The best family-friendly hikes and walks in Wellington Park

Myrtle Gully Falls is a beautiful, small rainforest waterfall that cascades over a series of mossy rock ledges. Reached along Myrtle Gully Track, the falls sit within a cool, fern-filled gully and are often at their best after rain. There is a small bridge near the falls that makes for an easy viewpoint over the creek and the surrounding forest, and is an ideal spot for a quiet, picturesque break to enjoy the scenery.

The Cascades Female Factory is the most significant site in Australia linked to female convicts, offering insight into a part of history that’s often overlooked. Set along the Hobart Rivulet Track, the preserved yards and ruins help explain how women and children lived here during the colonial period. It’s one of eleven locations included in the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage listing. Entry to the site requires a ticket, with interpretive displays and facilities available on site.

Cascade Gardens is a spacious, green park at the base of kunanyi / Mount Wellington, set around the Hobart Rivulet. Wide lawns, mature trees, and the sound of running water make it a calm place to spend time. There are picnic tables, barbecues, toilets, and a playground, with flat, easy paths throughout. It’s one of the more relaxed spots in Hobart, with plenty of space to spread out.

The Hobart Rivulet Track follows the water upstream from the city towards kunanyi / Mount Wellington, with a steady, mostly gentle incline. It’s a wide, shared path suitable for walking, cycling, and dogs on lead. Along the way, keep an eye on the water for platypus, which are known to live here.

Beautiful track, plus the resident platypus is to be seen

Nice short hike to a smaller waterfall on Mt Wellington

"Saint Raphael’s Church is the daughter church in the Parish of All Saints, South Hobart. It is situated on Huon Road, Fern Tree, ten kilometres from the city of Hobart. This beautiful ‘Swiss’ style Church was designed by Melbourne architect Alan C Walker and built by local builders William and Charles Gillham. The Foundation Stone was laid in 1892 by Emily Dobson and the Church consecrated in 1893. Previously services had been held in a room at the back of the Fern Tree Inn (now the Fern Tree Tavern) which was opposite the site of the present church. The incentive to build the Church came from residents who were concerned at the use of the Inn for their fortnightly church services." https://allsaints-southhobart.org.au/st-raphaels-fern-tree/

The Cascades Female Factory opened in 1828 taking over the premises of a failed brewery in the foothills of Mount Wellington, and operated until 1856. Convicts were marched from the docks in Hobart to the prison in full view of free citizens -- who could taunt and ridicule the women as they passed -- as a form of humiliation. Once inside, women spent their days washing endless amounts of linen, sewing uniforms, and unravelling tarred lengths of rope to be resold to the shipyards -- among other exhaustive tasks -- until they were considered reformed enough to be hired out as maids or nannies to free citizens. Described as a dark, damp, bitterly cold place, where women suffered needlessly and infants (most of whom were conceived during work releases) died from malnutrition and neglect, the Cascades Female Factory now serves to educate the public about its tragic history and the horrific abuse that convicts endured.