The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston are great places to begin your exploration. The former covers Aboriginal, Antarctic, convict and colonial history, while the latter has exhibits on the State’s industrial heritage, the Chinese in Tasmania, and post-Federation migration.

The State has Australia’s largest collection of colonial buildings and best convict genealogical records. Port Arthur Historic Site is the best place in Australia to experience and learn about convict history, but there are many other sites of interest. As an island, the State has a rich maritime heritage, and there are maritime museums in a number of cities, including Hobart and Devonport.

The story of Tasmania’s Aboriginal people is also told at Tiagarra in Devonport, Wybalenna on Flinders Island and in extensive shell middens on beaches and off-shore islands. Perhaps surprisingly, you’ll find some information about the ground-breaking Lake Pedder at Lake Pedder itself and at the Gordon Dam, while the story of the Franklin River campaign is told on cruises of the Gordon River.

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