Richmond
A Colonial Village Twenty Minutes From Hobart, Built Around The Richmond Bridge, The Oldest Road Bridge Still In Use In Australia, Dating To 1823 And Built By Convict Labour, With A Well Preserved Georgian Streetscape And The Country'S Oldest Catholic Church A Short Walk Away · Richmond, Tasmania
Richmond is a small colonial village in Tasmania's Coal River Valley, about twenty minutes by car north-east of Hobart, built around a single stone crossing of the Coal River. Richmond Bridge was completed in 1823 using convict labour, and it is the oldest road bridge still carrying traffic in Australia, its four sandstone arches barely altered across two centuries of use. The village kept its Georgian-era streetscape largely intact rather than being redeveloped, so a short walk covers the old courthouse, a row of colonial cottages now trading as antique shops and tearooms, and St John's Church, commonly described as the oldest Catholic church still in regular use in Australia. A block from the bridge stands Richmond Gaol, built in 1825 and predating the much larger Port Arthur penal settlement by several years, one of the best-preserved convict-era lockups left standing in the country. The surrounding Coal River Valley has also grown into a small cool-climate wine district, giving visitors a reason to stay past the bridge photograph and the weekend market.
About 20 minutes north-east of Hobart, Richmond, Tasmania, Australia
The bridge and the village streets are open to walk at any time, with no gate and no entry fee to see the bridge itself. Richmond Gaol generally opens for self-guided visits during standard daylight hours, roughly 9am to 5pm, with shorter hours and more variable days in winter - confirm the current schedule before driving out outside summer. St John's Church is usually open to visitors during daylight hours but is sometimes closed for services or private events, so check before planning a visit around it specifically. The village's weekend craft and produce market runs only on weekends, not on weekdays, and most shops and tearooms close earlier in winter than in the summer season.