Historic Houses

An Alternative to the Observation Run

Allow plenty of time for this tour as each location deserves at least half a day and you will be hard pressed to do all justice within the one day. Just don’t forget Brickendon.

Tasmania is well known for it's well preserved Colonial Architecture. Near to Launceston are 3 wonderful examples of Colonial Homesteads and the lovely township of Evandale. Evandale is a quiet town of some 1200 people. It is also the location of Tasmania's largest country fair held on Sundays, this is when the town comes alive. There is a Bakery, Cafe and small Coffee shop in the town plus food stall within the Market. Evandale is blessed with many older homes, some quite grand. There is a self guided walking tour to view and read some of the town’s history. The homes can only be viewed from the street and the guide booklet is available from the Tourist Centre.

Evandale is 15 to 20 minutes south of Launceston.

Clarendon House was built by James Cox in 1838 and is a fine example of the Colonial Regency Style. The home is now run by the National Trust and has been restored and richly furnished. Again there are many farm buildings and gardens to enjoy. Self Guided and Guided tours are available of the Home. There is a restaurant, The Menzies and BBQ facilities with a picnic area.

Clarendon is 15 minutes south of Evandale.

Woolmers Estate was owned continuously for 6 generations of the Archer Family from 1817 to the death of the last heir, Thomas William Archer. The unique quality of this home is the family's reluctance to dispose of anything. This has left the estate with an amazing collection showcasing a family's possessions through the years. One quirky aspect of this is a shed containing a collection of lawnmowers displaying a history of the development of motorised mowing. There are tours of the home and gardens and Woolmers have a small restaurant.

Woolmers Estate is also the home of the National Rose Garden. This is recognised as one of finest collections of historic roses in the Southern Hemisphere. This is a wonderful olfactory and visual experience.

Woolmers is 25 minutes travelling time from Launceston and 10 minutes from Evandale. 

Brickendon was established by William Archer in 1824 (Thomas Archer's brother) and is currently owned and farmed by the 7th generation Richard William Archer, with the 8th generation of William Alexander, Eliza and Madelaine. Brickendon contains the beautiful "National Listed Estate" gardens and again has well preserved buildings from the colonial era. These are now set up as a "Farming Village" and for those with children it contains an Animal Petting/Feeding area.  The main Homestead is not available for tours but the many rare farm buildings, farm walks and bike rides makes Brickendon well worth the visit.