Climbing the Nut
It is a bit like climbing Uluru. If you visit Stanley you really should climb The Nut. But don't be fooled it is a steep and difficult walk that requires fitness and commitment. A more pleasant option is to take the Stanley Chairlift. The lookout is only a few minutes walk away. Every time I have gone to the top of The Nut (always by chairlift) it has been very windy. Be warned. Not surprisingly the view is excellent. It is also worth registering that as late as the mid-1850s The Nut was heavily wooded. The trees were removed and it was used as grazing land until the 1990s.
Exploring the town
Stanley has a huge number of historic buildings. The most sensible starting point for any exploration of the town is to visit the Discovery Centre Folk Museum in Church Street which has maps and information. Contact (03) 6458 1145.
St James Presbyterian Church
An early example of a prefabricated building imported from England. A meeting to discuss the creation of a Presbyterian Church was held on 9 November 1853. It was agreed to buy the church from the 'old country' and consequently the church was purchased. We know exactly how much it cost from the records which reveal:
Purchase of church in London: �145
Agency charges, insurance �12/10/-
Freight to colony �52/13/6
Freight - Launceston to Stanley �10
Extra timber �25
Nails, paint etc �22/19/6
Cost of erection �105.
Plough Inn
Built in 1842 it was the Plough Inn until 1876 when the license lapsed. It later became a dispensary and a branch of the National Bank of Tasmania. In recent times it has been restored and furnished with antiques. It is open to the public.
Laughton House
This is a fully restored Edwardian house in Alexander Street. It was built in 1906 by the local solicitor Kenric Laughton and occupied by the Laughton family until 1984. It has excellent views over Tatlow Beach and is characterised by large rooms with ornate fire places. It is now used as an accommodation destination.
Van Diemen's Land Store
The Van Diemens Land Company Store in Stanley was designed by John Lee Archer in 1843-44. It is constructed of bluestone which came to Stanley as ballast in ships. Archer, who designed and built the Store, also worked in Stanley as the Chairman of Quarter Sessions, the Commissioner under the Electoral Act and the Assistant Commissioner of the Court of Requests.
Lyons Cottage
Located in Church Street, this is where the honourable J. A. Lyons was born in 1879. He became Tasmania's first Prime Minister of Australia (1932-39) after being the State's Premier from 1921-28. The cottage is simple and unpretentious. The Lyons family moved to Stanley from Ulverstone in the mid-1880s. The Cottage is open to the public and contains a number of interesting items of memorabilia. For more information check out: http://www.stanley.com.au/~stan2862/?q=joe-lyons-cottage
Highfield Historic Site
In 1825 the Van Diemen's Land company formed in England was granted the rights by Royal Charter to a huge tract of unsettled to raise fine wooled sheep on a large scale. Circular Head, where Highfield is located, was ultimately chosen as the centre of operations. Stud livestock, implements, craftsmen and indentured labourers from England along with convicts assigned locally were landed nearby in October 1826. Highfield, located 6 km west of Stanley, was designed by Henry Hellyer for Edward Curr. Construction was commenced late in May 1832 and the end result was a house with 61cm thick walls, 12 rooms and ceilings 3.65 metres high. Later additions to Highfield were designed by J. Lee Archer and built during 1844-45 for the company's second agent, James Alexander Gibson. Convict barracks, barns, stables (1836-37), chapel (1838-42) and large ornamental gardens are features of the estate.
The property was leased in 1857 and became an historic site under the management of the National Parks and Wildlife Service in 1983. It is well worth visiting and the road out to Highfield offers superb views of Stanley and The Nut. There is an excellent and detailed brochure available which provides additional information. Also check out: http://www.historic-highfield.com.au/
A Recommendation from a Reader
While in Stanley it was my birthday and my wife asked a local for a restaraunt recommendation. I had a superb birthday dinner at Stanley's on the Bay where the food was beautifully presented and tasted just as good. It would compete well with any capital city restaurant.
Graham Weston
Brisbane
Tourist Information
Nut Chairlift & Information Centre
Brown's Rd
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1286
Motels
Dovecote Motel & Restaurant
Dovecote Rd
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1300, 1800 062 298
Facsimile: (03) 6458 1448
Rating: ***1/2
Stanley Village Motel
13 Wharf St
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1404
Facsimile: (03) 6458 1403
Rating: ****
Hotels
Union Hotel
19 Church St
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1161
Rating: *
Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
Hanlon House Bed & Breakfast
6 Marshall St
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1149 or 0419 529 145
Facsimile: (03) 6458 1257
Rating: ****1/2
Old Cable Station Bed & Breakfast
West Beach Rd
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1312
Philately House Bed & Breakfast
11-13 Church St
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1109
Facsimile: (03) 6458 1109
Rating: ****
Stanley Guesthouse
27 Main Rd
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1488
Rating: ****
Apartments
Anthonys at Highfield
Green Hills Rd
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1245
Facsimile: (03) 6458 1286
Rating: ***1/2
Pol and Pen Apts
8 Pearse St
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1186
Facsimile: (03) 6458 1290
Rating: ***
Cottages & Cabins
Abbey's Cottage
1 Marshall St
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1186 or 0419 581 183
Facsimile: (03) 6458 1290
Rating: ****1/2
Bayside Colonial Cottage
4 Alexander Tce
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1209
Facsimile: (03) 6458 1209
Rating: ****
Beachside Retreat West Inlet
253 Stanley Hwy
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1350
Facsimile: (03) 6458 1350
Email: westinlet@tassie.net.au
Rating: *****
Captains Cottage
30 Alexander Tce
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1109
Rating: ****
Dovecote Cottages
Dovecote Rd
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1300
Facsimile: (03) 6458 1488
Rating: ***1/2
Ellie's Cottage
9 Main Rd
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 2038
Facsimile: (03) 6458 2038
Estowen House
35 Main Rd
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1186
Facsimile: (03) 6458 1290
Rating: ***
Gateforth Country Cottages
Black River
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 3230
Facsimile: (03) 6458 3237
Email: gateforth.cottages@tassie.net.au
Rating: ***
Ride Cottage
12 Pearse St
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1137
Rating: ****
Stanley Cabin & Tourist Park
Wharf Rd
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1266
Facsimile: (03) 6458 1266
Rating: ****
The Town House - Stanley
4 Church St
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1455
Rating: ****
The Town House-Stanley
4 Church St
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1485
Facsimile: (03) 6458 1455
Rating: ****
Touchwood Cottage
31 Church St
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1348
Facsimile: (03) 6458 2066
Rating: ****
Farm & Eco Holidays
Myrtle Brook Host Farm
"Myrtle Brook" Wiltshire
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 3174
Rating: ***
Caravan Parks
Stanley Cabin & Tourist Park
Wharf Rd
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1266
Facsimile: (03) 6458 1266
Rating: ****
Restaurants
Dovecote Restaurant & Coffee Shop
Dovecote Rd
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1300
Hursey Seafoods
2 Alexandra Tce
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1103
Michael'sRestaurant
25 Church St
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1144
Stanleys on the Bay
15 Wharf Rd
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1404
Facsimile: (03) 6458 1403
Caf�s
Stranded Whale Coffee Shop
6 Church St
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1202
The Nut Rock Cafe
15 Wharf Rd Nut Reserve
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1186
The Swingin' Anchor Cafe
4A Church St
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1455
Ye Olde Chocolate Shoppe & Cafe
4B Church St
Stanley TAS 7331
Telephone: (03) 6458 1455
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