Tas Branch: Spring in the Georgian towns of Oatlands and Kempton

The day includes tours of four fascinating gardens, each with individual highlights, including dry stone walls constructed by the owners and a reimagining of a nineteenth century church garden.

Old Kempton Distillery, Kempton – We will meet here (24 Main St, Kempton) for an introduction to the day’s programme and morning tea.

Old Congregational Church, Kempton – Gary and Liz Davies have restored the Old Congregational Church and created a garden in the style and using the plants of church gardens of the eighteenth century.

1 High Street, Oatlands – Originally a coaching inn known as the Wardour Castle, then a century later a service station (hence the Plume  sign), 1 High St has for 34 years been the home of Claire Petroff, who has developed the gardens including building a number of dry stone walls.

Weedington, Oatlands – Weedington was established by James Weeding who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land in 1823. The 1832 sandstone  cottage, progressively expanded, is now the home of Maria Weeding, our host, who is credited with inspiring a team of women who have revived  the art of dry stone wall building in and around Oatlands.

Woodbine Cottage, Oatlands – Nick (a seventh-generation farmer) and Sophie Weeding have developed and landscaped the surrounds  of this sandstone cottage built in the 1830s for the local doctor.

Oatlands Community Hall, Gay Street, Oatlands – The venue for our lunch is a sandstone hall built in 1876, which has been utilised by  the Order of Rechabites, as a Church of England parish hall and was bought in 1982 by a local committee and renovated for use as a community hall.

Oatlands and Kempton
Governor Macquarie chose the site for Oatlands in 1811. Returning in 1821, he named the town Oatlands as it reminded him of the grain-producing areas of Scotland. Macquarie proclaimed that all buildings in the early days of settlement were to be constructed of stone or brick and today Oatlands has the largest collection of Georgian sandstone buildings of any town in Australia, First settled by Europeans in 1820, Kempton became a popular overnight stop on the journey north from Hobart through the midlands. The town features a number of fine examples of Georgian architecture.

Bookings are essential and close 2nd October, 2023

Tickets (include garden visits, morning tea and lunch, including presentation from Council heritage officer Alan Townsend):

• • $85 members of AGHS and AILA – members only until 28th September
  • $95 non-members – as numbers permit. Please contact the Event Organiser for waitlisting.
  • $30 student/trainee.

Book: at Trybooking.

Enquiries: Event Organiser: Ian Kilgour, treasureraghstas@gmail.com or text 048 138 9741.

Cancellation policy
Tickets cancelled before Saturday 7th October will be fully refunded.
Please do not attend if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have flu-like symptoms. Your ticket will be refunded in full if you advise the Event Organiser of this prior to the even.