History of Hobart: "Historical" Waterfalls

[walkinTas]

....in 1824, when Charles Degreaves established the Cascade Brewery near the Cascade Falls in the foothills of Mount Wellington. By 1832, the brewery outgrew its original building. Degreaves relocated the brewery to the site of an old sawmill, slightly further upstream along the Hobart Rivulet

So here's a couple questions for the citizens of Hobart Town ...or anyway who knows the history of the brewery. Was there ever a waterfall called "Cascade Falls". Where was the original site of the brewery?

Last edited by walkinTas on Sat 08 Sep, 2012 6:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[walkinTas]

...so, his name was Peter Degraves not Charles Degreaves. The Brewery was built on the sawmill site in 1832, by Degraves in partnership with Hugh Macintosh, and not 1824. The sight was not an "old" sawmill but very much a working sawmill owned by Degraves. Doesn't appear to have been a waterfall either.

...my faith in Wikipedia is shattered.....

[Mark F]

I'm going off a very unreliable memory so please forgive if my memory proves incorrect.

I believe that the brewery is supplied by pipe using water collected further up Mt Wellington and at some stage built a small weir/dam to capture it. The site of this source is I believe very close to the "Cascades".

The name may have originally been a marketing effort to convince consumers that the beer was made with clean water rather than the effluent of the many tanneries etc that graced the lower parts of the Hobart Rivulet. There was a tannery on the rivulet in South Hobart in the 1990's - don't know whether it is still there. - part of Blundstones I believe.

[walkinTas]

Thanks MarkF. State Library has photos of that dam along with a few other interesting possibilities.

Does anyone recognise this set of falls, on the last postcard in this collection (AUTAS0016125396788)
It is titled "Cascades Falls, Hobart Tasmania"

[ceejaycee]

The photo you mention looks like O'Gradys Falls, reached via Bracken Lane at Fern Tree. Compare it with the attached photo.

Attachments

O'Gradys Falls

O'Grady's Falls 2.jpg (164.45 KiB) Viewed 4665 times

[walkinTas]

Thanks for help with that. Looking at some of those other photos "the cascades" might have been a reference to a set of rapids. I think its reasonable to conclude that they weren't a major waterfall.

[Strider]

Thanks for help with that. Looking at some of those other photos "the cascades" might have been a reference to a set of rapids. I think its reasonable to conclude that they weren't a major waterfall.

Isn't there a set of rapids passing through Cascade Gardens?

[walkinTas]

Thanks, that would fit nicely. Have you seen them? Do any of the picture in the archives collection look like they might have been taken from the same location?

[Strider]

Thanks, that would fit nicely. Have you seen them? Do any of the picture in the archives collection look like they might have been taken from the same location?

I'm tempted to go for a wander around this area tomorrow now!

[walkinTas]

Now there's an idea.

The archive proved very useful. I just found another set of falls for the list because of a photo in the archives. Nook Falls in the Don River.

[walkinTas]

The archives have a couple of pictures of waterfalls in Humphrey's Rivulet, Glenorchy.

e.g. This link and also this link

I believe (not certain) the upper reaches of Humphrey's rivulet is locked up as its part of the Glenorchy catchment. Does anyone know if there is a waterfall in humphrey's, or was it sacrificed to suburban sprawl?

[walkinTas]

Also found this picture in the Mercury. Same waterfall! No date, but states that the falls are the top end of Chapel Street.


We definitely don't have these on the list of waterfalls. Anyone recognise the falls?

Edit: link

Last edited by walkinTas on Sun 09 Sep, 2012 2:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Strider]

Also found this picture in the Mercury. Same waterfall! No date, but states that the falls are the top end of Chapel Street.
We definitely don't have these on the list of waterfalls. Anyone recognise the falls?

Is there a photographer mentioned? Perhaps contact The Mercury?

[walkinTas]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've added the link above. Yes, there is a photographer - the picture is dated 2009/10/05. I might have to give them a ring if noone has further details. Sadly I lived in Tolosa St. years ago, but never walked up through the reserve.