08/03/2025 – 10/03/2025
Friday | 7th March | 5:00pm
Registration will commence in Oatlands.
Saturday | 8th March | 10:00am
The field trip starts on International Women’s Day, and will focus on and celebrate the many modern dry stone walls built by local women. It will be led by one of them, Eleanor Bjorksten, who, along with her late husband, built not just beautiful walls but also creative art works in stone.
Lunch will be a picnic in the garden of the former Wardour Castle Inn, the plantings and walls done by the owner, Claire Petroff over the last 35 years.
The historic and modern dry stone walls at the Callington Mill will also be included.
Sunday | 9th March | 9:30am
A dash to Bothwell and beyond. There will be a chance for a brief walkabout before an early boxed lunch.
The highlight of the day will be the remote but remarkable dry stone walls of the 1840s homestead, Sherwood. Its bull pen, a great walled yard, is enormous and has huge coping stones.
The site is difficult to access and rarely open to visitors. The DSWAA was last there in 2006 and Richard Hallett, the owner will be our guide again.
After returning to Oatlands briefly, we’ll continue to Woodbury, near St Peter’s Pass where local heritage architect, Steve Booker will show the group the major conservation project he is supervising.
Then on to Ross for a brief walkabout before the main dinner at The Man O’Ross Hotel.
Monday | 10th March
There will be some optional extras for those who have time to linger longer in Oatlands before going home.
Logistics:
- For logistical reasons, numbers must be strictly limited.
- Travel during the field trip will be on foot within the towns and by bus between them.
- The visit to Sherwood will include some rough and hilly terrain.
Accommodation:
- Options for accommodation in Oatlands are limited, but staying in Kempton, Ross, Campbell Town and even Longford are possibilities.
- Because it is a long weekend in several states and there are other activities going on around Tasmania, such as the John Glover Festival in Evandale, we recommend that you book your accommodation promptly.
- Similarly, interstate travel should be planned as soon as possible. You might like to come early and/or leave late to avoid the rush and premium prices.
Enquiries:
If you have any immediate queries, you can contact:
- Jim Holdsworth (jim@planningcollaborative.com.au), convenor of the Community Engagement portfolio or
- Jane Boot (janeboot@hotmail.com), who is based in Hobart.