Heritage

Narryna Heritage Museum (The Merchant’s House)

Narryna Heritage Museum, also known as The Merchant's House, is a community-run historic house museum in Battery Point, Hobart. Housed in an 1830s merchant's residence at 103 Hampden Road, it displays furnished interiors and material culture that interpret domestic life and colonial-era mercantile connections. The ground floor is wheelchair accessible but the first floor has limited mobility.

By Our Tasmania Editorial

Salamanca Place. In the 1830s as trade opened up in VDL the wharves were on Hunter Island, now Hunter Street. But the waters were more sheltered on the Salamanca side of the harbour so convicts were employed to mine the steep hill side, create a quarry, and built a new shore line so that deep sea facilities for ships could be provided near Salamanca. John Lee Archer was involved in this 1827 plan to re-shape Sullivans Cove which included building up soil in front of the Customs House. In the 1840s the dock facilities moved to Salamanca Place and the large warehouses were built. The apple industry used the sheds right on the wharves in the 20th century. By the 1970s the area was derelict so the Tas. government bought seven warehouses to create an arts centre in 1976. Soon the other warehouses were privately renovated into upmarket galleries, shops and cafes. American Rebel Memorial in Princess Park. In 1839 a number of convicts (around 160) were transported from Canada to Tasmania because they had taken part in a rebellious movement against the British Crown. They were American patriots who had crossed into Canada, but some were French prisoners from French Canada. They had an uprising, were eventually arrested and shipped to Australia but only the American rebels were offloaded in Hobart. (The French rebels were offloaded in Sydney.) They were given hard labour at Port Arthur. The society they belonged to- the Hunters Lodge - had about 20,000 members who urged the Canadians to fight the British. Seven uprisings occurred. Queen Victoria pardoned the Americans between 1844-48. Only a few stayed on in Australia. None stayed in Tasmania. Most returned to the USA. Battery Point, Arthurs Circus, and the Lena House Hotel. Originally guns guarded the harbour from the point, hence the name Battery. Wealthy merchants chose to live there by the 1850s with Alexander McGregor being a good example. He arrived in Hobart from Scotland in 1831.He built up a large whaling fleet and bought Lenna House site from a ship’s captain once he was wealthy. He built this grand house around 1860 with a roof top tower for watching his sailing ships come up the Derwent estuary. It is now a fine hotel, so you can walk in side and look around. Despite two marriages he had no children. Opposite the Lenna is a fine example of a wooden fancy gabled Tudor Gothic style house in Runnymede Street. At the top of Runnymede St is Arthur’s Circus- named after the Governor with its quaint cottages and large horse Chesnuts in the middle of the circus. Is this really Australia? Although in England by the time of its development, Arthur owned this land at Battery Point and sold it off for housing in 1847. The blocks around the circus were all narrow frontage, suitable for workers’ cottages. The cottages were all built around 1850. Battery Point was home to master mariners, shipwrights, seamen, fishermen, shipping agents shipbuilders and as wealthy merchants. St Georges Anglican Church. The story of St George’s begins in 1836 with services commencing in 1838. The church was consecrated by Bishop W. G. Broughton, the first and only Bishop of Australia. St George's was designed in the Neo-Classical style then current in London. The only other examples of this style of church left in Australia are one in Richmond and one in Sydney. The Government architect, John Lee Archer, designed the body of the building; the tower and porch were designed by convict architect, James Blackburn. The church has an unusual layout, with two side aisles instead of a single central aisle. It still has its original cedar box pews. The Government agreed to grant convict labour, stone and timber for the church tower. Lime, lead and glass had to be provided by the church members. By 1847 the tower was finally completed, but the porch and the rooms at the basement of the tower were left unfinished. St George’s porch was not added until 1888. The stone for its fine fluted Grecian columns was quarried at Bellerive. James Blackburn (1803–1854), was a civil engineer, surveyor and architect who had been transported for forgery in 1833. He was pardoned in 1841, but continued in private practice as an architect until 1849. His work included: St Mark's Anglican Church at Pontville (Romanesque), the Lady Franklin Museum (Grecian) and The Grange at Campbell Town (Tudor). Narryna House. Narryna was built as a grand Georgian style house in 1836, one of the first on the hill at Battery Point for Captain Haig. He had built a warehouse down in Salamanca Place in 1833 and lived in that with his family whilst the house was completed. He sold it in 1842 and the property then had many different owners. It is a fine box like, very symmetrical simple Georgian house of grand proportions and constructed with first class quality sandstone. One long time resident was an early mayor of Hobart and a MP. The government bought the house as a TB hospital in 1946. It was established as Australia’s first heritage house museum in 1955. St David’s Park. This was originally the first Hobart graveyard, right opposite the first hospital on the corner of Salamanca Place and Davey Street. Was this a coincidence or expeditious planning? In 1926 the graveyard was converted into this park. In the centre is a fine memorial to Lieutenant Governor Collins. Some of the old headstones are now on the wall behind the Tasmanian Supreme Court. Collins you will remember was the first Lieutenant Governor of VDL and found a new mistress among the Norfolk Islanders, 16 year old Margaret Eddington. In Sydney he had had two children with Ann Yeates in the 1790s. His wife always remained in England. He had two illegitimate children with young Margaret Eddington before he died in 1810. His morals and administration were heavily criticised by the NSW Governor William Bligh.denisbin, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Where Narryna sits in Battery Point

Narryna occupies a 19th century merchant's house at 103 Hampden Road in Battery Point, within easy walking distance of the village centre. The location places it beside cafés, St George's Church and short walks to Salamanca Place and the Hobart waterfront. The setting makes it suitable for visitors combining a short stroll around Battery Point with a focused visit to period interiors and household collections.

What the museum interprets

The house is presented as a heritage museum that illustrates domestic life and the material culture of a merchant family. Narryna is an independent community museum that operates from the 1830s building and displays interiors and curatorial interpretation developed for public education. The collection and interpretation aim to reflect community heritage rather than being a general-purpose gallery.

Opening hours, seasonal closure and public-holiday changes

Regular public opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. The museum is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Narryna observes an annual winter closure; dates have been published for recent years, and the museum also remains closed on a number of public holidays. These include Good Friday, ANZAC Day, Hobart Show Day and the core Christmas and New Year period. Opening times and seasonal closures can vary from year to year, so confirm hours before you travel.

Access, mobility and suitability checks

The ground floor of Narryna provides complete wheelchair and mobility access. Because the building dates from the 1830s, access to the first floor is limited for visitors with reduced mobility. If you rely on step-free access, plan your visit around the ground-floor displays and contact the museum in advance to confirm any temporary closures or alternative arrangements. The site is carrying out capital improvements and upgrades to interpretation; those works can affect which rooms or displays are available on a given day.

Who operates Narryna and what that means for visitors

Narryna Heritage Museum Inc. is a community-run, registered charity and custodian of local heritage. Day-to-day operations are managed by the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery under a Memorandum of Understanding, and governance includes a Council with community and TMAG representatives. Support comes from state-level cultural funding programs and local benefactors. That governance model means programming, opening arrangements and capital works may reflect both community priorities and museum-sector planning.

Practical focus for heritage visitors

The museum is well suited to people who want to see a reasonably intact merchant's house and period domestic interiors. Expect curated rooms, household objects and interpretation aimed at local history and social context. The scale of the house makes visits manageable within an hour or two, depending on how closely you wish to read labels and displays.

How Narryna fits into a walking visit of Battery Point

Narryna is part of the Battery Point walking experience and features on self-guided tours such as the "In Bobby's Footsteps" route. On foot you can link the house visit with nearby Battery Point village and St George's Church or continue down to Salamanca Place for galleries, markets and eateries. If you prefer to use a taxi, destinations such as the Cascades Female Factory are listed as reachable by short vehicle journeys.

Before you go: checks to make

Confirm opening hours and the museum's current seasonal closure dates. Those details can change with annual programming and public holidays.
Check whether capital improvements or interpretive work are restricting access to specific rooms or collections on the day you plan to visit.
If you require step-free access, contact the museum beforehand to verify which areas on the day will be available and to discuss any assistance you might need.
Allow time for a short walk around Battery Point village if you intend to combine the visit with nearby sites.

Visitor suitability and what to expect on arrival

Narryna is family friendly in the sense that it presents house interiors rather than large interactive galleries. It suits adults, older children and anyone with an interest in local history and domestic life. Because the building is historic, expect some constraints around mobility and keep in mind scheduled closures and public-holiday variations. Staff and volunteers manage the collection and can advise on accessibility and the parts of the house currently open to visitors.

Sources and further reading

Visit — NARRYNA The Merchant's House (official site) · Narryna Heritage Museum Inc.
Improving Investment in Built Heritage in Tasmania (references Narryna) — Heritage Tasmania (report) · Heritage Tasmania / Tasmanian Government

Before you go

Practical information

Location (street): 103 Hampden Road, Battery Point, Hobart 7004
Phone: (03) 6234 2791
Email: narryna@tmag.tas.gov.au
Usual open days: Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm
Closed: Sunday and Monday, plus annual winter closure and specified public holidays
Accessibility note: Ground floor fully wheelchair accessible; limited access to first floor — check ahead if mobility access required
Nearby on foot: Battery Point village, St George's Church, Salamanca Place, Maritime Museum of Tasmania and Hobart CBD
Part of walking tour: Included in the Battery Point self-guided walking tour 'In Bobby's Footsteps'

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Narryna Heritage Museum (The Merchant’s House)

Where Narryna sits in Battery Point

What the museum interprets

Opening hours, seasonal closure and public-holiday changes

Access, mobility and suitability checks

Who operates Narryna and what that means for visitors

Practical focus for heritage visitors

How Narryna fits into a walking visit of Battery Point

Before you go: checks to make

Visitor suitability and what to expect on arrival

Sources and further reading

Practical information

Hobart & Southern Tasmania

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Where Narryna sits in Battery Point

What the museum interprets

Opening hours, seasonal closure and public-holiday changes

Access, mobility and suitability checks

Who operates Narryna and what that means for visitors

Practical focus for heritage visitors

How Narryna fits into a walking visit of Battery Point

Before you go: checks to make

Visitor suitability and what to expect on arrival

Sources and further reading

Practical information

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Hobart & Southern Tasmania

Tasmania outdoors

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