paid labour. The Estate was owned by a succession of Thomas Archers, the oldest son were all named Thomas, the last Thomas was unmarried and had no children, he became interested in the preservation of historic buildings and set up a Trust, now called the Woolmers Foundation, that would own and open the property to visitors.
Some changes have been made to the property and these include the brand new Visitor's Centre which was funded by a descendant of the first Thomas Archer. The Visitor's Centre has a gallery area, a cafe and gift shop. Once through the Visitor's Centre you're in the National Rose Garden which was established in 2001. The Rose Garden was established on the site of an apple orchard, Thomas IV was an orchardist and ran an apple orchard at the estate.
A rotunda in the Rose Garden with the Gardener's Cottage in the background.
The Rose Garden has been planted as a formal French Garden with areas divided with hedges.
A lilypond with koi.
Visiting in mid January the roses weren't all in full bloom, a Rose Festival is held in the garden in November.
Leaving the Rose Garden you enter the historic area of the estate.
The stables and the coach house, this building was close to the main house. The building was added to and this shows the results of the 1840s alterations. The two wings had six-stall stables and the centre held the carriages. The upstairs section was used as a granary.
Thomas IV was a Tasmania motoring pioneer and bought the car on the right, a 1012 'Wolseley' Town Tourer. His son Thomas V and new wife Marjorie used this car in 1915 to drive around Tasmania on their honeymoon. The other car was purchased by Thomas V in 1936 and is a Dodge 'Beauty Winner', information from the helpful visitor's guide! I wouldn't know a Dodge from a Wolseley! Thomas IV, V and VI were all keen motorists and maintained the cars themselves.
Across from the stables is the Coachman's cottage, originally there were two cottages, for the coachman and groom. In the 1980s they were combined for tourist accomodation and they're still used by visitors.
The whole estate had to be self-sufficient and it ran like a small village. This cottage was the bakehouse, the building next to it could possibly had been a cool room or a smoke house.
The building on the left was the Cider House. Apples were grown in large quantities from the 1840s and they were collected, pressed and allowed to ferment into cider. This was the main drink for the workers during harvesting and sheering time. Woolmers Cider was also sold on the mainland by the late 1840s.
The large building next to the Cider House was the Wool Shed, it dates back to 1820, so one of the first buildings on the estate. It's one of the largest and grandest wool sheds in Australia. Thomas I was a Tasmania pioneer in the wool industry and during his time the estate stocked 10,000 sheep. The wool bales would be rolled down the upper floor on a ramp and then loaded on wagons and transported to Launceston to be shipped to England.
The building at the back was for the farm carts and horses, and the cottage for the farm workers.
The main house, Woolmers House, was walled off from the rest of the property and had its own garden.
One part of the walled garden is enclosed with the back of the Coach house and stables, it had a door at the back for family members to use to get to the house, rather than walking around the wall to the gates.
View from the front of the house of the fountain and the walled garden, the fountain was bought in 1864 by R.Q. Kermode who was living in the house at the time with his wife Thomas I's daughter. Thomas I and II had died and Thomas III was living overseas, he spent little time at Woolmers.
This little castle shaped building had a very practical use, after dinner the gentlemen would retire for their port and cigars. They would come out to this building away from the ladies who went to the Drawing Room, the flagpole was used as a signal to the house when they needed more supplies!
The main house is in the background and it's possible to see that it is made up of two distinct houses, the older part at the back and the new Italianate more elaborate part at the front which was designed by Thomas I's son William who was studying architecture at the time.
The actual front of the house, it faces the river which was the main access point to the property at the time, the house was built in 1820. It has large cellars and attics, the attics were the accomodation for the female domestic staff. The house was a wooden structure, with large verandahs, in the style of the bungalows of British India. The newer addition was much grander and added in 1845, and it's the part of the house that visitors first see entering the walled garden. Sadly though I forgot to take a picture of it! In my first attempt a gardener was working infront of the house, so I thought I would come back later and take a photo but it seems I forgot!
The entrance fee to the estate depends on whether you want to just walk around with the information booklet and not enter the house. Or pay to do the house tour as well, I opted for the house tour as I wanted to see inside. Unfortunately there's a no photo policy so I couldn't take any pictures. Still the house tour is very worthwhile as the tour guide fills you in with much of the family history so you better understand what life at Woolmers was like.
From the front of the house you look down to the river to the old wooden windmill and pump station that provided the water for the estate. Across the river is the property called Brickendon which is owned by another branch of the Archer family. (Descendant from Thomas I's older brother William) In their case descendants still own and run the property, it's also open for visitors and has a complete convict village and it is UNESCO heritage listed. It's possible to walk along the river to Brickendon, about a 50 minute walk I was told.
I think that's Brickendon as it's still been actively farmed. They diversified into crops and cleared the land down by the river to plant these crops.
For anyone who has an interest in Tasmanian colonial history then a visit to Woolmers is a must. I also recommend you pay the extra amount and do the guided tour of the house, it makes the whole estate come to life listening to the stories of the family and also seeing images of them. It's a little 'dry' just walking around looking at the buildings and reading about them.
Woolmers Estate can be found in northern Tasmania, it's about a 30 minute drive from Launceston. I originally discovered it when on Trip Advisor looking at the 10 best things to do when visiting Clarendon, the National Trust property that is nearby. Turns out Woolmers Estate is quite well known and an UNESCO World Heritage Site!
The first Thomas Archer was granted 800 acres in 1817 and this became the basis of his pastoral holdings, over the years it grew much larger and he was able to build some considerable wealth. Labour was plentiful in colonial Tasmania through its convict assignment system. Convicts were assigned to free settlers who were then responsible for housing, feeding and clothing them in exchange for their labour. Great system for the government as they didn't have to pay to keep the convicts and the free settlers got cheap labour. Woolmers Estate was built with a mixture of convict, 'ticket of leave' (freed convicts) and paid labour. The Estate was owned by a succession of Thomas Archers, the oldest son were all named Thomas, the last Thomas was unmarried and had no children, he became interested in the preservation of historic buildings and set up a Trust, now called the Woolmers Foundation, that would own and open the property to visitors.
Some changes have been made to the property and these include the brand new Visitor's Centre which was funded by a descendant of the first Thomas Archer. The Visitor's Centre has a gallery area, a cafe and gift shop. Once through the Visitor's Centre you're in the National Rose Garden which was established in 2001. The Rose Garden was established on the site of an apple orchard, Thomas IV was an orchardist and ran an apple orchard at the estate.
Visiting in mid January the roses weren't all in full bloom, a Rose Festival is held in the garden in November.
Leaving the Rose Garden you enter the historic area of the estate.
The stables and the coach house, this building was close to the main house. The building was added to and this shows the results of the 1840s alterations. The two wings had six-stall stables and the centre held the carriages. The upstairs section was used as a granary.
Thomas IV was a Tasmania motoring pioneer and bought the car on the right, a 1012 'Wolseley' Town Tourer. His son Thomas V and new wife Marjorie used this car in 1915 to drive around Tasmania on their honeymoon. The other car was purchased by Thomas V in 1936 and is a Dodge 'Beauty Winner', information from the helpful visitor's guide! I wouldn't know a Dodge from a Wolseley! Thomas IV, V and VI were all keen motorists and maintained the cars themselves.
Across from the stables is the Coachman's cottage, originally there were two cottages, for the coachman and groom. In the 1980s they were combined for tourist accomodation and they're still used by visitors.
The whole estate had to be self-sufficient and it ran like a small village. This cottage was the bakehouse, the building next to it could possibly had been a cool room or a smoke house.
The building on the left was the Cider House. Apples were grown in large quantities from the 1840s and they were collected, pressed and allowed to ferment into cider. This was the main drink for the workers during harvesting and sheering time. Woolmers Cider was also sold on the mainland by the late 1840s.
The large building next to the Cider House was the Wool Shed, it dates back to 1820, so one of the first buildings on the estate. It's one of the largest and grandest wool sheds in Australia. Thomas I was a Tasmania pioneer in the wool industry and during his time the estate stocked 10,000 sheep. The wool bales would be rolled down the upper floor on a ramp and then loaded on wagons and transported to Launceston to be shipped to England.
The main house, Woolmers House, was walled off from the rest of the property and had its own garden.
One part of the walled garden is enclosed with the back of the Coach house and stables, it had a door at the back for family members to use to get to the house, rather than walking around the wall to the gates.
View from the front of the house of the fountain and the walled garden, the fountain was bought in 1864 by R.Q. Kermode who was living in the house at the time with his wife Thomas I's daughter. Thomas I and II had died and Thomas III was living overseas, he spent little time at Woolmers.
This little castle shaped building had a very practical use, after dinner the gentlemen would retire for their port and cigars. They would come out to this building away from the ladies who went to the Drawing Room, the flagpole was used as a signal to the house when they needed more supplies!
The main house is in the background and it's possible to see that it is made up of two distinct houses, the older part at the back and the new Italianate more elaborate part at the front which was designed by Thomas I's son William who was studying architecture at the time.
The actual front of the house, it faces the river which was the main access point to the property at the time, the house was built in 1820. It has large cellars and attics, the attics were the accomodation for the female domestic staff. The house was a wooden structure, with large verandahs, in the style of the bungalows of British India. The newer addition was much grander and added in 1845, and it's the part of the house that visitors first see entering the walled garden. Sadly though I forgot to take a picture of it! In my first attempt a gardener was working infront of the house, so I thought I would come back later and take a photo but it seems I forgot!
The entrance fee to the estate depends on whether you want to just walk around with the information booklet and not enter the house. Or pay to do the house tour as well, I opted for the house tour as I wanted to see inside. Unfortunately there's a no photo policy so I couldn't take any pictures. Still the house tour is very worthwhile as the tour guide fills you in with much of the family history so you better understand what life at Woolmers was like.
From the front of the house you look down to the river to the old wooden windmill and pump station that provided the water for the estate. Across the river is the property called Brickendon which is owned by another branch of the Archer family. (Descendant from Thomas I's older brother William) In their case descendants still own and run the property, it's also open for visitors and has a complete convict village and it is UNESCO heritage listed. It's possible to walk along the river to Brickendon, about a 50 minute walk I was told.
I think that's Brickendon as it's still been actively farmed. They diversified into crops and cleared the land down by the river to plant these crops.
For anyone who has an interest in Tasmanian colonial history then a visit to Woolmers is a must. I also recommend you pay the extra amount and do the guided tour of the house, it makes the whole estate come to life listening to the stories of the family and also seeing images of them. It's a little 'dry' just walking around looking at the buildings and reading about them.
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