Locations within this tour
Stop 1 VDL Co Crest
This crest once held a very prominent position in Burnie. The company it belonged to, would herald enormous changes for the Northwest Coast of Tasmania. ...
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Stop 2 Burnie Court House/ The Imperial
This used to be a guest house built in 1902. It was quite upmarket in its early days, but over time became more run down ...
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Stop 3 Cattley Street Looking East
At one time this part of the street was home to some of Burnie's early residents. Children would play on the dirt road in front, ...
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Stop 4 The Advocate- Emu Bay Times – Community Tree
Once the site of Emu Bay Times and then the Advocate, with the same Norfolk pine planted in front of the Anglican Church all these ...
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Stop 5 The Burnie Theatre / Sports power
This used to be the premier theatre in Burnie. Constructed along the northern side of the old town hall and theatre, in 1931. The new ...
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Stop 6 Cattley Street Town Hall
Cattley street was once dominated by a grand Town Hall, where public meetings, forums, elegant balls, and community events were held. The original buildings were ...
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Stop 7 Cattley Street Looking West
Cattley street, offered a range of shops, and eateries- not dissimilar to contemporary Cattley street offerings. It also provided somewhere for the kids to ride ...
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Stop 8 Fortuna WT BELL Auctioneers
WT Bell Auction House- These gentlemen were responsible for conducting cattle Auctions in the North and Northwest, and their offices were located in this building ...
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Stop 9 Tattersalls Merchants
At one time this store sold many things to make some dough. Now it makes dough all day long. AW Tattersall's Hardware store was built ...
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Stop 10 Pease’s Shoe Shop Photograph
Ah Pease' s shoe shop is located on Wilson street, and was established by Alfred H Pease, in 1925. Generations of the Pease family have ...
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Stop 11 Wilson Street looking South
Wilson street circa 1900s, with the central image of a man and a wheelbarrow in the distance, possibly collecting horse manure off the street. Wilson ...
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Stop 12 Spicer’s Chemist
This site has been a chemist for many years. HG spicer's chemist was one of Burnie's first businesses, commencing trade in 1887. Later the property ...
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Stop 13 Beach Hotel Burnie
Beach hotel was originally known as Sea View hotel and was built in 1901 by the Wiseman Family. (Of Central hotel fame). Whilst it was ...
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Stop 14 Basalt Columns
These Basalt columns were used to quarry thousands of tons of rocks from the 1800s into the 20th century. The original Basalt columns protruded further ...
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Stop 15 The Old Burnie Wharf
Burnie's port was one of the State's main gateways for products in and out of Tasmania, and still is to this day. The key export ...
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Stop 16 The VDL company store
This was the site of the majestic Van Diemen Land Company Store. Built in 1901 on the site of the original company stores established in ...
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Stop 17 Union Line Steamers
Union Line Steamers- Built near the site of the Goodman skins merchants, offered a weekly sailing to Sydney and on to New Zealand from the ...
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Stop 18 Goodman Skin Buyers
Goodmans Skin Buying Store. Started in the early 1900s, the Goodman's eventually sold their business after 6 years to South Australian Skins merchants, Willcox-Mofflin & ...
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Stop 19 Jones Hotel
The first Bay View Hotel was constructed in 1875 by prominent local businessman, Captain William Jones. Here, a two storey weatherboard building was erected, generally ...
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Stop 20 Marine Terrace looking South
At one time this was one of Burnie's main commercial streets. Several shops, public houses, and hotels lined the street. At the port end, there ...
Location Detail Walk Specifics
- Complete walk - Allow 60 min
- Actual walk time - Allow 30 min
- Wear comfortable walking shoes
- Cafes along the way
Scan the QR code at the site or select the stop image from your device. Stand in the position that corresponds to the stop picture. Select the corresponding picture on your map to launch a short video vignette revealing a hidden history at that site.
Take a moment to follow the footsteps of those that have gone before you. Who were they? What were their lives like? What were their dreams, and hopes? We are separated from them by time, but connected by the place within which we stand and observe. Their history lives among us.
Unless otherwise noted, permission and digital original images have been purchased from the Burnie Regional Museum.
Enjoy discovering our hidden history!