Brickendon and Woolmers Estates

One can literally step two centuries back in time within a 15-minute drive of arriving in Launceston.

The convict sites of Woolmers Estate and Brickendon Historic Farm and Colonial Estate, both in the village of Longford, were two of them.

Today they provide an extraordinary insight into the working lives of convict men and women in the early Nineteenth Century.

Brickendon Estate is set in scented colonial gardens, and the quaint original restored cottages - the Gardeners Cottages and the Coachman’s Cottage - now form charming tourist accommodation.

A short walk away, the working farm also has picturesque cottages. Built by William Archer in 1824, Brickendon is still owned by his descendants, Richard and Louise, who runs the farm using traditional methods.

A ramble across their land with sweeping rural views reveals neighbouring Woolmers Estate, once owned by another Archer brother.

Today it is run by the National Trust and home to the National Rose Garden. Between them, the Estates have the most perfectly preserved convict history in Australia.