Tamar Valley Tales

Tasmanian history, folklore and forgotten stories

Archive

  • The Haunted Cell: A Tale from Launceston’s Old Gaol

    The Haunted Cell: A Tale from Launceston’s Old Gaol

    “Not many people believe in ghosts these days.” So was told the reporter given the assignment of spending the night in the haunted cell of Launceston’s old gaol in Tasmania. But who is reputed to haunt the cell? And did they make their presence known to the reporter? Read more

  • ‘A.H. 1804’ – The Search for 19th Century Graffiti at the Supply River, Tasmania

    ‘A.H. 1804’ – The Search for 19th Century Graffiti at the Supply River, Tasmania

    Join me as I search for a hidden 1804 inscription carved into the rocks along Tasmania’s Supply River. We uncover the story of Adolarius Humphrey and the 19th Century graffiti he left behind. Read more

  • Shocking Catastrophe! The Explosion of the Little Nell

    Shocking Catastrophe! The Explosion of the Little Nell

    On a crisp and cloudless Wednesday, the 18th of February 1874, the steamer Little Nell embarked on her routine voyage from George Town to Launceston. Little did her passengers know that this day’s journey would be etched into history as a day of catastrophe. Read more

  • Mole Hill Fantasy, Tasmania

    Mole Hill Fantasy, Tasmania

    Mainland Australia has big stuff. The big banana; the big merino; the big prawn. You get the picture. Tasmania though, well, we have little stuff. Miniature villages from Tasmazia to models of early colonial towns such as Hobart and York Town. Read more

  • Looking Back, Queen Elizabeth II’s 1954 Tour of Tasmania

    Looking Back, Queen Elizabeth II’s 1954 Tour of Tasmania

    Queen Elizabeth II’s 1954 visit to Tasmania, the first by a reigning monarch, was a meticulously planned milestone. Despite her youth and an exhausting Commonwealth tour, she left a lasting impression on the state, emphasising the strong bond that existed between the monarchy and Tasmania at the time. Read more

  • Charlotte Badger, Australia’s Female Pirate: Folklore or Fact?

    Charlotte Badger, Australia’s Female Pirate: Folklore or Fact?

    Charlotte Badger is often called Australia’s first female pirate. But how much of her story is fact and how much is folklore? This is a tale of a stolen ship, a vanished crew, and a woman whose legend has grown beyond the surviving records. Here’s what the evidence really shows. Read more