Hobart Historic Tours

Colonel Thomas Davey, R.M.
1813 - 1817

Davey Street was named after Hobart’s second Governor Thomas Davey.

Thomas Davey or aka Mad Tom some nicknamed him.
He was proclaimed as an interesting character and was not particularly well trusted by his superiors.

When given the V.D.L lieutenant governorship he travelled to Sydney Town 1812, His arrival to Hobart Town was delayed until the following February as his personal belongings had been lost.

During Davey’s tenure V.D.L was circumnavigated by Captain James Kelly (1815).
In 1817 the mail service between Hobart and Launceston began.
In the same year Lachlan Macquarie used the name Australia for the first time in official correspondence with Whitehall when referring to the colonies.

Thomas Davey eventually resigned and he returned to England in 1821, after failing to succeed as a farmer, to settle his affairs.
He left his wife and daughter in V.D.L but sadly, died impoverished in London in 1823.

Davey Street today is one of Hobart’s finest streets for displaying some of its beautiful colonial buildings.

The picture below looks from Murray Street along Davey Street west. The trees on the left hand side of the street are in the old St David’s Cemetery.

If you are interested in Hobart’s History and or stories like this, then book a tour with us by our new QR code below.

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Discover the light of our past and uncover the secrets of our complex history.

As part of the convict trail, Kelly's Steps were constructed in 1839 by James Kelly to provide a connection between Battery Point, New Wharf, and Salamanca Place.
The purpose of building these steps was to overcome the challenge of Battery Point's cliff-top location that overlooked the wharves and Sullivan's Cove.
The steps were carved into the cliff's stone to provide a direct path to Kelly Street. Moreover, the warehouses in the area were constructed from the same quarry stone. Kelly's Steps have now become a primary attraction for tourists visiting Hobart.

James Kelly, after whom the steps were named, gained fame when he sailed around Tasmania in a whaleboat. Macquarie Harbour's Kelly Basin is also named after him. He earned a comfortable income from whaling and sealing, but his good fortune was short-lived, and by 1842 he was declared bankrupt and destitute.
Seven of his children and his wife died, and he passed away at the age of 67, buried in St David's Park.

If you’re interested in Hobarts History and or stories like this, then a book a tour with us by our new QR code below.

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Discover the light of our past and uncover the secrets of our complex history.

Tasmania comes alive in winter with the OFF Season. As darkness looms, explore one of Hobart Historic Tours to discover the light of our past with true tales of resilience, that will spark your creative spirit.
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Book a tour with us at https://hobarthistorictours.rezdy.com/

Today is the day we thank all the mother figures in our lives.

Hobart bears the footprints of countless mothers who have trod this ground for centuries, right through from the traditional owners to everyone that comes to hear the history of Hobart.

From 1803 to 1853, almost 13,000 convict women and 2,000 children arrived in Van Diemen’s Land.

Footsteps towards Freedom statues installed on the Hobart waterfront tells us untold stories through the artwork about Hunter Island and the arrival point for many women and children who came to Van Diemen’s Land. (Tasmania) in the 19th Century.

At Hobart Historic Tours we want to say thank you to all the Mothers that have given us their endless care, love, and affection to us all.
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Want to know more about Hobart?

Book one of our tours today at https://hobarthistorictours.rezdy.com/

Image Credit: Sky