Hobart Town Rivulet - Artists' ImpressionsA journey down the Rivulet through the eyes of the artist
From Mountain to Shore
...that great comfort of life, a permanent supply of running water… (Lieutenant Governor David Collins. General Orders 21 Feb, 1804) |
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The European story of the Hobart Town Rivulet probably began with the surveys undertaken by James Meehan, a member of John Bowen’s party at Risdon Cove, in late 1803 and early 1804. The rivulet is one of three factors – the others being a safe anchorage in a deep-water harbour and the original Hunter Island – which led David Collins to decide on the location of Hobart in 1804. Collins arrived at Risdon on 15 February 1804. Two days later he explored the western shore of the Derwent and decided that this would be the site of the permanent settlement. Since then the rivulet has played a significant part in Hobart’s history and development.
This exhibition shows the rivulet through the eyes of artists who captured the waterway in its various moods and uses over time, bringing together a range of artists, periods, media and viewpoints.
It takes us on a journey from the mountain to the shore, sweeping down the valley, through the city to the river; from the waterfalls within the foothills of Mt Wellington down through the fern-glades and into the Cascade Valley with its mills and bridges, then into the town environment with its underground bridges and man-made deviations which turn the rivulet into a subterranean ditch, flowing on its way to its final destination at the River Derwent.
exhibition home Water Supply Mills and Bridges Diversions and Floods
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