The Post Office and Main street

Sheffield (including Gowrie Park)
A town now famous for its extensive display of murals
Located 30 km from Devonport and 93 km from Launceston, Sheffield (named after the famous town in Yorkshire) is one of those rural service towns which had a brainwave and successfully turned itself into a tourist destination. The brainwave was 'murals' and consequently the town has huge and fascinating murals, most depicting the early history of the area, on every available blank wall.

Sheffield is nestled in under Mount Roland in an area of rolling hills and gentle valleys which produces fat lambs, pigs, potatoes, timber and a number of vegetable crops.

The area was explored by the surveyor Nathaniel Kentish in 1842 who was given the task of finding a route from Deloraine through to Tasmania's north west coast. The accident of Kentish's last name has led to the area being called the Kentish District and the area around Sheffield being called Kentish Plains. This area was opened up to settlement but was neither surveyed nor settled until 1859. This was probably due to the dense forest which existed in the surrounding area.

Hay in fields south of Sheffield

By 1862 thirty lots of land had been sold and the settlement of Sheffield had been named. It is now widely accepted that 'Sheffield' as a name was probably chosen by Edward Curr, the manager of the Van Diemen's Land Company, who was a native of Sheffield in England.

The area grew slowly but the commencement of the Mersey-Forth Power Development Scheme in 1963 saw the town grow dramatically. The completion of the power scheme - seven dams and seven power stations - in 1973 saw the town's population decline. Today it has grown to become the centre of the surrounding Kentish district.

Things to see:  

The murals at Sheffield

The Murals
It is amazing what can attract tourists to an area. The Sheffield murals have attracted an estimated 120 000 people to the town every year and really changed the style of the town. The town had become somewhat run down after a boom period during the construction of Lake Barrington. It was against this background that the local business community, inspired by the Canadian town of Chemainus, decided on a program of murals. The result was extraordinary. Not only are the murals a very obvious tourist attraction but they have given the town, so people say, a sense of purpose and self-esteem and provided a visual insight into the history of the region. The murals have been an entire town project. The rubbish bins in town have been painted with mini-murals by the kids from the local school.

There is an inexpensive brochure - Your Story Guide to Sheffield's Murals - which provides both a map and detailed descriptions of each of the murals.

Lake Barrington
Originally built as part of Tasmania's enthusiasm for hydro-electric power, Lake Barrington today is home to an International Rowing Course. It is recognised as one of the finest rowing courses in the world. Not surprisingly the foreshores have excellent picnic and barbecue facilities.

Mount Roland south of Sheffield

Mount Roland
Mount Roland looms over Sheffield. It rises to 1234 metres and there are a number of well marked bushwalks which are all suitable for a day of pleasant exercise. There are walking tracks from both Claude Road and Gowrie Park to the summit.

Sheffield Heritage Museum
Also known as Kentish Museum it is located in Main Street and offers excellent displays on the history of hydro-electricity in the area and the usual array of local artefacts. It is open from 10.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m. daily.

Gowrie Park
Located 16 km south of Sheffield, Gowrie Park was built to house construction workers during the Mersey-Forth Power Development Scheme. In 1969 there were 1800 people working on the project. Today Gowrie Park is only a hint of its former self. It is still an excellent starting point for people wanting to climb Mount Roland and for people wanting to see the huge 82 metre high Devil's Gate Dam.

	Motels
	Kentish Hills Retreat 2 West Nook Rd Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 2484 Rating: ****
	Sheffield Country Motor Inn 51 Main St Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1800 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Sheffield Hotel 38 Main St Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1130 Rating: **
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Acacia Bed & Breakfast 113 High St Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 2482 Rating: ****
	Badgers Host Farm Bed & Breakfast Nook Rd Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1816 Rating: ****
	Cradle Vista Bed & Breakfast 978 Staverton Rd Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1930 Rating: ****
	Tanglewood Bed & Breakfast 25 High St Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1854 Rating: ****
	Apartments
	Sheffield Pioneer Holiday Apts 3 Pioneer Cres. Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1149
	The Granary Apts 575 Staverton Rd Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1689 Rating: ***
	Whitehawk Holiday Apts Main St Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1644 Rating: ****
	Holiday Homes & Units
	Helvetia Retreat Tylers Rd Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1806 Rating: ***
	Cottages & Cabins
	Paradise Cottage 75 Jeffries Rd Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1626 Rating: ***
	Farm & Eco Holidays
	Carinya Farm Accommodation 63 Staverton Rd Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1593or 018 144 877 Facsimile: (03) 6491 1256
	Camping & Other
	Silver Ridge Retreat Rysavy Rd off Cradle Mt Rd Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1727 Rating: ****
	Restaurants
	Sheffield Hotel 38 Main St Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1130
	Silver Ridge Retreat Rysavy Rd off Cradle Mt Rd Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1727
	The Scottish Scone Shoppe and Higlander Restuarant 60 Main St Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1077
	Weindorfers Great Food & Real Coffee Gowrie Park via Sheffield Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1385
	Cafés
	Bossimi's Bakehouse 44 Main St Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1298
	Cafe on Main 43 Main St Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1046
	Julian's Bakery & Tearooms 47 Main St Sheffield TAS 7306 Telephone: (03) 6491 1570