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Ross Bridge was built in 1836.
Ross
Midlands Region
Ross
Midlands Region
Historic Uniting church
Ross
Midlands Region
War memorial
Ross
Midlands Region
Female Factory historic site
Ross
Midlands Region
Garrison Chapel
Ross
Midlands Region
Stables of the Scotch Thistle Inn
Ross
Midlands Region
Scotch Thistle Inn
Ross
Midlands Region
Old telephone booths
Ross
Midlands Region

Main photo gallerys are below Information.

ROSS & Lake Tooms

SMALL PHOTO & INFORMATION PAGE

ROSS boasts of being Tasmania's premiere heritage town. It has a whole street of heritage buildings lined with lovely elm trees, plus numerous shops. Ross is famous for the Ross Bridge and the Female Factory, a convict women's prison. There is much accommodation in Ross as well as in nearby Campbell Town.

Ross is in central Tasmania on the major A1 Midland Highway, approximately half way between the major cities of LAUNCESTON and HOBART. From Ross you are 5 minutes from CAMPBELL TOWN, 20 minutes from OATLANDS, 30 minutes from EVANDALE and LONGFORD. Nearby places are described in the MIDLANDS REGION page.

Ross is one of a number of historic towns on the A1 Midland Highway, which is called the Heritage Highway by the tourist industry. The other historic towns are: CAMPBELL TOWN, EVANDALE, LONGFORD, CARRICK, DELORAINE, OATLANDS, KEMPTON, WESTBURY and PONTVILLE. For further information telephone any visitor information office or contact www.heritagehighway.com.au


View Midlands in a larger map

FACILITIES: There is a general store, a petrol station and some antique and tourist stores at Ross. Campbell Town, which has a large shopping precinct, is close by. There is some accommodation at ROSS and CAMPBELL TOWN.

TOURIST information is at Church Street, Ross. The telephone is (03) 6381 5466

SIGHTS: Ross is rated as one of Tasmania's best preserved, historic towns. The attractions of Ross are mostly on the main street, which is called Church Street. They are close to the WAR MEMORIAL, which you approach as you enter the town. The attractions include;

ROUTE: Ross is just off the A1 Midland highway roughly half way between HOBART and LAUNCESTON.

Lake Tooms Road begins at the Man of Ross Hotel in the centre of Ross. The Quoin cliff diverges from the east of this road.

To LARGER ROSS PHOTOS

  • ROSS
  • Lake Tooms

 

Ross

1/ Ross is a historic town in central Tasmania. It has many fine examples of Colonial architecture for you to view. This photo shows the famous Ross Bridge.

Ross

2/ This photo shows Church Street, Ross looking towards the War Memorial. To the right of this is the Ross Bridge and to the left of this is the Man O' Ross Hotel.

Ross, War memorial, Tasmania

3/ The Ross War Memorial commemorates those who served in many wars. It features this 1890s era breach loading cannon, which served in the Boer War.

Ross, Garrison Chapel, Tasmania

4/ This is the Sacred Heart catholic church. It was orginally a store house, which was later converted into a church. The spire was added last.

Ross

5/ This shows the view to the front. This church still has a regular congregation and it has a lovely stain glass triplicity.

Ross

6/ This is the lovely, stainglass triplicity. The words say: "Behold the heart which has loved men so much".

Ross

7/ This shows the rear of the church. It has an ancient 'stations of the cross' series.

Ross

8/ The Barracks where small detachments of soldiers from a number of famous British regiments once lived and guarded convicts.

Ross

9/ The Barracks now displays this sign for those who are interested in British regiments that once served in Van Diemens Land.

Ross

10/ The St John's Anglican Church is a fine example of 19th Century architecture and was built in 1868. It has a aura of great age about it.

Ross Bridge, Tasmania

11/ Ross was founded as a place to cross the Macquarie River. In 1836 this historic bridge was built.

Ross Bridge, Tasmania

12/ The date proclaims in Roman numerals that the Ross Bridge was opened in 1836. Note the carvings in the arch underneath the date, which are of some significance.

Ross

13/ The old sign tells travellers that Hobart Town is 69 miles of 110 kilometres away from Ross.

Ross

14/ This historic plaque on the bridge tells you about the builders.

42 South monument at Ross in Tasmania

15/ The 42 parallel of latitude runs through Ross. This monument explains how old Van Diemen's Land was once administered as two colonies based on this line.

Ross

16/ This the view from the bridge across the picnic area to the Uniting Church.

Ross, Uniting Church, Tasmania

17/ This is the Uniting Church taken from the Ross Bridge.

Ross, Uniting Church, Tasmania

18/ Another view of the Uniting Church at Ross showing its tasteful Gothic splendor. It was built in 1885.

Ross

19/ Close to the church is this ancient stable and work area.

Ross Tasmania

20/ The Uniting Church of Ross has a number of art pieces that show the skills of the old, religious calligraphers.

Ross

21/ The stain glass windows in the Uniting Church, Ross showed a very high degree of skill.

stain glass windown in Ross Tasmania

22/ This is the other very impressive stain glass window.

Ross, Tasmania

23/ The rostrum shows very highly skilled woodcraft.

Ross, Female Factory, Tasmania

24/ The Commandant's Cottage is all that is left of the old, Female Factory at Ross. This was located on the paddock behind it. The cottage is a museum with information about the former women's prison.

Ross, Female Factory, Tasmania

25/ A model of the former Female Factory at Ross. Only the Commandants Cottage on the extreme left has survived, as the other buildings were made out of wood.

Ross

26/ This unusual artwork commemorates the hundreds of babies that the poor women prisoners of Ross were forced to give up. The bonnets were hand made in the ancient style.

Ross

27/ This is the view down the ancient lane from the cemetery to the Female Factory, which is on the far left. Walking down it, I got a strong sense of history.

Ross

28/ There are hundreds of ancient graves in the Ross cemetery. They go back to the early 19th Century.

Man O Ross Hotel

29/ The Man O' Ross hotel was built in 1835.

Ross, Tasmania

30/ This old mile post tells travellers that Launceston is 55 miles or 88 kilometres away from Ross.

Ross, Tasmania

31/ This old church school in Ross dates from the 1850s.

Ross, Tasmania

32/ This building is the former stables of the Scotch Thistle Inn shown below. It is now the Thistle Museum. Note how the second storey door was used to load supplies into a wagon by crane.

Ross, Schotch Thistle Inn, Tasmania

33/ The Scotch Thistle Inn of Ross was built in the 1830. It shows the style of a typical mid 19th century inn.

Ross, Tasmania

34/ Ross has a number of antique stores with valuable items for sale.

Ross, Tasmania

35/ A gift shop in Ross showing a wide variety of old and new objects for sale. Ross is a mecca for antique hunters.

Ross, Tasmania

36/ Ross has even retained its mid 20th Century telephone boxes with working modern phones inside them.

Ross the northern bridge

37/ As you enter Ross from the north, you cross over this ancient bridge. It looks similar in age to the main bridge.

Ross

38/ Ross was not always a tourist, friendly town. This photo shows Ross about 1970. Its historic streetscape was marred by traffic, lampposts and garish signs. When the Midland Highway was moved out of Ross, the town had to either reinvent itself or decline. When you tour Ross today, you should appreciate the town's achievement.

Horton college

39/ This is the last remnant of Horton College. It was one of the top private schools in Tasmania in the late 19th Century. You can see it just south of the town of Ross on the western side of the highway.

Horton college

40/ This was Horton College in 1890. It is a tragedy that it did not survive.

Somercoate Estate

41/ This is the historic house of the Somercoate Estate. It is just across the highway from the Horton entrance remnant. This house was owned by the Horton family that owned Horton College.

Somercoate Estate

42/ The Somercoate Estate has number of historic buildings behind the house. The estate sells strawberries when they are in season.

Somercoate Estate

43/ The Somercoate Estate also has these former convict barracks.

Ross

44/ In 2022 Tasmania had heavy rainfall and the Macquarie River flooded.

Ross

45/ This view shows the river to the north of the bridge.

Ross

46/ This view shows the view to the south of the bridge.

Ross

47/ This view looks back towards the town of Ross

 

Ross

1/ Lake Tooms is an artificial lake south east of Ross. The road to Lake Tooms is C305, which starts at the Man of Ross Hotel. It is about 50 kilometres away. This gallery shows scenes take on or near the road to Lake Tooms. This photo looks back at the Uniting Church of Ross. The ancient trees give the church a lovely atmosphere.

Midlands

2/ This photo was not taken on the Lake Tooms Road, but it shows a scene from the nearby Midlands. This area is the driest in Tasmania and was formerly mainly used for sheep grazing. Fortunately, irrigation is now allowing many other valuable crops to be grown in this area.

The Quoin

3/ This is the Quoin. It is a rugged cliff visible from a road that diverges east from C305.

The Quoin

4/ This is a closer view of the Quoin. The cliff is about 100 metres high.

Lake Tooms

5/ This image looks south east across Lake Tooms. The most distant point is about 5 kilometres away. Lake Tooms is an artificial lake. There is both camping and a boat ramp for fishermen on the lake. Unfortunately, Lake Tooms is a dead end, so that any supplies must be purchased back at Ross.

Lake Tooms

6/ This image looks at the shore line of Lake Tooms.

Lake Tooms

7/ Lake Tooms is an artificial lake. It was constructed to provide water to generate hydro electricity. This image shows part of the ancient retaining wall.

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