Wattle Hill: a rural place with a history

Wattle Hill has an agricultural character; its historic landmarks range from an early 19th-century brick house to events from the Second World War. Named school and local landmarks add further layers to this history. If you are looking for accommodation, you can first consider whether a rural place with a history of buildings, schools and wartime events suits your stay.

Wattle Hill is on Nugent Road, 6 km northeast of Sorell. Together with its agricultural character, this location gives the area its rural setting. Its geographical location and historical themes answer different questions: Nugent Road and the distance to Sorell establish where the area is; the named places lead into its history. When choosing where to stay, you can weigh both against your travel interests.

School and wartime history

Wattle Hill Schoolhouse & Hall is located at 680 Nugent Road. Wattle Hill State School opened on 1 June 1869. Together, these two school-related landmarks form a distinct focus alongside architectural and wartime history. The opening date gives the area's history a point in time, while Schoolhouse & Hall is also anchored in a specific location as a named place.

The Harefield Prisoner of War Hut in Wattle Hill reveals another layer of history. During the Second World War, it served as accommodation for Italian prisoners of war who had been captured in North Africa and brought to Australia. Antonio and Gabriel shared their meals with a local family who lived across the road. Thus, the hut's history includes both its use at the time and a personal encounter.

Buildings and local landmarks

At Nonesuch, the focus turns more closely to a single building. The house at 56 Nonesuch Road was built circa 1832 and is a brick house with a gabled roof and brick chimneys. A gabled roof has two sloping roof surfaces that meet at the ridge. This makes the architectural feature easier to understand without specialist terms. The approximate date and the specific architectural details offer two different points of reference: the time it was built and the house's form.

Other historic local landmarks include Downward's Mill Site on Shrub End Road and Harefield Dairy at 296 Shrub End Road. These add further specific street names to Wattle Hill's geographical context, alongside Nugent Road. The two names complement the school history, Nonesuch and the wartime story with additional rural landmarks.

The themes can be distinguished by period: Nonesuch was built circa 1832, Wattle Hill State School opened in 1869, and the use of the Harefield Prisoner of War Hut dates to the Second World War. Architectural history, education and a personal wartime experience thus sit side by side, offering different ways into Wattle Hill's history.

Discover more destinations: Cygnet, Carrick, Howth, Chudleigh, Bicheno, Dennes Point, Bridport, Naracoopa

For the broader travel overview: Tasmania.