Conara

Conara combines a distinctive roadside setting with stories from Tasmania’s early settlement and transport history. Vaucluse represents a pioneer farm and historic homestead, while Smithvale recalls the coach routes between Launceston and Hobart. There is also an unusual landmark on the Midlands Highway: the building known as “The Disappearing House”, which is visible at first as you drive and then disappears behind a hill. If you’re looking for a holiday rental in Conara, you can choose the town based on these different historical interests.

Vaucluse: farming history, architecture and landscape

Vaucluse, at 643 Glen Esk Road, Conara, is culturally significant as a pioneer farm dating from the early 19th century in what was then Van Diemen’s Land. A major grazing property, the estate was in continuous use for almost two centuries. This long history of use makes Vaucluse a place to explore the story of a farming estate, rather than focusing on just one building.

The main homestead is representative of both the Old Colonial Georgian style and the Victorian Italianate style. Both styles are part of the description of the same house, giving Vaucluse’s architectural history a distinctive breadth. The estate’s relationship with the surrounding landscape is also part of its cultural significance: lush plantings, sweeping views and gentle hills. Architecture and landscape thus offer two different aspects for visitors to consider when exploring Vaucluse.

Vaucluse Estate Tasmania offers tours of the grounds by appointment. If you’d like to include a visit in your trip, take the appointment requirement into account when planning. The address is listed as 643 Glen Esk Road, Tasmania 7211. This allows you to plan a specific visit around your interest in the farm, homestead and landscape without assuming that tours are available on a walk-in basis.

Smithvale and the old travel routes

Smithvale tells a different story from Vaucluse. The historic building in Conara was built by James and Catherine Smith around 1839–1840. It was established as an inn to provide overnight accommodation for travellers on the coach routes, and served as a staging post for coaches between Launceston and Hobart. Smithvale can therefore be placed in the period when longer journeys on these routes included an overnight stop.

There are said to have once been stables behind Smithvale where horses were changed. This account explicitly refers to the past. Conara was originally known as The Corners—another name connected with the town’s history.

The former railway station is also part of the town’s transport history: Conara had a station where passengers could change from the Main Line between Hobart and Launceston to the East Coast route via the Fingal Line. Together with Smithvale’s role as a coach stop, this shows two different forms of travel associated with Conara. The Midlands Highway shapes how visitors find their way today: Conara lies just off it. When driving along the highway, the historic building known as “The Disappearing House” is visible at first and then vanishes behind a hill—a striking detail for travellers on the road.

Historic discoveries in town

Christ Church in Conara is a church and cemetery complex at 136 Conara Road. Along with the stories of Vaucluse and Smithvale, it broadens the range of historical themes associated with Conara. These places offer different perspectives: a farming estate connected with architecture and landscape, an inn on the coach route, and a church and cemetery complex.

When choosing accommodation, consider which of these themes you’d most like to focus on during your trip: the history of Vaucluse, the old transport routes or Conara’s historic buildings. This keeps your search for a holiday rental focused on your actual interests in the town. More town pages: Grassy, Prospect Vale, Derwent Bridge, Barrington, St Helens, Lalla, Penguin, Bicheno.

For the broader travel overview: Tasmania.