Austins Ferry is a residential suburb of the local government area (LGA) of Glenorchy in the greater

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

region of

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

. It is a suburb of

Geography

Austins Ferry is about north of the centre of the City of Glenorchy. The waters of the River Derwent form the eastern boundary and parts of the northern and southern boundaries of the suburb.

History

Austins Ferry is named after James Austin (1776–1831), who had been

transported ''Transported'' is an Australian convict melodrama film directed by W. J. Lincoln. It is considered a lost film. Plot In England, Jessie Grey is about to marry Leonard Lincoln but the evil Harold Hawk tries to force her to marry him and she ...

Port Phillip Port Phillip (Kulin languages, Kulin: ''Narm-Narm'') or Port Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shaped bay#Types, enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The bay opens into the Bass Strait via a short, ...

as a

convict A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a common label for former convicts ...

in 1803 along with his cousin John Earl, and who was subsequently sent to

Van Diemens Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania during the European exploration and colonisation of Australia in the 19th century. The Aboriginal-inhabited island was first visited by the Dutch ship captained by Abel Tasm ...

in 1804. After their sentences expired, the two men were granted small land parcels on the western shore of the River Derwent between Hobart and

New Norfolk New Norfolk ( ; Aboriginal Tasmanians#Big River, Leenowwenne/palawa kani: ''Wulawali'') is a river bank, riverside town located on the Derwent River (Tasmania), River Derwent in southeastern Tasmania, Australia. Established in 1807, it is Tasm ...

. In 1818 they established a ferry service across the river and later a punt which proved very conveniently-located for vehicular traffic travelling between Hobart and regions to the north, and they thus became very wealthy. In 1821 the visiting Governor

Lachlan Macquarie Major-general (United Kingdom), Major General Lachlan Macquarie, Companion of the Order of the Bath, CB (; ; 31 January 1762 – 1 July 1824) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Scotland. Macquarie served as the fifth Gove ...

renamed the village Roseneath, but it later reverted to its original name. Austins Ferry was gazetted as a locality in 1960. The 2021 census recorded a population of 2,395 for Austins Ferry.

Facilities and attractions

James Austin's cottage

James Austin's original cottage (picture on the right) is preserved as a tourist attraction. James Austin Cottage

The opening hours for the cottage are limited to Sundays between 1pm and 4pm. It provides crafts and historical information.

Saint Virgil's College

Austins Ferry is the location of

St Virgil's College St Virgil's College is an independent Catholic primary and secondary day school for boys, located over two campuses in Austins Ferry and Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Established in 1911 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, the College has ...

, a private Roman Catholic co-educational school.

Austins Ferry Primary School

Austins Ferry Primary School is the local state school. It was established in 2011.

Road infrastructure

National Route 1 (

Brooker Highway The Brooker Highway is a highway in the Australian state of Tasmania. As one of Hobart's three major radials, the highway connects traffic from the Hobart central business district, city centre with the northern suburbs and is the major road con ...

) passes to the west of Austins Ferry. From there, several roads provide access to the locality.

References

Suburbs of Hobart Towns in Tasmania Localities of City of Glenorchy Populated places on the River Derwent {{GlenorchyTAS-geo-stub