Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
close to city centre, beautiful little historic town, great views |
| Disadvantages: |
the prestigious suburb of Hobart so it is quite expensive to stay and eat there |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
Battery point is the most historic suburb of Hobart, Australia’s second oldest city. Hobart is the capital of Tasmania, the only island state of Australia and separated from the mainland by the Bass strait.
**Getting there**
For visa requirements for Australia see my general review of Australia. If you are already in Australia, domestic flights into Hobart are available with Qantas, Virginblue, Jetstar or Rex airlines. Otherwise you could get an overnight boat from Melbourne to the north of Tasmania and then drive down to Hobart which is in South West Tasmania and would take about three and a half hours. The airport is about a 15 minute drive to the city centre. Battery Point is only a short walk from the centre, taking around 10 minutes from Salamanca Place and Constitution Dock, the dock famous for being the end of the annual Sydney to Hobart sailing race that starts on Boxing Day.
**Battery Point**
In Battery Point everything looked so old compared to other buildings you see around other Australian cities although really these buildings aren’t nearly half as old as historic buildings you see in England or Europe. Captain Cook only discovered Australia in 1770, so you are lucky to see anything more than 200 years old, in fact I have found that Aussies think if something is a hundred years old it is ancient! I had been in Australia for more than two years when I went to Battery Point so it did feel really old just because it was such an unusual sight! St. George’s Anglican church, sitting at the top of the hill in Battery Point, was built in 1836.
Battery Point was named after a battery of guns (which have since been removed) that were established on the point in 1818. Battery point was initially the residential area for the mariners that worked in Hobart and even today it retains its character of a Cornish fishing village from the 19th century. Today it is still a residential area and I just loved the place because it reminded me so much of an old English village. There are lots of little tearooms and restaurants as well as motels and bed and breakfasts. I didn’t stay in this area so I can’t comment on the quality of the accommodation but I do know they are more expensive than other areas of Hobart because of this prestigious suburb and its location right near the waterfront. A lot of the buildings in Battery Point are part of the National Trust who conduct guided tours of the area on Saturday mornings. The main street is overlooked by Mount Wellington (see picture) which you can drive to the top of for a great lookout over the whole city of Hobart.
**Things to do**
The main street contains Arthurs Circus, a ring of old original cottages. Now it houses tearooms and restaurants, the perfect place to relax and lookout over the water. There are also some antique shops and (my favourite) the sweet shop – a shop full of all the different sweets you used to get as a kid and haven’t had for ages, like gobstoppers and aniseed balls!
There are also a number of Museums located in Battery Point. The Colonial Museum has exhibits of everyday items from life in the 19th century including dresses that were worn, parasols and china. You could also pay a visit the Tasmanian Maritime Museum or the oldest military establishment in Australia, the Anglesea Barracks. This was established in 1811, is still used by the army today and houses the Military Museum of Australia who offer guided tours of the restored buildings and gounds.
**Summary**
Definitely a great place to visit if you are ever in Hobart, either just to relax or to visit the museums and learn more about the fascinating history of the place. Oh and reminds you of home and a little old English village!
Display pictures
