Latrobe
Just 10km south of Devonport, the picturesque town of Latrobe stands on the east bank of the Mersey River. Named in honour of Charles Joseph La Trobe, acting Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land (1846-1847), it was the region's main port and Tasmania's third largest settlement for most of the 19th century. Today, Latrobe is a quiet commuter suburb of its city neighbour, its once-bustling riverside docks in the ‘Settlers Wharf' precinct on Bells Parade now enjoying life as a tranquil parkland.
In homage to the area's forestry heritage, and the first woodchopping championship held here in 1891, Latrobe is home to the Australian Axeman's Hall of Fame and Timberworks, featuring displays of forestry paraphernalia and galleries extolling the champions of wood-chopping sport. The building also houses the Platypus Interpretation Centre, with a ‘Big Platypus' (a large wooden sculpture) in the forecourt that heralds the possibility of spotting the real thing in the adjacent river.
The town's CBD is focused on Gilbert Street, with a ‘Heritage Streetscape’ of National Trust buildings that include the impressive Public Building (1883) with the Library and the Court House Museum. On the town's northern outskirts is the House of Anvers, offering a ‘total Belgian chocolate experience’ that chocoholics will find hard to resist.
Sheffield
Southwest of Latrobe,
