Richmond

Richmond

Richmond, town, southeastern Tasmania, Australia, part of the city of Clarence. It is situated on the Coal River in a wine region about 15 miles (26 km) northeast of Hobart.

A camp was established in 1803 at Risdon Cove on the River Derwent, and a party from there explored the area to the east that same year. Land grants were later made, and the Richmond area was settled over the following years. In 1815 Tasmania’s first flour mill was built in the area, and by 1823 a bridge (Australia’s oldest bridge still in use) was built across the river to provide access from Hobart and to the east coast and Tasman Peninsula. In 1824 Richmond was made a township, and it prospered from wheat farming during the 1830s. From 1861 Richmond was the centre of a municipality, but it declined after 1872 when bypassed by causeways across Pitt Water. In 1993 it was incorporated into the city of Clarence.

It remains a service centre for local sheep, dairy, and mixed farms, and vineyards. Richmond is a well-preserved historic town and a popular tourist attraction. It has the oldest (1825) intact jailhouse in Australia. Pop. (2006) urban centre, 880; (2011) urban centre, 887.