Nutgrove Beach takes its name from nearby Nutgrove House, at the end of Nutgrove Avenue (cnr Mansell Court). The house was named for its grove of walnut trees. There were many apple, pear and nut orchards in Lower Sandy Bay in the 19th Century.

Blinking Billy Point

Named affectionately after Master Warden of the Marine Board of Hobart, William Watchorn, who was known as Blinking Billy for a characteristic and persistent twitch in his eye. Blinking Billy Point once housed two spotlights on its embankment. From 1890 until the Second World War, these spotlights worked in conjunction with a series of batteries that formed Hobart’s Derwent Defence Network, in particular Alexandra Battery and after 1909 Fort Nelson. Tucked away below a navigational beacon, the remains of the spotlight encasements offer excellent views of the River Derwent. Chaffey's Point (Wrest Point) and Blinking Billy Point were both used as drop off points by smugglers in the early days of Sandy Bay. Contraband was hidden on the slopes of Porter's Hill and Devil's Glen.

The Blinking Billy Point navigation beacon was installed in 1900 but has been inactive since 1955. Standing aprox. 6 metres tall, its octagonal tower is painted white; the lantern roof is painted red. There is an active light (focal plane 7 metres; continuous blue light) on a post nearby. On 4th February 1975 the Marine Board of Hobart transferred ownership of the lighthouse to the Hobart City Council for subsequent leasing to the Maritime Museum of Tasmania.

Blinking Billy Point has been known as One Tree Point and later as Garth's Point, after Edward Garth, who was granted land on the southern side of the point in 1813. It was his second land grant at Sandy Bay. Convicted of stealing two cows, his death sentence was communted to 7 years transportation. In February 1785 he was listed to go to Africa, however, he was sent to New South Wales with the first fleet, arriving at Sydney Cove in January 1788 on the Scarborough. Garth, his wife and daughter settled on Norfolk Island in 1788, where he became a successful farmer and was given a land grant. In 1793 he was elected a member of the Norfolk Island Settlers Assn. Garth and his family moved to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) on the Porpoise in late December 1807. He later had extensive holdings at Clarence Plains, Queenborough and Brown's River. He died at his farm at Sandy Bay on 13th December 1823, age 55. His burial was registered at St David's, Hobart.

On 29th February 1809, Capt. William Bligh boarded HMS Porpoise after being held under house arrest for over a year following a revolt by the New South Wales Corps, known as the Rum Rebellion. For a little while he blockaded the port of Sydney with the idea of capturing the convict transport Admiral Gambier, but changed his mind and sailed for Hobart where he moored HMS Porpoise off Blinking Billy Point. Former Norfolk Islanders like Edward Garth supported Bligh as he had 'listened sympathetically to their complaints' and took supplies out to him. Porpoise and Bligh returned to Sydney on 17th January 1810 when he learnt that Lachlan Macquarie has arrived there to take up the post of Governor.

Dr Syntax Hotel

The Dr Syntax Hotel began in 1845, it stands beside the Sandy Bay Rivulet and was built opposite the old Sandy Bay Toll House. The hotel was built on part of the land granted to William Sladden and later taken over by Captain Folger. The first Proprietor was William Mitchell in 1845 and from 1846-1856 Andrew Jackson became the licensee followed by John Turner 1857-1859 William Bennett became the publican in the mid 1860's and H. Hart in 1886.

Self Guided Historical Walks

Self guided historical walks have been prepared by the Sandy Bay Historical Society. Walks include 'The Land Grants of the Norfolk Islanders'; 'A Beach Walk : A Smuggler's Tale'; 'A 19th Century Rural Walk'. You can buy a SBHS Historical Walk Brochure from the Point Collectables Shop at Wrest Point Casino for $3.00 and simply follow the directions.


Part of the map from the self guided Walks of Sandy Bay Brochure showing the Topography of the land and the Land Grants of the Norfolk Islanders in Lower Sandy Bay ... Garth's Hut is the house in Folder Street on W. Mc Laughlin's grant bottom right on map . Map used shows the 1814 Land grant Boundaries on a 1964 street plan showing the jetties, rivers, cliffs, contours and the remains of a rural landscape in lower Sandy Bay. Map: courtesy Sandy Bay Historical Society


A day at the beach, Sandy Bay, 1920s. Charles Darwin walked all along the foreshore from Battery Point to Taroona in 1836.

Sandy Bay History

Much of the land around Sandy Bay was granted to settlers who had come from Norfolk Island in 1808. Many of the grants ranged from between 20 & 100 acres and most of them were fronting onto the Derwent River. The Government reserved the right to create roads across any of the land grants and as a consequence, a route was developed that enabled the Sandy Bay settlers to transport their goods and produce to Hobart. However, the track was just that, a track, and in inclement weather the track could become virtually impassable.

It took the Colonial authorities until 1835, after repeated petitions from the settlers, to begin to construct a proper road. A gang of convicts known as the Sandy Bay road party was assigned to perform the task. The convicts laboured for many years to construct the road and ended up continuing the road all the way through to Brown's River (Today's Kingston). About 80 convicts who had been sent from Canada for participating in a rebellion against the authorities of the British colony of Upper Canada (today's Ontario) were assigned to work on the road construction in 1840. Many of them were ultimately pardoned in the late 1840's and the vast majority of them returned to North America.



An old sandstone mile marker still survives on Sandy Bay Road and dates back to this period. It can be found on the western side of Sandy Bay Road to the south of Lambert Avenue. the inscription can still be seen on the marker and states that it is two miles to Hobart (approximately the spot where Elizabeth Street crosses over the Hobart Rivulet) from the Sandy Bay location.

The suburb's long sandy beach was one of the first venues for horseracing in Tasmania's early days. The tides had to be considered when scheduling the races to ensure there was sufficient space available. The races attracted large crowds and there was a lot of rash betting, loud shouting and uninhibited consumption of refreshments.

Sandy Bay Post Office opened on 22 April 1852. It was named Queenborough between 1859 and 1878. In the south of the suburb a Lower Sandy Bay office opened in 1885. It was renamed Sandy Bay Lower in 1895, Beachside in 1921 and Sandy Bay Lower in 1968.

Mount Nelson

Though not as well known or frequented as often as its higher and more famous neighbour, Mt. Wellington, Mt. Nelson is the perfect place to get an alternate bird's eye of Hobart and surrounds, particularly on the days when Mt. Wellington is shrouded and mist or snow, which is quite often. This lookout provides a dramatic panorama of the city even on days with relatively poor visibility. During the day a visitor can experience the beauty of the city, river and harbour and at night the city is studded with twinkling lights. Lunch or teas can be taken at the restaurant. Contact: (03) 6230 8233. Location: Nelson Road, Mt. Nelson. How to get there: by car, travel south out of Hobart via Davey St and the Southern Outlet, take the Mt. Nelson exit at Tolmans Hill along Olinda Grove and on to the lookout at the end of Nelson Rd.

Mount Nelson was originally named 'Nelson's Hill' by Captain William Bligh (of Mutiny on the Bounty fame) in 1792 in honour of David Nelson, the botanist of the Bounty mission, as "he was the first white man on it" when the Bounty visited 'Van Diemens Land' on its way to Tahiti. Nelson was one of the Bounty crew who was loyal to Bligh during the mutiny. He died in Timor on 20 July 1789 of an 'inflammatory fever' caused by the long open-boat voyage following the mutiny. His funeral was attended by the Governor and officers from every ship in the harbour. The name 'Nelson's Hill' was later changed to Mount Nelson.

Most of the modern suburban development in Mount Nelson has taken place after 1945 when the government encouraged settlement of immigrants escaping the destruction that took place in Europe after World War II. During this same period the section of hillface north of the bends on Nelson Road, which used to be a firing range, was converted into university farm land for the University of Tasmania.

The main road in Mount Nelson is Nelson Road, which extends up the mountain from the Wrest Point Hotel Casino in the suburb of Sandy Bay. It is famously known for its'bends', which consist of seven very sharp corners created as the road winds its way up the mountain. All seven of the bends have been given a name. Nelson Road is one of the oldest thoroughfares in Hobart, being laid as the path to the signal station not long after the settlement of Hobart.

Linking the River Derwent and the summit of Mt Nelson is a thread of green woodland and native bush. Lower down, along the banks of Lambert Rivulet, Lambert Park protects remnant wet forest vegetation that is home to a range of birds, plants and animals. Higher up, the tracks run into the dry, open woodland of Bicentennial Park on the skyline ridge of Mt Nelson.