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Fingal Focus December Issue
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Fingal was named by land surveyor Roderick O'Connor around 1824, and was established as a convict station in 1827. The Fingal Valley offers travellers and residents alike an environment unique for its scenery and colonial history. Follow the links to learn about each of the fascinating villages that make up this picturesque valley.
Fingal | St Marys | Avoca | Mathinna | Mangana | Rossarden and Storeys Creek
Fingal
On arrival at Fingal one sees the old cells with their unusual pyramidal design , one of the few original reminders of the convict era and can still be seen on the western outskirts of the town. As well as road construction and land development, convicts provided a cheap labour force and much architectural artistry for many of the district's substantial homesteads.
Three churches in Fingal dominate the freestone buildings of the township. They are St Josephs (Catholic), St Peters (Anglican) and the original Presbyterian church(now the Uniting Church). They were built in 1880, 1867 and 1881 respectively, and contain some of the State's finest examples of traditional window leadlighting.
Fingal's wide main street features several impressive 19th Century buildings. At the western end is the former Council Chambers, erected in 1882 and now the Town Hall. The railway station nearby was built in 1886 and provides a good example of the design utilised for many country stations of that era. Further east is the ?Highlander? hotel; it was first licensed in 1844 and today operates as the ?Fingal Hotel?.
Almost opposite is the old bakery building, and near it the rather quaint post office. The original post office in Fingal was one of the first in Van Diemens Land; it was opened in 1831 at the residence of Mr JD Wallace. The eastern streetscape is dominated by the Holder Brothers store established in 1859, and opposite it the old Tasmanian Hotel building. The latter is constructed of stone removed from the prison barracks, which once housed 400 men. The Tasmanian Hotel is now the region?s centre for visitor information as well as providing a venue for community activities, including a gallery.
Other Fingal buildings of historical significance are the Primary School built in 1884 and one of the oldest in the State and the Prince of Wales hotel stables on the eastern outskirts of the town, an excellent illustration of the utilisation of locally quarried freestone.
Recreation facilities for Fingal's 400 odd residents and visitors to the town include the Fingal park with amenities, and the picturesque recreation ground. The latter is the site of the Fingal Valley Festival [Read more] and World Coal Shovelling Championships staged in early March each year. It attracts both interstate and overseas competitors as well as thousands of spectators.
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