Richmond is 25 km north-east of Hobart and has retained many of its sandstone structures as they were originally built in the Georgian style. Richmond's most famous landmark is the Coal River Bridge, built between 1823 and 1825, around the time of the town's first settlement. Its design and build were a significant technical achievement for what, back then, was a new colony, and for ten years it had the longest span of any bridge in Australia. it is Australia's oldest surviving large stone arch bridge that is still in use today.
The history of Richmond has its origins in the use of the forced migration of convicts from the UK and the use of their labour for the development of the new colony. It's an interesting story that will set the scene for my last few posts when I want to explore in more depth the development of Van Diemen's Island (Tasmania) and its penal colonies.
I have drafted the precis below about the founding and development of Richmond from the following Australian Government, Heritage and Place website:
The Founding of the Richmond
From 1803 to 1853, over 73,500 convicts were transported to Tasmania. Richmond was one of the first areas to be explored following English settlement of the Island.
In 1803, a small party led by Lieutenant John Bowen crossed the hills from the Derwent Valley to look for suitable land for settlement. Richmond soon became an important crossing point for people travelling by land between Hobart, the east coast and the Tasman Peninsula.
Rapid population growth and Tasmania's emerging agricultural industry soon necessitated the need for a connecting bridge over the Coal River. Construction began in 1823, with convicts building the bridge by hand from local sandstone.
The Richmond boom
The completion of the bridge saw the town of Richmond and the surrounding region rapidly expand. By 1835, Richmond was Tasmania's third largest town and had grown into an important military outpost and convict station. Richmond became a transport hub for travellers moving between Hobart and Port Arthur.
I found the following interesting account of the use of convict labour at this Wikipedia website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond,_Tasmania
"The Grass Tree Hill Road and Governor Arthur's Road leading into Richmond were built from 1833 to 1838 by groups of convicts known as 'Chain Gangs'. These prisoners were sentenced to day-labouring near the town and were employed in construction within the localised area. They frequently experienced shortages of food and clothing, which lead many of the men to steal from each other as well as from neighbouring houses. Prisoners also lay kangaroo traps as a means of supplementing rations. Anyone that was found to be stealing or was caught laying traps was severely punished. In 1834 and 1835, there were a number of resistance efforts in response to the shortages. Some men refused to attend church, refused to labour and there was even a rebellion led by five prisoners who wielded their picks against authorities. Many of the Georgian style buildings which are present in the township today were constructed by these convict gangs, including the Bridge, the Court House and the Gaol"
Coal River Bridge, Richmond
https://www.ourtasmania.com.au/tas-history-bridges.html See this website for the history of many of the bridges I have described already in my posts.
Initially Richmond Bridge, although larger, was identical in line and design to Stourhead Bridge at the Stourhead Gardens in Wiltshire, England, which Wilson (See the biographical note below), it is thought, copied. Subsequent modifications were made to its pier foundations due to settlement after a few years of its construction.
In 1885, as a result of flood damage, bulky buttresses were attached to the three mid-stream piers. These were required to further protect the piers and foundations against water damage during times of heavy rainfall and flooding.
William Hartley Wilson as described in: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_Bridge_(Tasmania)
"held not only the role of Superintendent of Stonemasons but also the role of Colonial Architect for Van Diemen's Land. Wilson was not a qualified architect; rather, he had been appointed to that role by Lieutenant Governor Sorell in the absence of a more qualified candidate.'
Again the following Australian Government Heritage website provides a more detailed account of Wilson's architectural contributions to Hobart. He is credited with the original Treasury Building in Macquarie Street, Hobart and elements of the original Supreme Court building.
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