Evandale - Places to See

Historic Buildings in Evandale
With a town like Evandale it is imperative to get a copy of Let's Talk About Evandale. This informative brochure, which is free, lists no fewer than 38 buildings and sites of historic in the town and over 70 in the district.

The buildings of particular interest in Evandale include the former Presbyterian Manse (1840), a typical colonial building opposite Barclay Street in the town's High Street, 'Blenheim' (1832), a one-time hotel on the southern corner of Barclay and High Street, which was originally known as the 'Patriot King William IV', St Andrews Uniting Church (1840) in the High Street with its classical belltower and Doric columns, and a number of buildings at the intersection of Russell Street and High Street including the Clarendon Stores (1836), an early saddler's shop (1840) and the Prince of Wales Hotel (1836).

This barely scratches the surface of the rich diversity of the town. It is sensible to give it about half a day and to wander around accompanied by a good detailed local map. A shorter visit would definitely include a walk down the High Street which is one of the most attractive historic main streets in Tasmania.

For more information check out: http://www.evandaletasmania.com/

Nile
13 km further south is the tiny village of Nile, on the Nile River. It is a pretty village with a number of interesting buildings including St Peter's Church (1893) with its impressive tower and the ruins of the former Nile Inn. On the Nile-Cleveland Road, to the south of the town, is 'Kingston', a single-storey rubblestone house which was built by John Batman, the founder of Melbourne. A further 8 kms towards Ben Lomond is the even smaller village of Deddington. It was the home of John Glover, renowned colonial artist whose house, "Pattersdale", still stands and is located 4 kms east of the village. Built in 1832, it is a two storey Georgian house constructed in an unusual combination of rubble stone on the first floor and timber on the second. He died in 1849 and is buried next to his wife Sarah in the cemetery of the small church in Deddington. John Glover's work is clebrated with the nationally renowned annual Glover Prize worth $30,000 for first prize. It is held every March in Evandale.

Clarendon House
About 3 km north of the village of Nile is 'Clarendon' House, built by the wealthy grazier and merchant James Cox in 1836, a National Trust residence which is open daily between 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. Cox was the son of the William Cox who built the first road across the Blue Mountains in NSW.

'Clarendon' is recognised as one of the most impressive and best preserved Georgian houses in Australia. Its combination of beautifully proportioned rooms (with their high ceilings) and a diversity of interesting outbuildings - a dairy, a butcher's shop, a bakehouse, a large stable, a gardener's cottage - make it a residence worth visiting.