Richmond is one of my favourite towns in Australia. Located just a short drive from Hobart, it’s also very easy to visit but feels like you have gone back in time. Now, I have another reason to love Richmond – the Old Hobart Town Model Village.
Old Hobart Town depicts life in Hobart in the 1820s. It’s a model village but the creators, Andrew and John Quick, worked hard to make it as accurate as possible working to original plans and historical accounts of the time.
It is home to over 60 replica buildings, 500-600 figurines, over 100 hundred native bonsai trees over the space of about two tennis courts. It captures how Sullivan’s Cove, Hunter Island, Hobart Rivulet and the main city centre were at that point of time. It’s much different than today but with glimpses of buildings that still remain.
Below, I give a full review of Richmond Old Hobart Town Model Village and describe exactly what you can expect from a visit here.
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Old Hobart Town Model Village Review
The first thing you’ll notice on arrival at the Old Hobart Town Model Village Tasmania is that the model is laid out in streets which you can walk up and down to take in the model. There are some information boards to help set the scene and so you learn some history beyond what you are seeing.
There are also some items to look out for as you explore the site such as a boy falling out of a tree and a lady killing a snake. This was perfect to help keep our kids on task and fun for us too – as there is so much here that it’s quite hard to find the things mentioned.
The best way to explore is to take your time, slowly exploring everything in front of you because there is a crazy amount to see. The details of the buildings, people and the scenes are amazing – you can see a convict escape in progress, some roof repairs taking place, a hanging and it seems Hobart had its fair share of drunks 🙂
There are also some photos of buildings that still exist today which is great if you are familiar with Hobart as it helps set the scene of where everything is. Otherwise, this can be somewhat tricky! There was a lot more water at the waterfront area of Hobart back then and some of what is now very familiar was underwater.
The model seems to go on and on and the detail are just amazing. It really does seem like a porthole to the past which helps give you a much better understanding of what life was like back then.
Old Hobart Town Richmond Location
Old Hobart Town is on the main street in Richmond, a town about 25 minutes and 27 kilometres from the centre of Hobart. Its address is 21A Bridge Street, RIchmond.
To get here, take the Tasman Highway out of the city and take the turn off to Richmond just before the airport. The B31 will take you to the door of this model village.
From Old Hobart Town, you can easily explore the rest of Richmond, including the Richmond Gaol reviewed here.
Final Words
My family all loved visiting Old Hobart Town Tasmania. It is a fascinating look to the past and the people who created it are amazing! It works great for all ages as it’s a really easy and captivating way to learn history.
I also think you could come here many times and keep seeing new things.
I also love that now when I am going down the main streets in Hobart, I am picturing how things used to be. We have definitely come a long way.
Read our full guide to Richmond here.
Read about Richmond Gaol here which you can also visit while you are in Richmond. Our Richmond accommodation guide is here. Find our full guide to the Hobart area here.
