The very best things to do in Richmond, Tasmania

The best things to do in Richmond, Tasmania, include convict-built Richmond Bridge and Richmond Gaol. There are also several wineries, the Old Hobart Town Model Village and the gloriously strange Pooseum.

Richmond, Tasmania, has a fine combination of heritage, wineries and delightfully quirky attractions. It’s in the Coal River Valley, just outside Hobart, and is one of the oldest towns in Tasmania.

Things to do in Richmond, Tasmania: Richmond Bridge & Richmond Gaol

The symbol of Richmond, Tasmania, is the Richmond Bridge. Built by convicts in the 1820s, this photogenic sandstone bridge spans the Coal River and poses shamelessly for tourist snaps.

The Richmond Bridge is not the only thing built in the 1820s, however. There are more than 50 heritage buildings in this Tasmanian town. It’s one of the richest hubs of convict-built architecture in Australia.

Top of the list of things to do in Richmond is the most impressive of these heritage buildings.

The Richmond Gaol is the oldest intact prison in Australia.

It’s now kept open as a tourist attraction, with tours of the Richmond Gaol costing $10. The solitary confinement cells are particularly chilling.

Richmond Gaol in Richmond, Tasmania. Photo by Alastair Bett.

There are plenty of things to do in Richmond beyond the heritage buildings, however.

Pooseum and Old Hobart Town Model Village

This Tasmanian town’s quirkiest attraction is surely the Pooseum. As the name hints, this Richmond museum is all about poo. The Pooseum has lots of droppings in drawers, but it makes good efforts to go into the science of dung. Visit, and you can learn all about animals’ digestive systems, as well as how humans use poo for fertilisation and medicine.

Almost as odd is the Old Hobart Town Model Village. This village is designed to replicate the look of Hobart in the 1820s, only much, much smaller. Old Hobart Town is the handiwork of John and Andrew Quick, who spent three years making more than 60 model buildings and 500 personalised figurines.

Things to do in Richmond, Tasmania: Wineries

Richmond is also one of the main hubs of the Coal River Valley wine region.

Wineries worth visiting in the town and just outside include Pooley Wines, the Puddleduck Vineyard, the Every Man and His Dog Vineyard and Pressing Matters. You can discover more options at the Richmond Wine Wall. This is a strange cross between a marketing initiative and an art installation. Either way, it’s a big wall made up of wine barrels, each branded with the name of a Coal River Valley winery.

Other attractions in the Coal River Valley include the Lark Distillery, the Boronong Sanctuary, the Coal River Farm and Zoodoo. That should keep you covered for whisky and wildlife…

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