Hobart established in Van Diemen's Land

Background. Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name for Tasmania during 19th-century European colonization. British concerns over French explorers prompted Governor Philip King to send Lieutenant John Bowen to establish a military outpost at Risdon Cove in August 1803. This initial settlement was intended to forestall French claims to the island. In 1804, Collins settled 5 km to the south at Sullivans Cove on the western side of the Derwent, where fresh water was more plentiful.

Establishment. In February 1804, Lieutenant-Colonel David Collins landed a party of 262 people at Sullivans Cove. This settlement, which became known as Hobart Town, was named after Lord Hobart, the British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The location on the western side of the Derwent offered better access to fresh water than the original Risdon Cove site.

Administration. Hobart was made the seat of government for the southern district of Van Diemen's Land, Buckingham County, in 1804. The northern half of the state was separately governed from Port Dalrymple, now George Town. The formal division into Cornwall County in the north and Buckingham County in the south ran from 24 September 1804 until 4 February 1813. The settlement grew to 433 inhabitants following the arrival of the remainder of Collins' Port Phillip party in June 1804.