Richmond's rise: Why this gourmet foodie town in Tasmania is experiencing a sharp growth spurt

When Governor Macquarie visited the Coal River Valley, which stretches north from Cambridge to Richmond, it’s said he was impressed with the “beautiful and rich agricultural settlements”.

Farming has been the mainstay of Richmond since the town was established in the early 1800s. Sheep, cattle and wheat were being exported from the region to NSW as early as 1816.

Little has changed in 200 years, with Richmond still home to some of the country’s finest produce, although beef and lamb has been supplemented with grapes, berries, stone fruit and lettuce.

Viticulturist Matthew Pooley, of Pooley Wines, says the region’s low rainfall is very well-suited to today’s crops.

“We’ve got lovely, warm, Mediterranean conditions, allowing for a long, slow, ripening period – so we can optimise our harvest time,” he says.

Pooley Wines is one of about six wineries in the immediate vicinity and has been voted Gourmet Traveller’s Best Small Cellar Door for Southern Tasmania, for a fourth time this year.

Making cool-climate wines such as Riesling, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Pooley Wines is a third-generation, family-run winery that boasts sustainable practices and is environmentally accredited.

An attraction at the vineyard is the restored Georgian homestead Belmont Lodge, said to have been built for a Hobart wine merchant, which is reflective of Richmond village’s architecture, and dates back to the 1820s.

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Today, these heritage buildings house galleries, tea and antique shops, tourist accommodation, restaurants and museums, and the town is also home to Australia’s oldest bridge, oldest Roman Catholic church and oldest gaol.

Township in a state of growth 

“It’s a beautiful, picturesque little township,” Charlotte Peterswald for Property agent Kim Morgan says. “It’s actually quite a growth suburb – a medical centre has recently been built there and there are new subdivisions and acreage lots on the perimeter of the town.

Buyers can choose to live in the heart of the historical village or on five-acre lots with room for a horse and the kids to ride around.”

Morgan says there have been some notable sales of Georgian manors in the township in recent years.

This includes the $1.5 million sale of the Mill House in Wellington Street, which in 2012 played host to the Duchess of Cornwall.

It’s placed a 25-minute drive north of Hobart and about the same drive time from the airport, Richmond is home to around 2000 people, with tourists swelling the population on weekends.

Top home in the area

This timber home at 
3-5 Bilney Street is up for grabs. Photo: Supplied

This award-winning home on Bilney Street is designed to mimic a barn-and-stable aesthetic.

The spotted gum-clad pavilion houses open-plan living spaces, a stone kitchen and a covered barbecue deck, plus an upper-level main suite.

Three bedrooms and a double garage make up the brick pavilion.

Charlotte Peterswald have set a price guide of $1.2 million-plus.