Transport to Stanley

Stanley

Dominated by the sheer-sided volcanic plug known as the Nut, Stanley is a charming town on the northwest coast of Tasmania. It was settled by employees of the Van Diemen’s Land Company in 1826 and was named after the former British Prime Minister, Lord Stanley. A whaling station operated from its foreshore in the 1830s before Stanley established itself as the region’s main fishing port.

The self-guided Stanley Heritage Walk provides a great introduction to the history and architecture of the town while following in the footsteps of the locally born writer and artist, Meg Eldridge. Learn about life at Poet’s Cottage and the shenanigans of the Bay View Hotel, as well as the goods that were bought and sold from the Church Street Shops. For a more in-depth look at the town’s past, head to the Stanley Discovery Centre.

No visit to Stanley is complete without hiking or riding the chairlift to the flat-topped summit of the Nut, which offers 360-degree views across the coastline. Seals can often be seen basking in the sunshine, together with penguins waddling onto shore as dusk sets in. Some of the best views of the Nut can be enjoyed from the Highfield Historic Site, which features an elegant Regency-style residence, convict barracks and an ornamental garden.