Hobart: History, Former Names & Timeline

Capital of Tasmania and Australia’s second-oldest city, first settled as a penal colony.

Map showing Hobart in 1815 — Border map for 1815. See the world in 1815.

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<p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Interactive map: <a href="https://chronicamaps.com/en/city/hobart">Hobart: History, Former Names &amp; Timeline</a> · Chronica Maps</p>

Former names of Hobart

From	Name	Note
1804	Hobart Town

Timeline of Hobart

Year	Event
1804	The British found Hobart Town on the Derwent
1825	Van Diemen’s Land becomes a separate colony
1853	Transportation of convicts to Tasmania ends
1901	Becomes capital of the state of Tasmania in the Commonwealth of Australia

Who ruled Hobart

Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.

Period	State
500 BC–301 BC	Tasmanian hunter-gatherers
300 BC–201 BC	Australian aboriginal hunter-gatherers
200 BC–1782	Tasmanian hunter-gatherers
1783–1814	Aboriginal Tasmanians
1815–1913	Unclaimed / no data
1914–today	Australia

Landmarks in and around Hobart

Port ArthurRuins · 1830

Famous people of Hobart

Lived	Person
1603 – 1659	Abel Tasman	Navigator

Nearby cities

Melbourne · about 598 km

Questions about Hobart

What was Hobart called in the past?

Hobart has been known as Hobart Town (from 1804). Its present name dates from 1804.

Which states have ruled Hobart?

On the historical border maps from 500 BC to today, Hobart lies within 4 different states: Tasmanian hunter-gatherers, Australian aboriginal hunter-gatherers, Aboriginal Tasmanians, Australia.

What are the key dates in the history of Hobart?

1804: The British found Hobart Town on the Derwent. 1825: Van Diemen’s Land becomes a separate colony. 1853: Transportation of convicts to Tasmania ends. 1901: Becomes capital of the state of Tasmania in the Commonwealth of Australia.

Which famous people are connected with Hobart?

Abel Tasman (navigator, 1603 – 1659).

Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.