Battery Point: Hobart’s Timeworn Treasure
Tucked just above Salamanca, Battery Point is one of Hobart’s most character-rich suburbs — a storybook mix of sandstone steps, seafarers’ tales, and heritage charm. The area takes its name from the Mulgrave Battery built in 1818 to defend the port, but its true spirit lies in its narrow lanes and colonial-era homes.
Accessed via Kelly’s Steps, carved into the cliff by whaling captain James Kelly in 1839, the neighbourhood was once the go-to for Hobart’s maritime workers. Today, it’s a peaceful enclave of dockworker cottages and merchant mansions — including Narryna, a Georgian-era house museum, and Lenna of Hobart, now a boutique hotel with sweeping views and a boutique distillery.
At the heart of it all is Arthur Circus: a ring of quaint cottages circling a tiny green, once affordable housing for working families, now among Hobart’s most coveted addresses. With its layers of history and evolving character, Battery Point is where Hobart’s past and present meet.