Fern Tree, Tasmania


Fern Tree is an outlying suburb of Hobart. The name Fern Tree is adapted from the common name of the plant Dicksonia antarctica which grows abundantly in the area. Set beneath Mount Wellington, whose summit is at 1270 metres above sea level, Fern Tree is 13 km by road from Hobart's central business district.

History

Fern Tree was originally a postal station on the road to the Huon Valley and later the site through which Hobart's water supply would pass. Settled from the mid 19th century, Fern Tree and its environs have always been a major recreational area for Hobart residents. Its many walking tracks see tourists and locals alike appreciating the diverse flora and fauna.
The first Fern Tree Tavern was built in 1861 by John Hall. It was soon replaced by the Fern Tree Hotel, which was established by Alfred Totenhöfer, a Collinsvale farmer of East Prussian descent. Totenhöfer's hotel burnt down in the 1967 bushfires but was subsequently rebuilt as the modern Fern Tree Tavern.