Hobart
Hobart (/ˈhoʊbɑːrt/ ⓘ HOH-bart;[5] Nuennonne/palawa kani: nipaluna) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia.[6] Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the southernmost and least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-smallest if territories are taken into account, before Darwin, Northern Territory.[2] Hobart is located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, making it the most southern of Australia's capital cities. Its skyline is dominated by the 1,271-metre (4,170 ft) kunanyi/Mount Wellington,[7] and its harbour forms the second-deepest natural port in the world,[8] with much of the city's waterfront consisting of reclaimed land.[9] The metropolitan area is often referred to as Greater Hobart, to differentiate it from the City of Hobart, one of the seven local government areas that cover the city.[2] [10] It has a mild maritime climate.
This article is about the capital of Tasmania, Australia. For other uses, see Hobart (disambiguation).
Hobart
nipaluna (Southeast Tasmanian)Tasmania
145.7/km2 (377/sq mi) (2021)[2]
20 February 1804[3]
17 m (56 ft)
1,695.5 km2 (654.6 sq mi) (metropolitan)
- 38 km (24 mi) from Huonville
- 134 km (83 mi) from Swansea
- 198 km (123 mi) from Launceston
- 248 km (154 mi) from Queenstown
- 284 km (176 mi) from Devonport
The city lies on country which was known by the local Mouheneener people as nipaluna, a name which includes surrounding features such as kunanyi/Mt. Wellington and timtumili minanya (River Derwent).[11] Prior to British settlement, the land had been occupied for possibly as long as 35,000 years[12] by Aboriginal Tasmanians.[13]
Founded in 1804 as a British penal colony,[14] Hobart is Australia's second-oldest capital city after Sydney, New South Wales. Whaling quickly emerged as a major industry in the area, and for a time Hobart served as the Southern Ocean's main whaling port. Penal transportation ended in the 1850s, after which the city experienced periods of growth and decline. The early 20th century saw an economic boom on the back of mining, agriculture and other primary industries, and the loss of men who served in the world wars was counteracted by an influx of immigration.[15] Despite the rise in migration from Asia and other non-English speaking regions, Hobart's population remains predominantly ethnically Anglo-Celtic, and has the highest percentage of Australian-born residents among Australia's capital cities.[16]
Today, Hobart is the financial and administrative hub of Tasmania, serving as the home port for both Australian and French Antarctic operations and acting as a tourist destination, with over 1.192 million visitors in 2011–12,[17] and 924,000 during 2022–23.[18] Well-known drawcards include its convict-era architecture, Salamanca Market and the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), the Southern Hemisphere's largest private museum.
