Rosny Farm: Gem in the Clarence Crown

August 31st, 2010 |

Rosny Farm Turns Up a Few Surprises!

We made a trip to Rosny Farm and after one false start (we turned up on a Monday when the site is closed), we uncovered a lot more than we bargained for!

Enter Rosny Farm from Eastlands or Rosny Hill Road

As the name suggests, the farm is in, well… Rosny! (Rosny Park, to be precise.) It is squeezed between the Eastlands shopping centre and the public golf course in the City of Clarence. It would be easy enough to miss approaching from Rosny Hill Road, but it was worth the turn-off, and this is what we discovered…

The Convict History of Tasmania

Rosny Farm forms part of the convict trail around Hobart, with the site being granted to a first fleet convict during the early 1800′s. With a plot of 175 acres, Richard Morgan and his family grew crops including wheat, barley, beans and potatoes, as well as running pasture for cattle, horses and sheep.

Rosny Farm is part of the convict trail in Hobart, Tasmania

You would think that would have been enough to keep them occupied and out of trouble! But judging by the signage at the front gate, Mr Morgan was inclined to continue his criminal ways. He was convicted of operating an illegal slaughter house, as well as having connections to a sheep-stealing outfit. Blimey!

Cottage Museum

Set within the landscaped gardens of Rosny Farm is the heritage listed farm cottage. Now operating as a museum and open to the public, the Cottage Museum hosts displays of the history and early development of the farm. A lovely building, the museum is surrounded by pretty gardens, a picket fence and is a highlight of the stone-walled farmyard. A great backdrop for a photographer.

Cottage Museum at Rosny Farm

Schoolhouse Gallery

The Schoolhouse is another lovely heritage building – weatherboard with square-paned windows. The only public gallery on the eastern shore of Hobart, the Clarence City Council uses the Rosny Farm Schoolhouse as a venue for art exhibitions and historical displays. There is a calendar of events running throughout the year.

Seven Deadly Sins Ceramics Exhibition, Schoolhouse Gallery

We were lucky to encounter the Tasmanian Ceramics Association Annual Exhibition. Entitled Seven Deadly Sins, the display had 60 exhibits ranging in price from $16 to $500. The items were so varied and interesting, but they all looked very special in the unique gallery space.

Clarence Street Art and Music Festival

Also on the day of our visit, was an exhibition of a very different sort. Highlighting the diversity of events scheduled for Rosny Farm, we ran into the St.Art Festival. Within the setting of a farming history of Tasmania, there were rap musicians performing and graffiti artists spraying paint. The smell of the aerosol paint was quite overwhelming; I’m not sure how street artists cope with their work environment!!

Rosny Farm Street Art Festival Workshops

The Clarence Council decided a professional exhibition, with competition prize money running to $2,500, would encourage the artists to display their work in a legitimate forum. Combined with the workshops and have-a-go areas, Rosny Farm was transformed into a vibrant and colourful space.

The graffiti wall at the Street Art Festival, Rosny Farm

The Barn at Rosny Farm

The final building at Rosny Farm is probably the most spectacular – the historic barn. Since 2006, when extensive redevelopment work was undertaken, it has been used as a space for the performing arts. Hosting recitals, concerts and lectures, it provides a unique setting that can double for additional exhibition space when required.

Rosny Farm Entrance & The Barn, Clarence

The Barn Market is also held bi-monthly at the beautiful Rosny Farm. An up-market outlet for local designers and hand-made creators, it is yet another example of the great market shopping experience on offer in Tasmania.

Rosny Farm is open to the public on…
Tuesday to Friday from 11.00am to 4.00pm
Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4.00 pm
(closed between Christmas and New Year)

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