Glencoe Country B&B is just 8km from Sheffield Tasmania, which is a quaint and interesting little town.
The area was explored by the surveyor Nathaniel Kentish in 1842. He was trying to find a route from Deloraine through to the north west coast.
Sheffield Tasmania was named by James Powlett who came from Sheffield in England. He built the first house in the district which he initially called the Kentish Inn, but subsequently changed to the Sheffield Inn.
When others moved into the area they adopted Sheffield as the name of the settlement. There is an alternative explanation that claims the town was named by Edward Curr, the manager of the Van Diemen’s Land Company, who was also a native of Sheffield in England.
Mining and potato exports during the 1880s made Sheffield Tasmania a thriving country town. In 1908 it became the centre of the new Kentish municipality, which during the First World War had one of the state’s highest volunteer enlistment rates.
After the completion of the hydroelectric dams, Sheffield’s population decreased dramatically when the workers left the region. To reinvigorate the town, locals got the idea of making Sheffield the town of murals and a centre for artists.
Sheffield Tasmania became the Town of Murals due to the pioneering work of the Kentish Association for Tourism and a local named Brian Inder who was also the developer of Tasmazia and the village of Lower Crackpot.
The first murals went up in the mid-80s and depicted the town’s history as well as its thundering natural surrounds.
Now with over 140 murals, this rural town is its own outdoor gallery well worth an afternoon walk.
Mural Fest is both a mural art competition and festival held annually in Sheffield. The first of its kind in the world, the competition is held in Mural Park, a purpose-built ‘outdoor art gallery’ in the heart of Sheffield, which attracts artists and visitors from around Australia and the world.
This year’s competition has artists from Australia, New Zealand and the USA.
The artists have 6 days to paint their murals. Mural Fest tests an artist’s skills, endurance, and tenacity while subjecting them to public scrutiny, time constraints and sometimes unpredictable Tasmanian weather!
Then, they are judged to find the overall winner, plus the public votes for the people’s choice award.
There is also a public mural where you can paint and leave your mark on Sheffield. During the week, there are many activities and on the final day there is the Taste of the Northwest for all you foodies. For more information visit www.muralfest.com.au
The Sheffield to Railton railway was opened on 6 November, 1914. Today there is one kilometre of track left and the Society operates steam train rides on the first weekend of every month from the original Sheffield railway station.
The short journey is run on the Saturday and Sunday between 11am – 4pm. The train runs every half hour.
The Society also celebrates steam power with the annual Steamfest which is held in March.
Steamfest is an event to mark on your calendar – we will discuss Steamfest in another blog as it is a big festival.
Sheffield Heritage Museum is located on Main Street and also known as Kentish Museum; the Sheffield Museum is proudly local.
The Museum features items from ordinary life such as clothing, household appliances, farm equipment from the late 1800s, and extraordinary items such as wall phones.
The first change-giving automatic petrol pump ever to be invented takes pride of place in the Kentish Museum because the inventor came from Sheffield Tasmania.
It’s certainly a great place to go to learn about the history of the area.
So, why not come and stay with us at Glencoe Country Guesthouse? From art, murals, hiking, biking, water sports and more…there’s so much to do in and around the Sheffield and Cradle Mountain area, you’ll never be short of things to do.
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