Penguin
The little town of Penguin sits midway between Burnie and Ulverstone on Tasmania's Bass Strait coast. It's one of those pretty places that you can keep coming back to time and time again and never get tired of. Though it gained its name from the fairy penguin colonies which dot the coast in this part of Tasmania, you will be unlikely see one of the cute little critters as you saunter along the north-facing Penguin Esplanade, but the chance of seeing a sunbeam shimmering off the sea is likely. And if you are very lucky - and it has happened to me - you might catch a pod of dolphins at plasy or even a whale on its way up or down the coast.
One penguin you will see is the 3m tall Big Penguin, one of those Big Things Aussie take great delight in erecting at spots where tourist frequent, and tourists love to pose in front of and take a photo to remember the occasion by. He's been standing proud on the foreshore since the town commemorates its centenary in 1975. It has become one of the most photographed landmarks in Tasmania.
Penguin Uniting Church
Something else you might like to take a photo of is the Penguin Uniting Church or St Stephens Church a little futher up the street - both are classified by the National Trust. The Uniting Church is a beautiful old timber church with some particularly attractive decorative flourishes. It was completed in 1903 with some attractive woodworking flourishes. St Stephens Anglican Church was built on land given by Alexander Clerke in 1874. Its construction - a bluestone base and timber with a shingled roof and bellcote - is typical of the materials available in the local area at the time. It is a simple church which comprises of a nave, chancel and vestry.
Penguin Market (Cnr King Edward & Arnold Street) is northern Tasmania’s largest market offering over 70 stalls, all under cover. Quality product lines include fine Tasmanian woodwork, jewellery, fashion, giftware, hand-made craft and home wares, as well as fresh produce and a food court where live music performed therein throughout the day. It operates every Sunday from 9.00am to 3pm. Phone 0400 903 031
Between the two churches is the old Penguin railway station, now home to the local historical society. It was built in 1901, when the rail line was extended from Ulverstone to Burnie, with the first train arriving at the Penguin Station on 15th April, 1901. In the early days crowds would fill the platform to watch while teams of horses and bullocks would arrive from the outlying rural areas to unload potatoes to be transported on the train. Passenger trains haven't passed through here since 1978, but there are moves afoot for the Don Railway Museum, on the outskirts of Devonport, to get a special heritage passenger train on the mainline rails again that would run on weekends between Don and Penguin. Now wouldn't that be something?
Penguin Gaol
Alongside the station you'll notice what looks like a giant outhouse. It's not - it's actually a fully functional gaol. Built in 1902 it is the smallest gaol in Tasmania, if not the whole of Australia, and was originally sited in Crescent Street behind the Courthouse (now the senior citizens club). It was built to hold prisoners awaiting transport by train from Penguin on their way to the Law Courts of Launceston. The old gaol was restored and re-sited in 1992 by the Penguin Apex Club.
Speaking of trains, though there are no passenger services passing through Penguin any more, freight trains loaded up with containers and other goodies do travel back and forth on the line between Devonport and Burnie, so keep your eyes (and ears) open for a photo opportunity with a difference.
Hiscutt Park windmill
On the other side of the railway line is the Hiscutt Park, its lake is home for ducks and the elusive platypus and where you can see remote control enthusiasts race their sailboats on Sundays. The park's replica Dutch windmill was presented to the people of Penguin as a Bicentennial Gift from the Dutch community to commemorate the Dutch settlers in Penguin and the Dutch explorers who were the first Europeans to make contact with Tasmania. The Mill is dedicated to the memory of Janneti Tjaers who was the wife of Abel Tasman. Hiscutt Park also has a picnic area with BBQs, a playground and public toilets.
Johnsons Beach
Another BBQ and picnic area is the popular Lions Club Park at the end of Surf Drive on a headland overlooking Penguin and Watcombe beaches that has a picnic area and public toilets. It is a quite popular spot with RV and campervans. A third picnic area is up on the knoll at Johnsons Beach, that has views of Penguin town. The beach has a playground and public toilets, a skate park and a miniature railway track that loops around the knoll. It used to operate twice monthly on the second and fourth Sundays, and was a big hit with children and adults alike, but I haven't seen it running recently. The long piles of black rocks on Penguin beach here have historic significance as they are the ballast off-loaded from ships loading timber back to Victoria. The area was settled in the 1860s.
Former Richardson's Motor & Cycle Garage
The IGA Store at 66 Main Road looks like any other store in any regional Australian town, but in fact has a link to Australia's aviation history. Built in 1910 as Penguin’s first Motor Garage, it is where renowned inventor Goachem Swain Richardson designed and built Australia’s first cycle pedal flying machine, in 1908, the first successful flight in Australia.
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The heritage-listed Penguin General Cemetery bears testament to the pioneers of the area. At rest are Bounty immigrants of the 1850s, returned soldiers from as far back as the Boer War, many a notable former resident as well as some who arrived in Tasmania as convicts. Opened in the 1860s, it closed in 1977 some eighteen hundred burials later. It has numerous children's graves as well as a number that are unmarked, whose occupants remain a mystery to this day. Sited in a picturesque setting on a hill overlooking Penguin, it is a short walk from the town centre along Main Street a kilometre west of the Post Office, up through the traffic lights.
If you prefer a walk along the Esplanade, we'd recommend you continue past Penguin Beach to Surf Drive, then proceed along Watcombe Beach. Walk along the grass strip before climbing to cross the railway track, where you discover the start of the beautiful Perry-Ling Gardens along the railway verge. For those seeking an extra two kilometres of power-walking, cross the road onto the footpath that takes you to the eastern end of the township for a return trip.
Perry-Ling Gardens is a mass of colour in spring. This seaside garden bordering the eastern entrance to the town follows the road and rail route for approximately one kilometre. You'll find it on Main Road, Penguin. Keep an eye out for trains on the line as they do pass through Penguin daoly.
Penguin Silver Mine site
The site of the silver mine I spoke of earlier is just outside of the town on the eastern side on the coastal road to Ulverstone. It was here, in 1850, that silver ore was first discovered by James 'Philosopher' Smith, an indifatigable Tasmanian explorer. By 1871, Penguin Silver Mines Co. had sunk a permenant shaft from which some of the richest sampled had yielded ore as high as 157 oz. to the ton. The ore also contained considerable quantities of copper, nickel, cobalt, lead, arsenic, sulphur, manganese and a small portion of gold.
The mine, however, did not live up to expectations, and was soon closed and the shaft filled in. The site is marked with information signs but little evidence of the mine remains except the shape of the sharft head on the ocean-side rocks. Please take care if you cross the railway line looking for the mine site as goods trains do pass along along it every day.
The town of Penguin was founded in the 1850s to supply much needed timber for buildings on the Victorian goldfields.
Beyond Penguin
Photo: Hiking Scenery
Dial Range
It comes as a surprise to many that the first discovery of silver in Tasmania was in Penguin (see below), followed by discoveries of copper and manganese. However, settlement occurred a decade after the 1850s gold rush in Victoria that created a demand for palings provided by splitters cutting in the Penguin district. There are, however, a few left overs from bygone mining days in the Dial Range, 6 Kilometres south of the town, which provides the scenic backdrop for Penguin.
Ferndene Gorge State Reserves
This chain of mountains and valleys was given its name because the silhouette of one of its summits, the Gnomon, resembles an ancient sundial. Dial Range has numerous trails for bushwalking, mountain biking and horse riding. Two of the best places to visit are Ferndene and Mt Montgomery State Reserves. Ferndene Gorge State Reserve comprises 35.16 hectares (86.9 acres) and is managed by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service. It was established on 2 August 1939 and is described by the Parks and Wildlife Service as a "scenic fern glade". There is a beautiful walk through the fern glade along a clear stream, surrounded by huge tree ferns reminiscent of Gondwana.
Browning's Tunnel
The picnic area has plenty of parking, a bbq, outside picnic tables and under-cover picnic tables and a well maintained toilet block. It’s a great spot for a picnic and also is the starting point for an easy 30 minute walk under the manferns along the banks of Mcbrides Creek. Just off to the left of the picnic area and over a little bridge is the walk to Thorsby’s Tunnel, an old silver mine shaft. You will also pass Brownings Tunnel along the way. Short walks include Ferndene (30 mins return), Tall Trees (45 mins), Mount Montgomery (2 hrs), Leven River (40-60 mins) and Mount Gnomon (2 hrs). For more information, purchase a Dial Range Recreation and Management Map from a local visitor information centre, or write to the North West Walking Club, PO Box 107, Ulverstone.
Penguin Cradle Trail
If you'd prefer a cross country hike, the Penguin Cradle Trail would suit you better. For experienced bushwalkers only, this 80km trail heads inland from the coast to Cradle Mountain. Some sections make for a pleasant stroll, while others provide a definite bushwalking challenge. The complete walk takes six days, but access roads mean that sections can be done as day or overnight trips. Please Note: The trail is not currently maintained and is not accessible between Gunns Plains and the Leven Canyon. For more information, visit www.nwwc.org.au.