Battery Point walk – Photo supplied
| Start/Finish | Category | Distance | Estimated Walking Time |
| Hobart General Post Office / Franklin Square | History and Architecture, Tourism | 3.3 km | 50 min* |
Summary
The Battery Point walk winds past Salamanca Markets and the historic suburb of Battery Point, home to some of Tasmania’s earliest colonial style buildings and cottages.
Public transport
To get there catch a bus to the city interchange.
Directions
Starting point – Hobart GPO
The Battery Point walk starts on the corner of Macquarie and Elizabeth St, outside the Hobart General Post Office (GPO). The GPO is a landmark building in Hobart constructed between 1901 and 1905. The building has a distinctive clock tower based on the design of Big Ben in London.
From the GPO head down Macquarie St in a north easterly direction. Cross over Argyle St and walk past the Tasmania Museum and Art Gallery on your right. At the back of the Art Galley is a car park. Turn right here, walk through the car park and cross over Davey St to Constitution Dock. Constitution Dock is famous for being the venue for the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht race, which starts on boxing day each year.
When you reach Mures Fishmongers turn right along Franklin Wharf and walk in a southwesterly direction. Turn right down Elizabeth St and then the first left down Morrison St, which continues in a south westerly direction. Continue down Morrison St until you reach Castray Esplanade. From here you can walk across the road to Salamanca Place, which is one of Hobart’s premier tourist attractions. Salamanca Place consists of rows of Georgian style sandstone buildings, formerly warehouses built in the 1830’s that have since been converted into restaurants, galleries, craft shops and offices. The Salmanca Market is open every Saturday.
Salamanca market
Image: Salamanca market, Hobart – photo supplied by Kham Tran
Walk through Salamanca Square and continue down Salamanca Place in an easterly direction until you come to a fantastic green space called Princes Park. The park is located in a part of Hobart is known as Battery Point, named after the battery of guns which were established on the point in 1818 as part of the Hobart coastal defences. Cut through Princess Park in a southerly direction, past the playground and walk down Hampden Road, in a south westerly direction, or away from the coast.
The next part of the walk winds through some of the narrow back streets of Battery Point. Near the end of Hampden Rd turn right down James St, left down Knopwood St, right onto Montpelier Retreat, left down Kirksway Place and right down Gladstone St.
From Gladstone St turn left down Salamanca Place, which has Parliament House on your right and the Supreme Court of Tasmania on your left. At the end of Salamanca Place is St David’s Park, which runs along Davey St.
Finish – Franklin Square
Turn right up Davey St until you reach the intersection of Davey St and Murray St. Cross over the road and continue down Davey St in a northwesterly direction. This side of the road has an embankment and you need to be on the footpath on the higher side of the road to enter Franklin Square where the journey ends.
Battery Point walk – GPX file
To access to the GPX file for this walk click on the download button below.
Information on GPX files and how to import them into Google maps on your phone can be found here.
Battery Point walk – Map
Start – Post Office
- Post Office
- Town Hall
- Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
- Constitution Dock
- Salamanca Markets
- Princess Park
- Parliament House
End – Franklin Square
