Thurs, 21st May, 2015 Lake Dulverton Rest Area, Oatlands to King Street Oval, Campbell Town (Ross sightseeing)

Another bleak morning. 6.30am it was 7.7 degrees in the van so on with the heater. At 8am I put the thermometer outside and it was only 5.2 degrees but nice inside at 16.7 degrees. A misty fog has settled over the lake again.

At 9.30am Steve ventured outside to pack up and it was only 8 degrees. Shame I had to stay inside with the heater on to do my packing up!! Texted Malcolm to say we will be at the Lee Van Park on Monday!! Steve then rang the radiator chap to arrange to pick up our radiator.

Back onto the main highway again with 110k/h speed limit. Heavy mist.

Further along the sky is looking brighter.

Turned off the highway into the little locality of Tunbridge (230m) where there is a convict-built bridge over the Blackman’s River which is the oldest timber single span bridge in Australia. Of course we are too heavy to cross over it so Steve turned the van around and I walked down for a look. Cute little homes here.

An old wagon near a house that has a very old sign about being the birthplace of a couple of race horses.

The Blackman River Bridge.

An old stage coach and information at the park. Boy it would have been a very busy place back in the mid 1800s.

One of the staging inns is the Tunbridge Wells Inn, first licenced in 1833-34.

Complete with cute family and someone waving from the top window.

Through Ross, will check that out this afternoon. Into Campbell Town and parked at King Street Oval which is a 24 hour RV Stop.

It is next to the Elizabeth River which has a swimming pool concreted into it years ago but it isn’t used nowadays.

The little bit of sunshine has disappeared behind the clouds again so ran the generator while we had our lunch to charge up the batteries and my laptop.

Drove back to Ross (180m), lovely avenue of elm trees.

Parked at the Info Centre which is also the Tasmania Wool Centre. Lots of information about the wool industry with displays showing the different types of wool that we could touch. Land was granted in this district from 1821 and settlers capitalised on the ideal wool growing conditions in the area. Another section about the historic bridge, the Female Factory, a prestigious school and war displays. Didn’t use the camera in there.

Walked to the intersection with the four interesting street corners:

“Salvation” – the Catholic Church (c1920);

“Temptation” – Man O’ Ross Hotel (c1835);

“Recreation” -  the Town Hall (1891);

“Damnation” – the old Gaol (now a residence).

Headed towards the historic bridge past the army barracks (c1829).

The historic sandstone Ross Bridge, over the Macquarie River, was built in 1836 and is the third oldest bridge still in use in Australia. The bridge was built by two convict stonemasons, Daniel Herbert and James Colbeck and a gang of convict labourers. Daniel created the unique carvings on the side of the bridge. The two stonemasons were given their freedom after they completed the bridge.

Zoomed in on the carvings of the first 2 arches.

Engraved on the side of the bridge.

Near where I was standing looking up at the bridge was a sculpture made to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

At the entrance to the path was a stone in the ground which was half covered up – so I cleared it – hence the sculpture.

Walked over the bridge. The stone is carved with the distance to Hobart on one side and Launceston on the other.  Notice they put a v instead of a u in Launceston.

On the top of the bridge rails was a metal brace stamped with the convict symbol.

Lovely view of the Macquarie River which flows all the way to near Launceston.

The arches from the other side of the river.

Zoomed in on the 3^rd arch’s carvings.

Back over the bridge then down to the other side. There is still sandstone along the water’s edge.

The carvings on the three arches this side.

The Historic Engineering plaque.

Followed the map to the original stables for military garrison horses. It was built with the sandstone rock as the back wall. Smelt very horsey too.

They had carved the stone to create the food/water trough for the horses at the bottom.

Walked up the hill through the cute and practical sheep-proof gates.

Looking south over all the sheep pastures.

The rear of the Uniting Church (c1885).

 It was open so ducked inside for a look. Beautiful ceiling and windows.

Around the side was a plaque and stones from the old chapel.

Back to the truck and the original headquarters of the Army Ordnance Corps (c1836).

Across the road is information about the 42 degrees south latitude which runs across near here and that Ross is the only town of any size that is close to it. Tasmania was divided in two by the 42 degrees line because the two officers in charge wouldn’t work together so they were given a region each – north and south. By 1812 though it was governed by one person as a whole island.

Took our GPS to this marker to compare and ours gives a different location for these co-ordinates so I am going to get someone to check it out in Launceston. Explains why it gets confused at times.

Neat gutters.

Continued down Church Street. The Scotch Thistle Inn (c1831) is now a private residence.

The Ross Post Office was built in 1888.

They have lots of goodies for sale that you would think it is a gift shop rather than a post office. We had a good laugh at these. The rabbit mittens were nice and soft too.

Cute little mail box and it even has a sign saying it is real.

Captain Samuels Cottage (c1830) is a cute B&B though timber over the windows looks a bit wonky.

Another one converted to accommodation (c1850).

St John’s Anglican Church (1838) has a clock in the tower.

Back down the other side we found some info about the clock. A 1976 news article that said the clock had been installed in 1869 and the chap was trying to restore it.

Another article was about Horton College (1855 to 1894) which was a very prestigious school back down the highway.  It was demolished in 1920-21 and the one million locally made bricks and the timber were used in other buildings throughout Tasmania. The lady at Colebrook had mentioned that all that was left was the front door archway. We saw it in the middle of a paddock as we headed up here but I wasn’t ready with the camera. In the Wool Centre there was more info about it.

Back to the truck and we drove around to the site of the Ross Convict Female Factory (c1848-1854). Only the Commandants cottage is left.

Wandered over the site to read all the info boards.

Only a bit of the foundations of the buildings that housed the convicts is left.

We headed into the Commandant’s cottage. Info about the changes to the cottage – this used to be a window before the extra rooms were added on.

Found out the meaning of the convict symbol – it actually means it is government owned which of course the convicts were.

Timeline of the site:

C1812 – Garrison established at river ford.

1821 – The town of Ross proclaimed.

1831 – Brick and thatch huts built on the site for convict gangs employed in public works.

1832 – Sale of land to settlers at Ross.

1841 – Site commenced use as male probation station housing chain-gangs working on the Hobart-Launceston road.

1847 – Expansion of buildings for female convicts.

1848 – Women move into the Factory.

1853 – End of convict transportation from Britain.

1854 – Closure of Female Factory; local Catholic Church allowed to use the Chapel.

1855 – Factory handed over to Police Department, vacant except for caretaker.

1862 – A proposal to turn Factory into boys reformatory, but not proceeded with.

1875 – Factory used by contractors working on mail railway line; buildings fall into disrepair.

1879 – Proposed division and sale of Factory into lots, but not proceeded with.

1894 – Factory site reserved for Municipality of Ross.

1895 – Cottage converted for use by Superintendent of Police (extended using stone from old factory buildings).

C1897 – Remaining Factory buildings demolished.

1907 – Police resident at cottage.

1938 – Mr L Knowles resident at cottage.

1974 – Death of Mr Knowles.

1980 – Management of site transferred to National Parks & Wildlife Service; declaration of Ross Female Convict Station Historic Site.

A site map.

Information about the staff that worked at the Factory and what they were expected to do.

Another room was about the archaeology of the site in 1997. This explains the symbols on the Army Ordnance Corps building in town - it is the insignia of his Majesty’s Army.

In 2007 archaeologists explored the area.

A solitary cell block excavation.

Crime class dormitory showing drains, foundations and the muster yard surface. Note the drains run parallel to the foundations of the walls but then turn out to surround which is believed to be an entrance porch.

Another room was all about the female convicts, what they ate and wore etc.

Headed back over the Ross Bridge and onto the highway. Looks like clear sky to the north.

Back to the van at 4.30 and it is only 8.9 degrees outside – no wonder we are freezing. Put the heater on and made another cuppa. Quiet afternoon doing my blog and watching TV.