Sullivans Cove

Sullivans Cove is on the River Derwent adjacent to the Hobart CBD in Tasmania. It was the site of initial European settlement in the area, and the location of the earlier components of the Port of Hobart. 

History

The Cove was the initial landing site of what is now the city of Hobart. It was founded on 21 February 1804 by Lieutenant Governor David Collins, who travelled to the shore via what was then a rocky island named Hunter Island. The connection to the shore was developed and is now known as Hunter Street. The island now has a building directly above it.

Although the first European settlement in the state was further up the river at Risdon Cove by John Bowen a year earlier, that settlement was abandoned and relocated to join the Sullivans Cove settlers.

Collins named Sullivans Cove after John Sullivan, Permanent Under Secretary to the Colonies.

By 1916, several piers had been constructed: from north to south:

• Ocean Pier (built 1914)
• Queens Pier (originally Alexandra Pier, renamed in 1910)
• Kings Pier (built 1910)
• Argyle Street Pier (built 1875)
• Elizabeth Street Pier (built 1866)
• Franklin Pier
• Brooke Street Pier (built 1820s, renovated 1879).
• Ferry Pier
• In 1933, the Argyle Street and Elizabeth Street Piers were replaced with a single concrete-reinforced structure at Elizabeth Street Pier.

In 1947 there was a proposal to replace Queens and Kings Pier with an extra wide pier, but this was never realised.

In 1948, Ocean Pier was destroyed by a fire.

Kings Pier was demolished and replaced with a marina for commercial and private craft, around 1970. This marina increased in size in 2003.